Filed under: Farming , Vegetables , Food Gadgets With the start of tomato season upon us, more and more recipes that rely on the delicious taste of a freshly-picked tomato are appearing on food blogs and in newspaper articles. For anyone who likes to cook (or eat) and doesn't have room for a garden, it can be a somewhat depressing time, since tomatoes will not be at hand quite as much as they could be. Unfortunately, the lack of a green thumb is not the only thing that prevents people from gardening. Apartment and condo dwellers miss out, too. This Upside-Down Tomato Garden  from Hammacher Schlemmer  can solve both problems. Not only does it allow tomatoes to grow easily and without risk of rotting while resting on moist, shaded earth under the vine, but it can fit almost anywhere - provided that there is enough sunlight to grow the tomatoes. It's a fantastic option for anyone with a sunny apartment, a condo with a small balcony, or if you don't have the room or motivation to maintain a full garden in your yard. The tomatoes grown will be as juicy and fresh as you could hope for. As an added bonus, the top of the "garden" can be used for herbs or other small plants. Basil would be a good idea if you like Italian cooking, but cilantro would be a great choice for salsa fans.

Filed under: Vegetarian , Vegan , Vegetables , Steaming , How To Sarah posted that she was surprised to see such large globe artichokes when she was out shopping, but as an artichoke fan, I have been enjoying these for some time. They are significantly larger than your average 'choke - that is my chef's knife in the photo below for a size comparison - and they are so satisfying that they can actually serve as a light meal. The only downside is that you have to dedicate a whole, large pot to steaming one, so it's best to either only prepare one at a time as an appetizer for a group or a snack for yourself.

Filed under: West Coast , Vegetarian , Vegan , Vegetables , Food Oddities , America

Filed under: Vegetables , Fruit Rhubarb is a stalk vegetable that is usually eaten as a fruit. In appearance, rhubarb very closely resembles celery and ranges in color from a light pinkish green to a deep, brilliant fuchsia. The plant is actually a member of the buckwheat family and only the stalks are edible, since the leaves contain a fairly high amount of oxalic acid, a compound which can be lethal (though you would have to eat quite a bit to reach that dose). In small amounts, oxalic acid inhibits calcium absorption and can detract from the nutritional value of foods.

Filed under: Farming , Trends , On the Blogs , America There is a movement gaining popularity that concerns the way we eat. Some say that we should focus on organics, but this movement says that isn't quite enough. They think that people should eat locally produced and grown products . Exclusively, if possible. Some of the biggest proponents of this movement, the Locavores , are based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Filed under: Grains , Vegetables , Dairy , Nuts/seeds , Chocolate , Lists , Sugar

Filed under: Food Oddities , Stores & Shopping I know, Halloween is still months and months away. But perhaps you have an office party coming up, or, even better, you want to make a special appearance at your teenage son or daughter's birthday celebration. Wouldn't your friends and family be thrilled to be associated with you when you showed up dressed like a BLT (and with that mustache no less?)? Marylen Costumes has an absurd variety of food-themed full-body costumes and even more fruit and vegetable costumes. A quick browse through their galleries turned up nearly half a dozen different pickle outfits. I think you probably would have had to give me a few guesses to figure out that this was a cotton candy suit, though. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: British Isles , Vegetables , Fruit , Stores & Shopping , New Products The tiger tomato has just made its formal debut at Marks & Spencer stores in Britain. The tomatoes are small, about the size of cherry tomatoes, but have dark red flesh accented with green stripes. Apparently, there is a growing demand for "novelty produce" to the point where farmers in the Isle of Wight are frantically working to develop new types of tomatoes. One of the next to hit the shelves will be the "strawmato," said to be very sweet and designed to pair with melted chocolate. I can't honestly say that I like the idea of a tomato dipped in melted chocolate, no matter how sweet it is. I do, however, understand the desire for new and more unusual forms of produce. Isn't that why heirloom tomatoes and other less conventional fruits and veggies are popular? In fact, these tiger tomatoes sound like dwarf versions of the red zebra tomatoes , but perhaps more brightly colored.

Filed under: Vegetarian , Vegan , Vegetables It was a term that was coined several years ago, but I haven't heard it being used recently. " Flexitarian " refers to a person who wants to eat vegetarian, but will occasionally eat meat. In 2003, the term was voted most useful by the American Dialect Society.

Filed under: Stores & Shopping Biobags are storage bags made from completely natural and biodegradable materials. Although they resemble plastic bags, they are made from cornstarch - and even the corn is certified as non-GMO. The material used to make them is actually a "bioplastic" called Mater-Bi , which is made by an Italian company that specializes in finding alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.