Kohlrabi, Apple & Mâche Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

I decided it was time to try one of these funny-looking vegetables I keep passing by at the grocery store — the kohlrabi. High in Vitamin C and containing heart-healthy nutrients and antioxidant properties, kohlrabi seems to be gaining in popularity and attention; Time Magazine called it the next superfood. Some studies show it might even have protective benefits against certain kinds of cancer (Source: Livestrong/University of Maryland Medical Center). Kohlrabi’s flavor is somewhere between cabbage and broccoli stems, and it has a nice crunch to it when eaten raw. In terms of its appearance, I think it’s kind of an eerie, other-worldly thing:

Marinated Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Dill

Let’s talk about beets. Those sweet, earthy, garnet-red root vegetables are among the best things you can put in your grocery cart to enhance your health and fight disease, according to Jo Robinson, author of Eating on the Wild Side. A good source of fiber, folate, and potassium, beets are also remarkably high in antioxidants.

Thai Coconut & Lemongrass Chicken Soup with Fresh Herbs

In fall, my dutch oven resumes its nearly constant place on my stove to cook up roasts and stews and other foods that warm and comfort us through the cold weather. On a chilly, drizzly autumn evening, I can’t think of a more comforting one-pot meal than Thai-style soup,

Tuscan Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

If you’ve ever been to Tuscany, you know that the sunlight is different there. It splashes amber rays across the hills and cypress trees, tingles on your skin like warm honey, soaks the edges of your vision in a fuzzy golden hue. It’s as if the sky is determined to set Tuscany’s beauty aglow, drenching it in pure, 100 percent, unfiltered sunshine.

I love reliving that Tuscan sunshine in my own kitchen using the best sun-ripened tomatoes I can find, especially at the height of summer.