Farro Salad with Honey Miso Dressing

You know when you're younger, in your late teens/early twenties, and you have this grand delusion that you're invincible? That wide-eyed delusion that you're going to be young and energetic forever, able to eat cheeseburgers all the time without gaining a pound, able to see your friends all the time without really trying. Then as you start getting older, the slow realization creeps up on you that you're going to have to work really really hard for your health and happiness?

Tell me I'm not the only one. Don't worry, I'm not going to get into an existential conversation about how to find happiness in life. But I definitely need to start eating better. Every week I tell myself I'm going to eat more veggies and less cheese/bread/ice cream/etc., but I'm always so wrong.

Glazed Carrots

Photographing these carrots almost sent me off the deep end. I re-shot them three times, and by extension I have eaten these guys three times in the past week. They are absolutely gorgeous raw, unpeeled, and with their greens. Unfortunately, taking them through the cooking process yields something quite the opposite of a swan or a butterfly. They get hella uglier as time goes on. Although on the flipside, they become more delicious with some butter, sugar, bourbon, and heat.

Spring Vegetable Lasagna with Heirloom Tomato Béchamel

...more like "spring/summer vegetable lasagna", but that doesn't roll off the tongue as easily. Anyways, back in May I went to the Union Square Greenmarket and was thoroughly unimpressed. It was still early in the year, so I had high hopes for a few months down the road. I went back last weekend and it was AH-MAZING. Vegetables, fruit, bread, meat, seafood, everything! Overwhelming! I saw a box of beautiful squash blossoms and knew it was meant to be. My first experience with squash blossoms was stuffed and tempura fried at Stephanie Izard's Girl & The Goat, and I still remember how yummy they were.

This lasagna had been on my to-do list for a while, and now I had the perfect opportunity to make it again. I thought it would be great topped with the squash blossoms I just purchased, and thankfully it turned out even better than I imagined.

Slow Roasted Cauliflower with Beluga Lentils

Remember my post a month or two ago about my hatred for raisins? Then I said my one exception is pickled golden raisins? Seems like a strange exception, and this recipe is the reason.

This particular recipe is a homemade version one of the best vegetarian dishes I have ever eaten, and of course it was at Longman & Eagle. Their cauliflower entrée is so amazing that I couldn't even strongly object to the raisins in it. However, when I tried to make it at home, I found that pickling the raisins made it even better. I'm not sure if they do this in the original recipe as it's not published anywhere, I also don't remember exactly what every component tasted like, but I have a version that my home-cooking self is happy with.