I singled out a bunch of spinach at the grocery store last weekend. Emerald-green, velvety and surprisingly clean this time of year, bundled spinach tends toward the disheveled, tough and gritty as the warm season heats up, making it more suited to cooking than consuming fresh, in my opinion.

The batch I brought home hardly took any time to wash and pick over before I tossed it with some sliced California strawberries, avocado, feta cheese, roasted turkey breast and fried wonton strips. The strawberries aren’t very sweet yet, so a sweet dressing, such as raspberry vinaigrette, goes well with a salad like this.

Then I went outside for a walk and noticed the carpet of miners’ lettuce behind the house. I could have easily augmented my spinach with this wild weed, highlighted today in an outdoors story. Or I could have composed an entire salad from the stuff in my backyard. Miners’ lettuce is still tender and sweet before it buds out, but you have to hurry this time of year to catch it at its prime stage.

For those of you more inclined to purchasing your salad ingredients, don’t overlook the hardier, more unusual greens like dandelion, frisee, escarole and endive. Applegate’s Whistling Duck Farm, mentioned in this week’s A la Carte, swears by the inclusion of endive in its popular salad mix, for sale next week at the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market in Ashland. The small heads can be expensive, but their crunch is unsurpassed. Plus, individual endive leaves make ideal vehicles for composed salads like tuna, chicken or even Waldorf salad at Easter brunch or other springtime events.

Here’s one more winter-into-spring salad using endive and oranges, which are about as sweet as fresh fruit gets this time of year.

Feta, Endive and Orange Salad

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Superfine sugar, to taste (optional)

2 large oranges, or 3 blood oranges

3 heads of Belgian endive, any damaged outer leaves removed, whole leaves or sliced crosswise into 3⁄4-inch pieces

1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves (from 1 small bunch)

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped if large

1⁄2 very small red onion, sliced as thinly as possible

1⁄3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Scant 2 cups walnut halves

1⁄3 cup drained oil-cured black olives

In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar until they have more or less emulsified, seasoning to taste with the salt and pepper. Add a pinch of the sugar, if needed, to soften acidity. This makes about 1⁄4 cup dressing; set aside.

With a small sharp knife, preferably serrated, cut rind and pith off the oranges, keeping oranges whole. Slice oranges crosswise into 1⁄4-inch slices and place them in a large salad or mixing bowl. Gently toss in the endive, parsley, oregano and onion. Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat. Crumble the feta over top of salad, then sprinkle the walnuts and olives over salad. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Indulged on Friday and then again on Saturday, my popcorn habit was getting a little out of hand. But given the sheer number of movies I missed that were nominated for Oscars, I have more than a few reasons to eat some more. What makes this popcorn so irresistible is the simple fact that it’s about as homemade as you can get, made fresh to order right on the stove.

I guess I missed the whole era of stovetop popcorn because air poppers came into vogue when I was a kid. Then as microwaves got better, microwave versions of this and so many other snacks took over, becoming nearly ubiquitous.

Since discovering Parma!, covered in a previous post, I’ve been looking for a better popcorn, specifically one that can be flavored according to my whims. I’ve been adding my own seasonings, like cayenne and chili powder, to popcorn for some time, but they never seem to stick to the microwaved stuff even if added directly to the bag and shaken vigorously. Maybe it’s all those funky, food-like ingredients in microwave popcorn that are standing in the way.

With most foods, it’s pretty apparent that getting back to basics yields the best result. In fact, I loathe using my microwave and do anything I can to avoid that appliance. But I was sure slow to apply those morals to popcorn. Finally, while planning some Super Bowl snacks last month, I got the memo on how easy and delicious popcorn can be when prepared in an old-fashioned pot on the stove.

For many of you, no doubt, this is hardly a newsflash. But maybe the recipes I used will provide a little more inspiration in the realm of snack foods. Both are from Bon Appetit’s February issue and still available online.

Thanks to my friend and her 2009 trip to Hungary, I had a supply of that country’s famed hot paprika, which I substituted for France’s piment d’Espelette in Spicy Popcorn With Piment D’Espelette and Marcona Almonds. I also dispensed entirely with the almonds because I planned to prepare the magazine’s Caramelized Cashews With Cayenne. I ended up mixing the two together while still warm for the best sweet-salty-spicy snack mix I’ve ever tried.

Both recipes couldn’t have been easier, but the popcorn, persuaded me that there’s no need to microwave this snack ever again. Sure, it dirties a pan. But the upside is that I can prepare exactly the amount I want (an entire bag is a little too much) and put exactly what I want in it.

Lately, that also includes nutritional yeast, which adds the umami flavor characteristic of Parma! Whereas Central Point resident Shannon Schnibbe’s vegan creation costs about $5 in local stores, nutritional yeast, which looks like fish food, can be purchased in bulk for less than a dollar.

