Hi All,

We’ve been writing a lot lately about food waste, and the issue is finally getting the attention is deserves. As a chef and as a person who grows most of her own food in season, I was challenged to find ways to use parts of the vegetable that I traditionally used to throw away. For instance, leek tops, beet greens and radish greens. When I was at the event, Feeding the 5000 in Union Square, I watched a cooking demo that made use of the tops of the leeks. The chef cut them into thin strips, and boiled them as pasta, and put a simple sauce on them. They were delicious! I have been using beet tops for years, either to add into my salad, or I steam them and make a pesto/pate out of them, using walnuts, garlic and herbs. This year, for the first time, I am experimenting with my radish tops and coming up with different ways of using them. I don’t know why I used to always throw them away, but that is what I had seen, and that is what I did. Now I am using them as greens in my salad, or adding them to my other greens in a stir fry. The radish tops have a sweet, peppery flavor, and are somewhat spicy, so that adds another great dimension to any dish. Check out my recipe this week, where I will share my Beet Green Pesto and my Radish Green Paté on my radio show. I made it for the Farmers Market, and gave out tastes, and everyone loved it!

Last Thursday, I joined Ellen Kamhi, the Natural Nurse for an Edible and Medicinal Herb Walk in Old Westbury. It was amazing, that amongst the manicured lawns and gardens, we were able to find dozens, if not hundreds, wild plants and natural remedies growing everywhere! We made a tincture using pine bark, cherry bark, burdock root, mug wort, echinacea, pok weed, juniper berries, rag weed, and yellow wood sorrel (I think there are a few other ingredients that I left out.) They are all soaking in some vodka, in a dark place, which I will turn every few days for 6 weeks. When it is ready, I will strain it, and have an immune supportive tincture that I can use anytime. Nature is amazing, as is the amount of knowledge that Ellen Kamhi has. If you have a chance to do a workshop with her, I highly recommend it! We also made some lip balm, using our bees wax, some Vitamin E oil, organic coconut oil and lavender essential oil. It’s divine!

This week, on the Progressive Radio Network, my guest is Jonathan Cetnarski, the new President and CEO of the Natural Gourmet Institute. The Gourmet Institute has been around since 1977, and has gone through many incarnations over the years. It started as a macrobiotic cooking school, teaching the philosophy and cooking style of Mishio Kushi, and has since grown into the leading healthy cooking school we know of today, always keeping the connection to health and the foods we eat, Front and Center! Jonathan brings with him over 25 years of experience in innovative business, with a passion for doing things in a socially and environmentally responsible way. I invite you to join me in welcoming him as a guest on PRN and as the new CEO of the Natural Gourmet Institute.