French lentils differ from brown lentils, as they are smaller and denser. They hold their shape better, making them the perfect choice for summer salads, rather than soup.
Read more: French lentils with roasted red peppers, goat feta and mint
 
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How do you grow it? How do you harvest it? How do you prepare it? Here are three references that will help you learn more about veggies like red runner beans, New Zealand spinach (one of our favorites), black radishes, purple potatoes, kohlrabi (another on our “like” list), fennel (the herb and the vegetable), and rainbow-colored carrots. 
Spring is a tough season to try to subsist on garden vegetables, but it IS possible to do pretty well with salad greens and herbs. 
My first month of offering Meatless Mondays in my kitchen is over, and I’ve received all my survey forms back. I can officially proclaim it was received with great success. From my point of view, I admit there is a learning curve. Classes/dinners required substantial prep on my part – particularly in coordinating which components of dinner I wanted prepared ahead of time, and which I wanted to demonstrate live. 
Three weeks ago I began a class out of my kitchen, called “Meatless Mondays in Ina’s Kitchen.” For the month of March, I’ve opened up my kitchen to 8 eager participants who come hungry and receptive to what I’ve prepared and set before them. Each week I have a theme or two, and a menu that exemplifies the themes. The foods chosen reflect the transition into spring and the produce being as seasonal and local as possible. 
It’s the middle of March and time to get your seeds in – and for those of us lucky enough to live in milder climates, time to get those cool season plant starts! Buying starts and seeds from local growers and at local sales ensures that you get plants that are climate-appropriate. Get planting! 
Yes, it’s Spring – and produce season is ostensibly months away. I say that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek because we can buy hot weather fruit and vegetables year round thanks to the “miracle” of modern transportation. 
Still have a few folks on your shopping list? No worries! Just head out to your local natural food co-op where you can find all sorts of goodies for last minute gifts. 
Ever more Americans are becoming urban dwellers and access to good quality, reasonably priced food grown sustainably is more and more challenging. Food is grown using chemical-laden agricultural methods and travels longer distances to kitchen or table. We need to find ways to bring sustainable food production closer closer to home. |
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