The Russian-born lady at our table asked, "Pleez, what is B L T?" So for all the native Polish, Israeli, Malaysian, Australian, French, Swedish, Spanish, Portugese, Taiwanese, Indian and others who visit this site on occasion -- thank you! and please know that while BLT may be an acronym for Bacon, Lttuce and Tomato in sandwich form, what it stands for is one of summer's great indulgences. Here are the essentials: Good bread, often toasted -- in this case a salty focaccia (that worked better the first day, when it was fresh, than the third, when it was tough) but a whole grain slice will work great, as would a firm, cottage-style white bread or even a large soft white roll Thick-cut bacon -- fried crisp (be sure to pour off the bacon fat to store in the frig for later) -- consider cooking extra for this corn chowder or this broccoli salad Mayonnaise -- in this case, 5 tablespoons of Hellman's Light tossed with 3 tablespoons of chopped chive and tablespoon

Today's lovely little make-it-your own avocado salad: It's as good as can be, just cubes of avocado tossed with hearts of palm (and if you wish, for bulk, cucumber and tomato) and a lemon-y herb-y vinaigrette. I'd happily eat this salad every day! Gluten Free. Paleo. Not just vegan, " Vegan Done Real ". ~recipe & photo updated 2015~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ 2005: Oops. I didn't know til just now that avocados are not vegetables but, um, well, fruit and that hearts of palm are neither fruit not vegetable but stems for goodness sake. Oh well, it's all plants, so qualifies, yes? for entry in A Veggie Venture? Be sure to use ripe avocados, they make all the difference. These stores in a paper bag on the counter for almost a week before a gentle squeeze told me, "Now! Now the avocados are ripe!" 2015: We've become addicted to avocados thanks to Smitten Kitchen's Avocado-Cucumber Salad and find ourselves not buying one a

Several times a week, I pull out a small and inexpensive immersion blender or its attachments. It doesn't replace a blender, a food processor or a mixer, but it sure is handy for small jobs, well worth the $25 invested a couple of years ago. (2008 Update: The Braun product I have is being discontinued but there are many brands of immersion blenders .) What's shown is the 'motor' (the top piece) attached to a mini food processor (the bottom piece). It includes a cup with a food-processor-type blade that's just perfect for small jobs. The cup includes both a rubber piece that works both to stabilize the cup for standing/processing and as an air-tight cover. There's also the immersion blender itself, which makes quick work of most soups without the hassle of getting out/cleaning/putting away the blender or big Cuisinart food processor. One word of caution: the immersion blade must be fully immersed in the soup - otherwise, soup will splatter all over. There's a

One of my favorite salads from the first year of A Veggie Venture, canned garbanzo beans mixed with summer-fresh vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and corn plus a smidgin of heat from a pantry ingredient, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Lots of rave reviews! Fresh & Seasonal. A Summer Classic. Great for Meal Prep. Easy Weeknight Supper. Low Carb. Low Fat. Scales from Small Plates to Large Platters. Weight Watchers Friendly. Easily Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free.

Would you rather eat exotic edamame (ed-uh-MAH-may) or spartan SOY ? Take your pick becuase they're the same thing, fresh soy beans. And they're delicious! Now that they come shelled and frozen, they're easy to cook and easy to find year-round. This is an okaaaaaay salad. But if you don't yet know how good edamame beans taste, don't make this your introduction: you might not return. As it turns out, the recipe seemed familiar. Sure enough, when I waded through its reviews on Epicurious, I made it a year ago and had the same reaction: good enough but just okay. The carrot flavor and texture overwhelm the delicacy of the beans. Looks great, though, doesn't it? You don't often get such great color on your plate! Leftover Update: This either grew on me or improved with a day in the frig. So I'd now recommend it even though it doesn't pay edamame their due. Buying Tip: At my grocery, the produce section at my grocery sells 10-ounce packages o

Today's summery pasta salad recipe: My go-to pasta salad during summer, packed with lovely Mediterranean flavors, radicchio, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Keep Summer Orzo on hand for a quick side salad straight from the fridge or better still, as a bed for grilled fish or sautéed shrimp ... this is no heavy pasta salad, it's light and fresh and at least to my taste, downright habit-forming. Great for Meal Prep. Potluck Favorite. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real .

Some people carry knives when they'll be cooking somewhere else. Me, I carry a microplane. With just a few whisks, it makes piles and piles of fluffy Parmesan, lemon zest, lime zest. This is one of several versions. I like its broad face. I like the rubber handle. I like the fine rasp. Nov 2006 Update: While I love the fine grate, I really really love the ribbon grater, especially for Parmesan and chocolate. In my kitchen, both are necessities. I've also learned to measure by weight, not volume, whenever a microplane is used. Think about getting the finger guards. While I've only scraped myself once, it was sore for several hours ... and I have a friend who loves her Microplane but does have trouble getting scraped.