A chef friend uses coconut oil to make her stovetop popcorn movie-theater authentic. But I prefer Bon Appetit’s recommendation of peanut oil. It lacks the distinctive flavor of coconut oil and, being a monounsaturated fat, is more heart-healthy. Plus, I found coconut oil burns really quickly, requiring extra vigilance at the stove.

How do you pop your corn?

In my kitchen, it’s a go-to meal that can be assembled from assorted bits of produce, meat and cheese. If you have eggs in your refrigerator and refrigerated pie crust (I’m a cheater), you can have quiche in about an hour.

I recently realized, though, that quiche gets even easier if you swap a pie plate for a tart pan with removable bottom. This, admittedly, is not a new idea. In fact, most authentic French recipes for quiche call for using a tart pan.

But because I founded a kitchen with a classic American pie pan and only added a tart pan within the past couple of years, I just kept making my quiche the same, old way, covered in a 2007 post.

My inspiration for using a tart pan came from a Quick Fix recipe that ran in the Jan. 27 A la Carte. Bacon and Parmesan Cheese Quiche in 45 minutes? Sign me up.

Being shallower than a pie pan, a tart pan yields quiche in a shorter amount of time. With fewer eggs required to fill it, a tart pan also yields fewer leftovers, which is just fine. Although I enjoy quiche the first time around, I don’t relish it for days on end. If you’re a family of four, a tart pan will produce one meal.

I’ve also learned over time that prebaking the crust, weighted in the pan, while chopping, sauteing and whisking up the fillings really does produce a better quiche. Again, not a new idea. Why didn’t I do it all along? Good question.

Mark Freeman confessed his fondness for spinach quiche in a recent Fish Hack post. I was quick to remind Mark that if he’s losing credibility in the outdoorsmen crowd, don’t forget the bacon. Saute your veggies in the rendered fat or butter. If you really need more cholesterol, make your own crust with lard.

I adapted the Associated Press’ bacon-Parmesan version to goat cheese and added sauteed mushrooms and onion. And because asparagus is in season, I snapped about a dozen spears in half and arranged them, tips pointing inward, in a sunburst pattern on top of the other fillings. Then I filled the pan with seven eggs beaten with salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg.

There’s no need to blanch slender asparagus spears first; they cook fine right in the pan. I always saute mushrooms and onions, though, because you don’t want them watering down your egg. And always remember to place a tart pan with a removable bottom on top of a baking sheet in the oven.

Running into Suzi Ginet of Plaisance Ranch, however, reinforced a tried-and-true technique of thrifty and health-conscious cooks.

Customers of her family’s Williams ranch often want bones from their certified organic beef cattle strictly with the goal of making stock. It’s nice to know people are asking for those bits, often wasted, because they’re chock full of nutrition. One ranch customer swears by bone broth for preventing colds, Ginet said.

Suddenly, all I wanted for dinner was a bowl of steaming-hot lamb stock from the homemade batches in my freezer. My throat had felt a little sore all day, and the weekend had definitely been an overindulgence of pasta, pizza and other carb-laden meals. What I needed was some marrow.

I had a similar experience about a month before after leaving a late-evening lecture at Ashland Food Co-op on the Weston A. Price diet. Read more about this whole-foods approach with its emphasis on saturated animal fats in the current issue of Oregon Healthy Living.

The research behind the diet only made my homemade turkey stock all the more attractive. I simply heated up a cupful, spiked it with dried wakame seaweed and drank it before bed.

That’s the funny thing about a food as rich and wholesome as homemade stock. You don’t need anything but this liquid to leave the table feeling full. In addition to being far less flavorful, commercially made stock simply can’t deliver on that front.

And of course, having a supply of stock ready to go makes meal planning that much easier. Use it in quick-cooking soups like udon (as I did last night) or chicken noodle, to make risotto or simply steam a whole grain or to exponentially increase the flavor of a pan sauce.

A 2008 column by Jan Roberts-Dominguez covered the process of making chicken stock, but stock can be based on any animal bones. I freeze the large bones removed when we butterfly legs of lamb to later simmer into stock, but I also ask the butcher handling my 4-H lamb every year to package up the leftover bones for me. It’s a shame the butchers I’ve encountered don’t ask if customers want the bones when taking cutting instructions, particularly considering all the buzz these days around using the whole animal.

Often an entire poultry carcass becomes the base for stock, but it’s just as easy to save up assorted parts and pieces in the freezer over time until there’s enough to fill the stock pot. Jan advocates this approach, as well as sauteing the poultry pieces before adding water to the pot.

Other cooks favor roasting first. The Detroit Free Press recently covered that process, which follows, along with the paper’s test-kitchen recipe for chicken tortilla soup.

