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    Ways to Serve Daikon

    Daikon and green salad

    Daikon is a long white radish sweet-mild to peppery in flavor and juicy crisp. Daikon–which means “long root” in Japanese–is most commonly eaten raw or stir-fried. It is a staple in nearly all meals in Japan, Korea, and China. Daikon is often shredded and served as an accompaniment to Japanese raw fish dishes, such as […] More

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    Ways to Prepare and Serve Ginger

    Ginger1

    Half spicy and peppery, half lemony, slightly sweet but pungent: that’s how you might describe the flavor of ginger. Ginger is used as a flavoring for both sweet and savory dishes and is one of the key ingredients in the cookery of China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, the Caribbean, and North Africa. Ginger is added […] More

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    Ways to Serve Strawberries

    Strawberry in pot1

    The peak season for flavorful, naturally sweet strawberries is late spring. Local strawberries at the peak of their natural season are most likely to be the tastiest strawberries you will eat all year. Strawberries are perennial herbs that grow in temperate zones all over the world. There are native strawberries in Europe, Central Asia, North America, […] More

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    Ways to Serve Chives

    Chives in garden1

    You’ve tried fresh chopped chives added to sour cream and served as a filling for a baked potato. But how about chives added to sour cream to serve with borscht and tomato soup? Fresh-picked and snipped chives are a tasty garnish or flavoring in omelets, scrambled eggs, salads, and soups. Chives are also a perfect […] More

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    Ways to Serve Parsley

    Parsley1

    Parsley has a clean, fresh, peppery flavor that makes it a good match for all savory dishes. Parsley is an aromatic herb whose leaves and stems are edible. Parsley can usually be found year-round but is the youngest and most tender in spring. Types of parsley There are more than 30 varieties of parsley but […] More

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    Ways to Serve Cherries

    Cherries in bowl1

    Cherry season is short and sweet. Well, the sweet cherry season is short and sweet, and the sour cherry season is short and tart. Put the two seasons together and you can enjoy about four months of fresh cherries each year: sweet cherries for eating out of hand and using in fruits salads, compotes, custards, […] More

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    Ways to Use Rosemary

    Rosemary in basket1

    Viewed from a distance while in bloom, it’s easy to understand how the herb rosemary got its name. The Latin name for rosemary is ros marinus which means “sea dew” or “sea spray. Rosemary in bloom is covered with small clusters of shimmering blossoms of both light and deep blue. This tough but marvelously fragrant […] More

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    Ways to Serve Apricots

    Apricot slices1

    There are two apricots you must simply eat out of hand: ‘Blenheim’ is a medium to large, sweet and aromatic, and very juicy apricot with a classic apricot flavor; ‘Moorpark’ is a large, sweet, aromatic, and juicy apricot with a rich plum-like taste. Once you have enjoyed these two universally acclaimed apricots eaten out of […] More

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    Ways to Serve Nectarines

    Nectarine sliced1

    Botanically speaking the nectarine is a variety of peach. But eaten out of hand or served at the table, the nectarine is both more and less than the peach. Less: the nectarine is smaller than the peach; it is about the size of a plump plum. The skin of the nectarine is fuzzless which makes […] More

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    Ways to Cook and Serve Peaches

    Peaches and cream1

    Half a peach poached in syrup served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry purée: peach Melba. Barely chilled peach slices served with sugar and cream: peach Mom. Auguste Escoffier—the most famous chef of his time–created peach Melba in 1892 in honor of the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. Peach Mom has […] More

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    Ways to Use Thyme

    Thyme in kitchen1

    Thyme adds a spicy note to soups, stews, tomato and wine-based sauces, dried bean dishes, stuffings, and stocks. It can be used in marinades for pork and game and also in chowders, gumbos, and jambalayas. What this says is that thyme can take a long, slow cooking and—unlike other herbs—still bring something special to the […] More

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    Ways to Use Marjoram and Oregano

    Bouquet garni1

    Marjoram and oregano and oregano and marjoram. Have you noticed that these two spicy herbs are inseparable when you go to cooks’ reference books? The reason is that marjoram and oregano are generic names for two frequently interchanged (but different) herbs. Both are small aromatic shrubs that grow to approximately 2 feet (.6 m). Both […] More