For the freshest beets, look for those with strong, non-wilted greens. Photo by Jennifer Baldwin

Roasted beets are delicious over a bed of greens tossed with a vinaigrette dressing and feta or goat cheese. Photo by Jennifer Baldwin

By Michelle Beck

The warm weather has forced me to concentrate more on the burr clover in my lawn and less on my garden. The tomatoes are growing quickly, the peppers and eggplant are looking good and the squash is growing … a little. Greg Tesch had so many vegetables on his tables at the Farmer’s Market last week, I ended up practically handing him my wallet before staggering off to the car with all of my goodies. (The Farmers’ Market is from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays at Golden State Mall, 3201 F St.)

Ladybugs

My cilantro and parsley are starting to bloom. I let both plants bloom and go to seed, partly because the cilantro won’t survive the heat anyway and partly because the ladybug larva enjoy it so. Gardeners who don’t spray their yard with chemicals are likely to find ladybug larva this time of year. The larva is not attractive – they look like little black and orange alligators – but don’t squish them! Ladybugs are not only really cute, they will practically eat their weight in aphids.

I often buy a few ladybugs as well, because I feel sorry for the little guys when I see them at OSH in their cardboard containers. If you decide to release ladybugs, do it at dusk after watering nearby plants to keep them hanging around your yard. OSH also sells praying mantis larva. Praying mantises eat many bugs and are good to have around a garden. I am nearly positive that they were eating the tomato worms off my plants last year, which won them a permanent place in my heart.

Parsley

My parsley goes to seed and dies back this time of year. The ladybugs enjoy the blossoms, and I cut the leaves to mix into my salads. Parsley is also very good in pesto, such as creamy garlic pesto with pasta or cannelini bean salad with parsley pesto.

Beets

Beets are one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. Fortunately for me, I love them. But I have heard people claim they taste like dirt. I roast my beets by cutting off the greens (if the beets have limp, wilted greens, don’t buy them) and putting each beet in foil with a little water. (Some people line the foil with parchment paper.) Put it in a baking pan and cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of your beets. Beets are ready when a fork can easily be inserted.

After they cool a little, hold a beet in a paper towel and rub off the skin. You can use your bare hands, but your hands will be stained red for a while. My favorite thing to do is toss cooked beets with vinegar while they are still warm, so they absorb the vinegar better.  Beets are great with dill, so this beet, walnut and dill salad is a nice side dish. This roasted beet salad is a good option as well.

Zucchini Blossoms

Greg Tesch always has zucchini blossoms at his Farmer’s Market stand this time of year. If you get to the Farmer’s Market early enough, you may be able to get some. I like them scrambled with eggs and asiago cheese, but I have always wanted to try cheese-stuffed zucchini blossoms. Another option are these fried zucchini blossoms.

Zucchini blossoms are only available for a short time, so don’t delay if you want to try them.

Spring onions

I was very happy to pick up some spring onions last week. Spring onions are so much sweeter and milder than those picked later in the season. I love them in almost every savory dish. We also slice and barbecue them. And I love to make pickled onions like these.

Green garlic

This is also the time of year for green garlic, which looks like a green onion or a leek, but has a mild garlic flavor. It is delicious. Here are a few recipes I found:

Penne with ricotta and green garlic sauce

Shrimp stir-fry with green garlic

Mariquita Farm near Watsonville, Calif., offers several recipes for green garlic, including soup. They sell their produce to CSA members and restaurants in San Francisco.

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef from the Food Network, has an excellent ABC series on Friday nights at 9 p.m. called Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The series takes place in West Virginia in the city with the highest rate of obesity in the nation. Jamie Oliver works with the townspeople to improve their eating habits, but strongly focuses on improving the quality of the school lunch program. It’s a great show!

America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated

Another favorite around our house is the TV show “America’s Test Kitchen,” and the corresponding magazine, Cook’s Illustrated. Both take a scientific approach to cooking, testing recipes over and over to determine the best way to prepare an item. Watching the show and reading the magazine have improved my cooking skills and I have yet to make one of their recipes and have it be anything less than wonderful. The show airs at 3:30 p.m. Saturdays on Valley Public Television, channel 18 for Brighthouse customers.