Worth the Weight

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS Citrus and dill give this simple dish its zing.

ROASTED BEET SALAD Sweet, tangy, earthy: This colorful plate has it all.

5 RULES OF (GREEN) THUMB

Celestine Maddy, the Los Angeles–based creator of gardening quarterly Wilder, shares her tips for cultivating veggies, fruit and herbs with minimal effort (or space). Even if all you have is a few minutes and a windowsill, you can still make your garden grow—and eat it, too. 1

TRY SOMETHING EASY

Basil, tomatoes and strawberries multiply rapidly and can be grown in pots. 2

SKIP THE SEEDS

Grab a half-grown (i.e., harder-to-kill) plant from the farmers’ market to save time and stress. 3

SEE THE LIGHT

South-facing windows provide plenty of sun; most plants need four to eight hours per day. 4

REMEMBER THE 2–2

RULE Check soil every two days; if it feels dry 2 inches below the surface, water it. 5

PRUNE WEEKLY

Check for and cut off any dead pieces. You won’t kill the plant—you’ll help it grow stronger.

Spring Pea Quinoa

SERVES 4

½ cup thinly sliced red onion ¼ cup cider vinegar ½ tsp sugar ½ cup quinoa 2 tbsp olive oil, divided 2 medium sweet onions (3 cups), chopped 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped ¾ tsp salt, divided ¹⁄8 tsp black pepper 2 cups chopped broccolini 1 cup snap peas 1½ cups shelled peas 1 tbsp each chopped dill, cilantro and mint ¹⁄³ cup blanched slivered almonds 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp honey Toss red onion with vinegar and sugar and set aside for 1 hour. Drain. Combine quinoa with 1 cup water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, about 5 minutes. In a large skillet over medium- high heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil; add sweet onions, garlic, ½ tsp salt and ¹⁄8 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add broccolini and 2 tbsp water; reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes. Stir in snap peas and shelled peas and cook until crisp yet tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; toss with red onion, quinoa, dill, cilantro and mint. Combine almonds, lemon juice, mustard, honey, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and remaining ¼ tsp salt in a food processor and blend (thin with a splash of water, if needed). Toss with quinoa and serve.

Roasted Beet Salad

SERVES 4

6–8 red and yellow beets (2 lb), scrubbed ½ tsp salt, divided ¼ tsp black pepper, divided ½ tsp onion powder 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp balsamic vinegar ¹⁄³ cup fresh basil ½ cup garlic scapes (or 2 garlic cloves), coarsely chopped ½ cup pine nuts, toasted 10 minutes in a cast-iron skillet in a 350º oven 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lemon juice 3 tbsp olive oil Heat oven to 375°. Wrap each beet in foil; place on a baking sheet and roast until beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 55 minutes. Unwrap and cool. Peel and cut beets into thin slices. Combine ¼ tsp salt, ¹⁄8 tsp pepper, onion powder and vinegar in a bowl; toss in beets and marinate 30 minutes. Puree remaining ¼ tsp salt, ¹⁄8 tsp pepper, basil, scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor. Arrange beets on serving dish and garnish with pesto.

Pan-Seared Scallops

SERVES 4

20 sea scallops, patted dry ¾ tsp salt, divided ¼ tsp black pepper, divided 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped ¹⁄³ cup fresh orange juice 1 tbsp honey ¼ cup chopped orange segments 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped 1 cup baby spinach 1 tsp lemon juice Season scallops with ½ tsp salt and ¹⁄8 tsp pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add half the scallops and cook until golden brown on the underside; flip and continue to cook, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 1 tbsp oil and remaining scallops. Reduce heat to medium; melt butter, add garlic and cook 15 seconds. Add orange juice and honey; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in orange pieces and scallops. Sprinkle with dill. In a second skillet, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach in batches; toss until wilted. Stir in lemon juice; season with remaining ¼ tsp salt and ¹⁄8 tsp pepper. Divide spinach and scallops among 4 plates; top scallops with sauce and serve warm.

STRAWBERRY- RHUBARB BITES This healthy take on a spring classic gets its sweetness from dates.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Bites

SERVES 8

Vegetable oil cooking spray 8 pitted dates 1¼ cups rolled oats 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup almond meal or whole-wheat flour 1 cup coconut flakes ¼ cup warmed coconut oil 2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch 2 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped 1 cup rhubarb, chopped ¼ cup honey 2 tsp lemon zest Heat oven to 350°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray. Soak dates for 10 minutes in hot water; drain. Place dates, oats, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in food processor and pulse. Add almond meal and pulse to combine. Transfer to bowl. Pulverize coconut flakes. Add flakes and coconut oil to date mixture and knead together. Set aside ½ cup and press the rest into bottom of baking pan. Combine arrowroot with 2 tsp water; stir to dissolve. Puree strawberries and rhubarb; transfer to a saucepan, stir in honey and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in arrowroot mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. Pour fruit over crust; sprinkle with reserved mixture. Bake 25 minutes; cool and refrigerate 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve.