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.

I was the kind of kid who loved sour candies (and still do), so I like rhubarb straight up, raw - especially early in the season and fresh off the plant. But if you aren't so into sour, or if you've got older, more intense, stringier stalks - or if you just want a crazy-delicious dessert to share with friends - cooking it with a bit of maple does the trick.

(Don't forget that the leaves of rhubarb are poisonous - only use the stalks!)

This is our new go-to for evenings when it's suddenly six o'clock (which happens to us pretty regularly once the season gets into swing). It's quick, light but filling, yummy, and packs a lot of vegetables.

This is a nice way to use radishes if you find them too strong on their own, because the dressing and the creaminess of the chickpeas tames their bite.

This recipe came to us from our friend Kestrel. It's an unusual combination of flavors, but so good!

These are good by themselves as a snack, or with noodle soup, stir fry, or even scrambled eggs! You can use them like little tortillas to wrap around fried rice, or slice them into wedges. They go well with a quick dipping sauce made by mixing up some soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and grated ginger. 

Pea shoots are great raw, but they're also nice cooked. We like to saute some garlic in olive oil (scapes are great for this), then add the soots and cook until they're wilted and just tender. Then, you can add them to all sorts of things, like:

• Scrambled eggs or omelets
  
• Potato salad
  
• Egg salad
  
• Tuna salad
  
• Any salad, really
  
• Lentils
  
• Mashed potatoes
  
• Macaroni and cheese
  

If you don’t have experience with sardines, give them a try! Pacific sardines are sustainable, pretty inexpensive, and super good for you – high in Omega-3s and calcium. They don’t really taste much fishier than tuna, but they don’t have the risk of mercury and overfishing that tuna has (Atlantic or Mediterranean sardine fisheries are poorly regulated and in decline, so we recommend sticking to the abundant Pacific variety). They are one of our favorite foods – and one of the few things Sonora is almost guaranteed to eat! If a picky toddler gives it her stamp of approval, what’s holding you back?