Eat Your Greens.

'Tis the Season: How to use extra-virgin olive oils, from the extraordinary to the merely wonderful

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:05:25 PDT

Few things make a foodie's taste buds flutter like the thought of extra-virgin olive oil -- especially if it comes from unripe olives grown under that famous Tuscan sun. Mmmmm. [Pause for reverie.] But that stuff can cost a fortune -- how should it best be savored? And what's up with that recent extra-virgin olive scandal in Italy? With EVOO on the brain, Roz Cummins sought answers -- and came up with a picnic-perfect recipe for showing off good olive oil.

Chef's Diary: CSAs can transform Iowa's farm economy -- and take its sandwiches to the next level

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:05:58 PDT

In some parts of the country, people are already basking in the sun in shorts and sandals, eating local strawberries. But in Iowa, they're just now hanging up their parkas for the season. That means the state's small, diversified farms are harvesting the first spring veggies. That's got chef Kurt Michael Friese thinking about how communities can support sustainable farming -- and how sustainable farming can support communities. And all of that thinking made him hungry for a good sandwich: one jolted into the stratosphere by the presence of the season's first spinach.

'Tis the Season: Here's a dressing that passes muster without cutting the mustard

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:04:44 PDT

In her salad daze, Roz Cummins was green -- with envy. Seems even the worst cooks she knew were whipping up great salads, while hers didn't dazzle in the least. Then she hit the cookbooks, and discovered the secret to dressing raw veggies. Get the inside scoop in today's 'Tis the Season.

Victual Reality: To make local food more accessible, time to revive mid-sized farms

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:04:25 PDT

Chef's Diary: An earthy recipe for treading lightly on earth and pocketbook alike

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:04:48 PDT

'Tis the Season: While food prices rise, here's a stick-to-your-ribs pasta dish that won't cause sticker shock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:04:25 PDT

The '70s weren't just about bell bottoms, disco, and monster sideburns. The decade also featured sky-high prices for both gas and groceries ... just like now. Roz Cummins has been marveling at the price of grain, and figuring it's time we should be consuming less of it. She reckons the best way is to stop feeding so damned much of it to animals for meat, and instead eat it directly ourselves. So today's 'Tis the Season offers a simple, delicious, and inexpensive pasta-and-bean dish -- as well as a racy "three-way" and some not-so-original Cinn.

Victual Reality: Why Michael Pollan and Alice Waters should quit celebrating food-price hikes

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:04:50 PDT

If grocery-store prices rise high enough, will consumers suddenly see the wisdom of spending the same amount of money on healthier options at farmers' markets? That's the logic that some sustainable-food advocates, including renowned author Michael Pollan and restaurateur Alice Waters, seem to be putting forth. But Tom Philpott sees it a different way -- and says the solution lies in making sustainable food more accessible. See how Washington State and others are getting it done, in today's Victual Reality.

Chef's Diary: The Age of Asparagus dawned in Roman times, but the time to eat it is now

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:04:03 PDT

Asparagus is old news: Marcus Apicius, ancient Rome's answer to Rachel Ray, was buzzing about it ages ago (literally). But when spring arrives, few foodies can resist the pull of the noble garden spear. Chef Kurt Michael Friese says he'll soon be stalking wild asparagus in the Iowa countryside, and harvesting the cultivated stuff from his garden. His fever for the spring spear is so intense that he's already getting the fire ready for grilled asparagus. He reveals his secrets for making that simple dish even more sublime, with a recipe you don't need to have a chef's chops to follow.

'Tis the Season: How the Monterey Bay Aquarium makes its safe-seafood list -- plus a seafood recipe you can feel good about

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:03:43 PDT

If you're like us, you don't think of ordering fish without digging out that wallet-sized card put out by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But how do those guys figure out which fish we can enjoy in good conscience -- and which we must savor in the knowledge that we're contributing to the full-on collapse of entire fish populations, and possibly civilization itself? Pesco-phile Roz Cummins fishes for answers, and serves up a recipe that passes the sustainability test with flying colors.

Victual Reality: As the feds bail out Wall Street, here's a food-related fix for Main Street

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:03:54 PDT

In case you haven't noticed, the U.S. economy is a mess: oil prices are rising, credit cards are maxed out, jobs are disappearing, and the feds are rushing to bail Wall Street barons out of the whole mess. We've got a problem -- could food be part of the solution? Tom Philpott -- farmer, foodie, and one-time financial reporter -- explores the connections between economic ruin and your kitchen table.