Carrot greens are pretty tough customers, and that reputation is well earned—you’ll be giving your jaw a workout if you try to chew them straight off the carrot. They’re often tossed into a juicer as a “why not” ingredient for something like carrot/apple juice, and they’re definitely overlooked as a primary component in salads.

With some preparation though, they make an excellent addition to a summer salad, especially after you’ve used all your carrots in other dishes. I add carrot greens to raw fennel, diced onion, chopped basil, halved grape tomatoes, and diced feta cheese, tossed with a citrus-infused olive oil, and an herb-infused balsamic.

The anise flavor of the fennel combines nicely with the mild, grassy sweetness of the carrot greens. The onions add an aromatic bite, the feta adds a salty, creamy component, and the grape tomatoes add a bit of acid. It’s a tasty balance of flavors.

Just like radish greens, you want to soak and spin the carrot greens before chopping to remove all the dirt present. Also, chopping the carrot greens takes a bit of effort. You want them to resemble finely chopped dill when you’re done. I chop the fennel stalks and the carrot greens at the same time so they have a similar consistency.

In the last year, Maui’s Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, has added an extensive array of organic chef's gardens – starting with herbs and then fruit trees and, ultimately, vegetables (175 varieties of vegetables, to be exact). The gardens were the brainchild of Executive Sous Chef Marc McDowell, who offers a personal tour of the gardens every Monday at 3 p.m. that also includes instruction on making a raw food spinach-and-berry smoothie he promises is “delicious.”

In undertaking the project, McDowell has found that growing the food for his kitchens is a lot of fun and inspiring. He’s also found that gardening can be a lot of work, but work he’s found a real passion for -- something he may have gotten from his mother, Mary, who was an expert rose gardener and able to see her son’s project come to life before being diagnosed with stage four cancer and passing away this summer.

I recently spoke with McDowell about the new gardens and some of the things he’s learned along the way. He’s also provided recipes for a cilantro-and-macadamia nut crust and a tropical citrus marinade, both of which can be used on fish, chicken or tofu. (Click “read more” for the whole article and to see the recipes, which are also listed under the “Recipes” tab.)

Here is the recipe for the Basil Grape Martini, served in the lobby bar of the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, California -- which offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean from its outdoor deck. Whatever your view, I'm sure the drink will be just as tasty and, with the lemons, limes, grapes, basil and cranberry juice, it's chock full of antioxidants.

Muddle two lemons, two limes, four grapes and four basil leaves.
Add
Ice
2 oz citron vodka
1 ½ oz Cointreau
1 oz cranberry juice

Shake, strain into chilled martini glass, garnish with skewed grapes or a lime wedge.