Last spring I waxed eloquent about the joys of strawberries, which are delicious in salads, smoothies and (of course!) home-canned jam.  And, while I still encourage you to try all the crazy strawberry recipes out there, one after the other, the more realistic side of me knows it's just not possible at this time of year.   So today I'm going to keep it very simple with a recipe for strawberry cake that takes just a little time and uses ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.  Chances are you have a graduation, shower or cookout to attend in the next couple of weeks, …

To successfully grow herbs, you really only need one piece of advice: remember that herbs are weeds.  They were growing wild in some part of the world, and some member of some ancient civilization (probably while clearing room to plant crops) was yanking them up by the roots when she stopped, sniffed and thought, "Hey: maybe I could use this." No, of course I don't have hard proof about that little re-dramatization.  But I like to think it's true: it explains so well why herbs grow where very little else will, why they thrive on neglect, and why they make such a great choice for nervous …

On a sunny, cold Saturday last February, my husband spent a hundred dollars and most of his morning driving to and from Washington to help me load up a huge bag of wheat. (There are certain times when you know with absolute certainty that you married the right person.) We had plenty of time in the car to chat about the process that had brought me thus far: it began when I received a review copy of The Urban Farm Handbook last summer.  Around Thanksgiving I finally cracked it open and was pleased with the innovative format, which successfully avoids the two extremes occupied by most of …

Late last year and stretching early into this one, we did a major renovation on our kitchen.  In the process, we started thinking about how to better organize the space, and the result was something that functioned much more efficiently. Thanks to my husband's design skills, we discovered that it was actually a much bigger room than we'd realized.   Although a renovation is a logical time to do this kind of work (a move is another), any kitchen, at any time, could benefit from the five steps below.  And you may even be able to accomplish the redesign without purchasing anything new! 1) Assess…

Tell the truth.  How many times have you clicked on an article titled "Nature's 5 Miracle Foods" or "10 Worst Drive-Thru Choices" and been disappointed to read that, surprise, strawberries are good for you and milkshakes are not?   If you're a well-read foodie like me, it's more than you care to admit.  So, just to even out the score, here are a few of my favorite food lists, all accompanied by well-written and researched text that will help you make more informed choices in the future, from apple trees to Apple gadgets. Out and About Seafood Watch: Produced annually by the Monterey Bay …

In a small town in a country that's about as meat-centric as they come, tofu gets no respect.  (Try ordering it in a restaurant and see what kinds of stares your friends give.) But the time may come, or may be now, when you're feeling a little more adventurous.  Maybe your vegan brother/cousin/colleague is coming over for dinner and you want to feed him more than salad.  Maybe you've been keeping up with the pink slime question in the news and are looking for something a little more natural: tofu is just soybeans and water, plus a mineral that makes it firm up, and you can make it yourself. …

I had visited the Le Creuset store half a dozen times over a span of several years before I finally purchased the pot I'd been eyeing all along.  I gulped, signed the receipt and brought home the cherry-red skillet, waiting to see whether it would change my life. Paying almost $200 for one pan was hard to do but it was amazing how quickly it became the most indispensable item in my kitchen. The cast iron conducted heat beautifully, and the enamel finish came clean instantly.  I used it for everything: chili, coq au vin, rice pudding. Bacon left beautiful, crispy browned (not burned) spots …

This time of year, home gardeners fight to quell a rising tide of internal panic with every weekend that passes unsowed.  Willy Loman's obsessive lines start sounding more and more reasonable until we echo them ourselves: "I've got to get some seeds, right away . . . I don't have a thing in the ground!"   If you've ever thought about starting a garden, there's no time like the present, and no age that offers more resources and options, either!  A few hours this week is a worthy investment in your summer crops; then you can take it easy for the next month until it's time to start preparing the…