A lesson in simplicity, no recipe required. Zucchini Carpaccio is no more than thin-thin slices of small, very fresh zucchini drizzled with very good olive oil and vinegar and sprinkled with good salt. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. How amazing? It impressed a fifteen-year old boy. "This is lunch ?" asked an unimpressed fifteen-year old when encountering nothing but small plates of thin-sliced zucchini on the kitchen table. But with a go-along-to-get-along attitude, my nephew Alex attacked the zucchini and quickly allowed, "This is good, really really good ." For me, it was a lesson in the power of simplicity, how superior ingredients create the possibility of "so much more from a whole lot less". The lesson comes courtesy of the craftsmanship and generosity of the folks at O Olive Oil . These thin slices of baby zucchini are dressed with nothing more than (really really ) good olive oil, (really really ) good vinegar and a sprinkling of Maldon salt. Even the 15-yea

An old-fashioned cucumber salad, just cucumbers and a few pretty-pretty radishes in vinegar seasoned with no more than a little salt. So fresh and summery! You know how one good deed often begets another? Danielle of Habeas Brulee made my Nana's cucumbers with sour cream , then called up her own grandmother for her cucumber salad recipe -- so for me, there was no not making Danielle's own Ima's cucumbers with vinegar! (Hi, Ima!) Both are simple delights, perfect for a summer table. I was short on onion so substituted radishes - nice color, yes?! The Benriner (also called a Japanese mandoline) made quick work of slicing though next time I'll set the blade for slightly thicker slices for a texture more like salad and less like pickle. But it's easy-easy to slice cucumbers thin with a sharp knife so a Benriner is definitely optional here.

How do you bake without wheat flour? How do you forgo milk and cheese and chicken and turkey and almonds and pineapple and papaya and avocado and heavens! green beans? Food blogging has opened my eyes to the challenges and successes of cooking gluten-free. But when our very own Gluten-Free Goddess Karina learned that she faces a whole host of food allergies -- oh my, what a list -- it took me aback. It's one thing to choose to give up meat and dairy. It's another thing entirely to be forced to give up foods from which you've drawn both sustenance and comfort, in order to regain your well-being, your very life. Yes, it must be done. But. Really. Now. How do you live without the brightness of lemon? For whatever reason, it's Karina's allergy to lemons that has got me thinking the hardest. I keep a half dozen lemons on the counter at the ready at all times. Now, thanks to Karina, each time I pick one up, I caress the waxy skin, I breathe in the lemon scent,

It doesn't get easier than this! Just chunks of zucchini cooked in a skillet with lots of garlic and tossed with a little cheese. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Vegetarian and easy to adapt to Vegan. Weight Watchers PointsPlus 2. Did I mention, Easy Peasy?! 2007: My mom added a big hunk of butter to every bowl of vegetables – except when she draped them with a slice of cheese. No wonder: butter and cheese are fast and cheap and reliably turn even turn-up-your-nose vegetables into tasty bites. (And if I'm representative, it also raises first-borns to be, well, vegetable-obsessed. But my sister loves vegetables. The real test is my dad, who didn't eat vegetables when he and my mom first met. Now, get this, he eats Brussels sprouts !) So now, when vegetables recipes call for butter or cheese and the cook near-audibly moans, my immediate reaction is always, "Well, duh. Of course it tastes good. It's fat with butter. It's sticky with cheese!" But when Kalyn's K

Fresh kohlrabi grated and cooked quickly atop the stove. Low carb and Weight Watchers friendly. ~recipe & photo updated 2010~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ 2007 Original: Have I mentioned that I love the Benriner , the Japanese mandoline that slices vegetables so beautifully? Sorry, of course I have. Once . Twice . Thrice . But each time, I'm struck by how 'basic' and yet 'entirely new' it is to slice a vegetable small-small-small, then cook it in a small bit of butter, seasoned with little more than salt and pepper and tonight, a few shreds of Parmesan. I have always liked kohlrabi, especially raw kohrabi . The small ones can be sliced and eaten an apple. But this kohlrabi side dish is something entirely different. Fresh and airy. Earthy and deep. Delicious.

Yikes, this arugula had a bitterness I wasn't expecting! It was past peppery, into something slightly caustic. So I knew that a simple arugula salad wasn't the ticket. Enter arugula pesto, where arugula's bitterness is moderated by toasted almonds and Parmesan. It was quite delicious with a quick side pasta. (And in case you're wondering, no, arugula doesn't create a neon-green pesto. The noodles themselves are an Asian noodle of that color. They do brighten a plate, yes!) WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER ARUGULA PESTO Leftover pesto is handy to have around! One night I tossed it with tiny new potatoes for a no-mayonnaise potato salad. Another night, I stirred it into some goat cheese and then slightly warmed it in the microwave - a terrific appetizer. Another night I added some vinegar to make a quick salad dressing.

July 1 is Canada Day and July 4 is, well, the 4th of July! And that means long weekends at the cottage, family picnics and neighborhood potlucks, hometown parades and of course, the fireworks. To celebrate, here's a 2003 column for a long-time family favorite, Parmesan Chicken , published online for the first time. Parmesan Chicken is so perfect for summer, quick, easy, make-ahead, good hot or cold, as is or atop a salad or tucked into a sandwich. I made it recently for family visitors and oh, it was so convenient to have on hand. And it's time to stock the frig with refrigerator salads, ones that mix up in a flash, travel well and feed a crowd. Here are some favorites: Confetti Potato Salad Made with both sweet potatoes and white potatoes, also without mayonnaise so perfect for outdoor Holy Slaw! A coleslaw with an unusual dressing that's a real hit all the time, made with peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and a bit of heat Bloody Mary Salad Tomato-y g