This is a delicious, simple use for fennel and a great dish for a potluck! Add pasta and leftover diced chicken to make it a meal, or serve as a side along with a burger or pork chop. Like leeks, fennel tends to get dirt in between its layers. We usually slice it in half, then peel off the first few leaves and rinse, then slice them thinly. You can also quarter it and run under water to clean, then slice. Larger bulbs will have a slightly woody core that you may want to remove and either slice separately or discard.

Makes about 4 cups

1 medium fennel bulb (reserve a few fronds for garnish)
2-3 tomatoes (a mixture of colors looks nice)
1 small handful basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice
olive oil

Slice the fennel as thinly as you can. Chop the tomato into small, bite-sized pieces. Stack the leaves of basil and cut into strips. Toss together with a few good pinches of salt and a dash or two of lemon juice and olive oil. Let stand for 10 minutes or so to draw the juices out of the tomatoes, then toss again. Add cooked pasta, diced cooked meat, white beans or chickpeas, if desired. Garnish with fennel fronds, and enjoy!

This is a dish we came up with after making a giant batch of beet chips, when we had three bunches' worth of beet greens in the fridge. That quantity of greens isn't necessary, but you'll be surprised at how much they cook down. Like most of our dishes, this one is flexible and forgiving - substitute Swiss chard or spinach for the beet greens, or heartier greens like kale or broccoli raab if you cook them a bit longer. You could also add in a zucchini or diced eggplant, use a different kind of meat, or leave the meat out altogether. This would also be good on penne or other pasta instead of rice.

Pea shoots make a fun, springy alternative to the usual basil pesto. You can bulk this up with spinach or stay simple. In addition to pasta, pesto is also great with potatoes - try tossing with roasted ones or mixing into mashed - or spread on good bread as a kind of bruchetta.

Scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant. We snip them off because that helps the garlic bulb develop better - and, conveniently, they're also delicious! You can use them in just about any place you'd use garlic or onions - just chop them up, excluding the long flower bud on the end, which usually isn't very tasty. This pesto is one of the best ways to use this short-lived treat.

8-10 Ramps     Olive Oil
½ Lb Pasta    Fresh Lemon Juice

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta water is heating, prepare the ramps. Clean them if necessary, and chop into one-inch pieces. Sautee the ramps in plenty of olive oil until wilted. Drain the pasta when it’s done, then toss with the ramps. Add a dash of lemon juice to each plate and season with salt. Enjoy!