SALAD DAYS

Clockwise from top left: (1) Romaine spears, pears, mozzarella curds, salted, lemon juice, ground black peppers; (2) Baby arugula with Spanish onions, cucumber tree vinegar (homemade), olive oil, salt; (3) Purple and green lettuce shoots, walla walla onions, hibiscus vinaigrette; and, (4) Pickled...

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I WILL CALL THIS DISH, BRAZIL!

For obvious reason. But less obvious is the technique to make her better. I'm making a "stew" pasta, specifically using artisan spaghetti noodles with the above. Here's how. Once the pasta's cooked and set aside to drain thoroughly, using homemade vegetable and fruit stock (end trims of plantains,...

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LIME-JUNIPER COMPOTE PEAR CAKE

The organic yellow Williams' bon chrétien (or the shapely Bartlett ) pears at Agata and Valentina (in Greenwich) are the sweetest vivants this time of year - like chilled, seedless, juicy watermelons, grainy and syrupy. Since making jugs of hibiscus tea lately, the infused coins of limes and lemons...

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PLANTAIN-TION AND POPSICLE TEA

At the Essex Market in the Lower East Side, at Delancey, banana plantains are sold 2 for 1. (That place is a "plantation" - I love it!) Also at the same mishmash of specialty foods store are dried sorrels (in common parlance, hibiscus flowers tea) for only 3 bucks a bag. Thus constitute my summer...

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KABBALAH MOMENT: SCOTTISH SALMON LOIN BAGEL

This is the real thing - the surreal New Yorker manna. I've been breakfasting this bagel for straight three weeks now and as a "testament" I say: Its miracle is as old as it is new, with the fish on it. At Russ and Daughter's I have multiplied my basket with a dozen assorted bagels, a tub...

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