Lois de Vries' Garden Views

I'm just back from a whirlwind trip to San Diego and Pasadena, part business and part mini-vacation. More about that later, because I first want to share with you a great recipe while my readers in New Jersey and nearby areas can still get fresh, ripe tomatoes. This was a salad I nearly swooned over at the Red Pearl Kitchen in the Gas Lamp District of San Diego. And it's soooo simple, just three ingredients. Here's my version, for two people:     One-half can of hearts of palm, salad cut (reserve liquid)     One ripe avocado cut into large chunks     One tomato cut into large chunks ( two tomatoes, if it's summer and they're Jersey tomatoes)     Light Olive Oil (mixed with truffle oil for the adventurous)     Salt, pepper, and herbs to taste You can also add a squirt of lemon or lime juice. Mix the palm hearts, avocado, and tomatoes together and season to taste. Mix in with half the palm liquid ...

Families who have to cope with a nightly struggle over who won’t eat what vegetable might be interested in the Love Your Veggies™ Campaign ( LoveYourVeggies.com ). Readers may also want to check out Chef Art Smith’s (photo) commonthreads.org to read about getting children involved with vegetable gardening and healthy cooking. I’m sure kids are not the only ones falling short of the recommended 2-5 cups of daily fruit and vegetables, so treat yourself to one of Art’s tasty dishes: Moroccan Chicken with Roasted Vegetable Couscous Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat couscous 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 bay leaves 5 whole cloves, crushed ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon dried, ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, chopped 1 16-oz. can garbanzo beans 1 16-oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 48-oz. can chicken broth 2 carrots cut into ½-inch pieces 1 zucchini cut into ½-inch pieces 1 pa...