The Greener Days of Summer

The backyard barbecue seems like such an innocent rite of summer, but a few simple choices can help make your grilling a little greener. Experts tell us that propane or natural-gas grills are more environmentally sensitive: They burn cleaner, and their fuel source is tree-free.

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Looking for an off-the-tourist-track foodie vacation? Northern California's Sonoma county may be synonymous with top-flight wines, but there's plenty more bounty to be found in the fertile land between the Pacific Ocean and the Mayacamas mountains. The New York Times tracks down Sonoma County Farm Trails, a 35-year-old agritourism organization. By publishing a beautiful map and guide booklet that highlights the area's farm stands, farm-stays, and farm tours, the organization helps visitors (and locals) get closer to their food's roots, encouraging an up-close look at the region's environmental and agricultural practices.

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With summer gearing up, farmers markets are in full swing: Even folks who do most of their shopping at the supermarket find this seasonal bounty irresistible. Why not use the change of seasons as an excuse to breathe some new life into your market routine? If your area is lucky enough to offer more than one farmers market, pick a different destination for one week. You'll meet new farmers, see a different set of folks, maybe even find a new favorite breakfast. Head to Eating Well's handy list of North American farmers markets to check out your options. If your choices are more limited, try taking a different route through the stalls, stopping at different farm stands that you might otherwise frequent, or even just buying something you'd never tried before.

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On the Menu: Cactus
Once unknown outside Latin-American markets, the paddles of the Opuntia cactus are making their way to farmers markets across the country. With their spines removed, nopales are often sliced thin and marinated to eat as a salad, sauteed as a filling for chiles rellenos or tacos, scrambled into eggs, simmered into rustic stews, or run through the juicer to make the dairy-free-smoothies that Mexican cooks call licuados. Later in the summer, the same plant blossoms into tunas -- better known as prickly pears or cactus pears. Their puree is a favorite ingredient for desserts and cocktails, courtesy of its hot pink color.