Stop using anti-grilled plant language 🫑🌽🍍

Instead of: "Can I get a juicy steak?"
Try saying: "While a steak can be juicy, I’d enjoy a thick slice of marinated, grilled eggplant, portobello mushroom, or cauliflower because they have a rich flavor profile that will satisfy me without breaking the bank."

Instead of: "I`d like a salad with grilled chicken."
Try saying: "I want to explore the various uses of the grill to its fullest extent. Could I trouble you to make me a grilled romaine salad with cherry tomatoes, crispy tempeh bacon, and parmsesan cheese?"

Instead of: "Load up my hot dog Chicago-style."
Try saying: "I do not intend to offend Chicago residents, but I have always wondered how a grilled carrot dog would taste. Perhaps I can still use classic toppings to prevent a true uprising due to my sensibilities."

Instead of: "Turn on the oven — I want a side of fries."
Try saying: "‘Tis sweltering outside right now, and I dare not increase my electricity bill further by turning on my in-home roasting device. Rather, I will start the grill and use its unique powers of infusing flavors to make my potato wedges sing!"

Instead of: "Can we have a fruit salad for dessert?"
Try saying: "Although fruit is often delectable in its raw state, I think that we could instill complex flavors by grilling it and adding simple but effective toppings. Perhaps watermelon with balsamic glaze or peaches with crème fraîche?" ...

It’s time to treat salads like a centerpiece, bursting with flavor, rich in textures, and filled with nutrients. No rules or recipes here, just ideas to supercharge your salads:

1️⃣ Start with a bold base of peppery arugula, hearty (massaged) kale, colorful cabbage, or a blend of herbs.

2️⃣ Play with textures. Add crunch with roasted chickpeas, nuts, seeds, or crispy shallots. Make it creamy with avocado, feta, or hummus. And juiciness with cherry tomatoes, pomegranates, or fresh citrus!

3️⃣ Add that charred charm with grilled vegetables. Or go unexpectedly sweet with grilled pineapple, peaches, or watermelon. (Don`t forget a grilled protein like tofu, halloumi, or chicken!)

4️⃣ Dress to impress (yourself) with these bold dressing ideas:
🍋 Citrus vinaigrette with orange and lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard.
🧄 Tahini dressing with tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, warm water, and a touch of maple syrup.
🥑 Green goddess dressing with yogurt, herbs, avocado, capers, and lime juice.

5️⃣ Finish your salad with an unexpected flair. Consider adding everything from fresh herbs and citrus zests to spices like za`atar and sumac and drizzles of balsamic glaze or hot honey! ...

Why is grilled food so delicious? We will let you in on a little secret: It`s science. 🤫

The smoky, savory flavor of browned edges and irresistible aromas of grilling is the result of a process called the Maillard reaction, which is a natural chemical reaction. The best part? Vegetables and plant proteins will develop these rich flavors when grilled, too. All you need to be successful is the right balance of temperature, moisture, and time.

These plant-based foods brown beautifully, developing umami when grilled:
🌱 Tofu and tempeh
🍄‍🟫 Mushrooms
🫓 Flatbreads and sourdough
🧅 Onions and sweet potatoes

Keep these grilling tips in your toolkit to excel at developing flavor:
1️⃣ Use a blend of acid, oil, and sweetness for a balanced marinade. (Bump the umami with soy sauce or miso!)
2️⃣ Pat your food dry before grilling so your sear doesn`t steam.
3️⃣ Grill baskets can be your best friend for smaller items. Larger vegetable cuts can be placed directly on the grill.
4️⃣ Let it cook! Leave your food undisturbed to give it time to brown. ...

What`s in season for summer? Turn your farmers` market haul into a delicious, low heat summer line-up with these ideas:
🍑 Grill up your favorite stone fruit and add it to a bed of arugula with a simple dressing for a refreshing salad
🍉 Make a mocktail by blending up watermelon and topping it with ginger beer and fresh lime. (Use an iced copper mug for maximum chill factor!)
🌽 Make a zesty corn salsa with cilantro, tomatoes, and onions
🧊 Blend cantaloupe with coconut milk, lime, and ginger and freeze in popsicle molds
🍅 Enjoy a thick slice of heirloom tomato on crusty bread with basil and burrata
🍓 Berries are yummy when cooked, but summer is the time for eating them fresh from the market
🫘 Sneak zucchini and other summer greens into black bean enchiladas ...

Getting connected with our food begins early. What if we told you that food literacy — knowledge about how food is grown, raised, and transported to how it is purchased, prepared, and managed — begins at a young age?

Think of the kitchen as a key to developmental growth. Cooking reinforces a wide range of age-specific milestones:
👉 From 2-3, have kids rinse produce, tear greens, or stir batter to help them with fine motor skills, enjoy sensory play, and build vocabulary.
👉 From 4-5, introduce measuring and have them cut soft foods with a butter knife to teach early math and sequencing skills and improve hand-eye coordination.
👉 From 6-8, encourage kids to read simple recipes for you, crack eggs, and try using a peeler. This can aid in literacy, independence, and following more complex instructions.
👉 From 9-12, you can start introducing everything from chopping and sautéing (with supervision!) and planning meals. This builds critical thinking and time management skills and builds confidence.

The best part? Kids often think of this as a fun activity, not a learning space. From developing measuring and reading skills to improving self-confidence and instilling a love for vegetables and fruits, having kids cook in the kitchen is a no-brainer. ...

These "vegetables of mystery" aren`t as obscure as they seem. You might find yourself asking, "Who is she?" Well, she`s not a turnip!

Everyone? Meet kohlrabi, sometimes called a German turnip. Although kohlrabi might be having an identity crisis, that`s because it can be used any way you might use a carrot or a potato. (Kohlrabi is coming for potato`s job tbh.) Here are some of the ways to enjoy this farmers` market fave:
➡️ Enjoy it raw for a crisp, lightly sweet bite with a dip of your choice.
🍟 Transform it into home fries by browning in a pan over medium to medium-high heat with neutral oil. Top with your favorite spice!
😁 Add to spring rolls for a crisp bite.
🥔 Despite potato`s best efforts, kohlrabi is delicious boiled and mashed like you would prepare a potato.
🥒 Step aside cucumbers, kohlrabi is the perfect pickle with salt, turmeric, and mustard powder.
🥞 You can even grate it into pancakes or fritters!

Now that we have convinced you (and some friendly produce) of the versatility of Kohlrabi, here is a haiku, inspired by your new fave:
Bulbous stem grows squat
Turnip-like with leaves askew
Rebel brassica ...

As questions about water conservation continue to rise during the hot summer months, we`re taking an honest look at food`s role in water use. 🤔

Agriculture uses more water than you do in a day just to produce a few ounces of beef. Let`s break that down:
🏘️ The average American personally uses 60 gallons of water per day, but agriculture is responsible for 80 to 90 percent of America`s consumptive water use.
🐄 Producing just 4 ounces of beef requires more than 463 gallons of water. That`s equivalent to your daily water use for over a week... for a modest serving of beef.
🍔 An average American cheeseburger, in comparison, takes about 800 gallons of water to produce, the majority of which is due to the beef and cheese.

Here`s how other foods compare:
👉 4 ounces of rice takes 73 gallons of water
👉 4 ounces of strawberries take 10 gallons of water
👉 4 ounces of tofu takes 76 gallons of water
👉 4 ounces of carrots take 6 gallons of water

What can you do? Join us in reducing your meat and dairy consumption, which is a great way to reduce both carbon emissions and water use.

Source: EcoRise and watercalculator.org ...