Spread out the chicken pieces along with a quartered onion on a sided baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven and roast about 45 minutes or so until the pieces are nicely browned. Roasting the chicken pieces gives the stock a rich and hearty flavor.

Remove from the oven and place the chicken and onion in a large stock pot. Add water to cover and bring just to a high simmer, not a boil, over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to a simmer, occasionally skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Never bring it to a boil, or the stock or broth will become cloudy.

Stock can be frozen in convenient portions. Pour the mixture into ice-cube trays or muffin tins and freeze. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store them in freezer bags. To easily defat the stock, place in a bowl in the freezer for about 45 minutes. The fat will solidify at the top, and you can spoon it off.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 pound cooked, shredded chicken

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon favorite all-purpose seasoning, or to taste

1 teaspoon cumin, optional

2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt -added tomatoes

6 cups homemade chicken stock (may substitute canned, low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth)

8 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese, for garnish

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute or until fragrant; do not allow garlic to brown. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and sprinkle it with the chili powder, all-purpose seasoning and cumin. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F. Place the tortilla strips on a baking sheet with sides and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Place in oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until strips are crisp. Remove from oven.

Taste and adjust seasonings for soup if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with tortilla strips and a sprinkling of the shredded cheese.

Makes 12 cups.

The sour economy has since forced out a few small food businesses, but there’s no lack of entrepreneurs taking their places at the stove. One of these is Vintner’s Kitchen, featured in this week’s A la Carte. Recent Rogue Valley arrivals Bob and Barbara Steuk became certified only last month and already have a product list of 20 items, some of which I sampled on-site.

A recipe with this week’s story recommended using their Port-Cherry Marmalade to top a ricotta-cheese tart. I loved it slathered onto homemade crepes. Of all their products, this one is truly special, not only because cherry preserves are so hard to find (I usually buy Bonne Maman) but because I’ve never seen one that also contains toothsome pieces of orange rind.

I also love that the cherries are suspended whole in the jar, but the approach could neglect pit fragments still clinging to the fruit. I found a small piece lurking in mine, a minor annoyance for such otherwise superb jam. Agressive masticators take note, though.   

Another local speciality prepared at Rent-A-Kitchen that lends a gourmet touch to meals is Shibui, a balsamic-vinegar reduction with intense, tangy flavor. Chef Jay Krebsbach sells Shibui at Ashland Food Co-op, the adjacent Tark’s Market, Weisinger’s Winery or by special order.

Granted, it’s not a new idea. Columnist Jan Roberts-Dominguez explained how to make balsamic vinegar reductions in a November 2007 column.

In 2004, Rising Sun Farms of Phoenix was selling balsamic reductions blended with fruit, dubbed “drizzles.” After a trademark dispute and marketing difficulties, the company reformulated drizzles into new oil-free balsamic dressing and marinades, released this month in three flavors, lemon-thyme, raspberry and pomegranate. Owner Elizabeth Fujas says she hopes to soon bring back the her former drizzles’ popular fig flavor.

Krebsbach is marketing his product as sugar- and salt-free. Packaged in a 1-ounce bubble bottle, almost like a magic potion, Shibui is attractive enough to present as a gift for the foodie on your list (and the ideal stocking-stuffer size). Krebsbach will even box it for giving for an addition $1 added to the regular price of $6.

I must admit I had a bit of difficulty opening the bottle, sealed attractively (but maybe a tad inconveniently) with red wax that had to be scraped away from the cork. The cork also broke off as I tried to tease it out of the bottle and had to be gingerly extracted with a wine key. Maybe there’s a trick to this that Krebsbach should share.

Nevertheless, Shibui did add that bit of pizazz to my risotto of roasted butternut squash and turkey sausage with only a bit of work on my part. The previous evening, I enjoyed it drizzled over poached eggs, sauteed crimini mushrooms and polenta.

And let’s not forget about Heidi’s Pie in the Sky, the original Rent-a-Kitchen tenant since 2005. After reading about readers’ trials with a now-infamous vegan brownie recipe, Heidi Wolfe e-mailed me to spread the word that her vegan brownie is worth a try. Unlike the relatively dry brownie that I baked up from the January recipe, Heidi’s is fudgier while still delivering whole-grain flour rather than funky starches.

Rent-a-Kitchen is not open to the public, but ask for these and other tenants’ goods at locally owned grocery stores and gourmet shops.

But their offbeat Talent eatery, New Sammy’s Cowboy Bistro, is getting just that from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. For the third straight year, Charlene was named a semifinalist in the foundation’s Best Northwest Chef category. She has the distinction of being the only Oregon chef outside the Portland metro area nominated for the award since the foundation started announcing semifinalists in 2008.

It’s, of course, the latest in about two decades of accolades for New Sammy’s, which has been written up in nationwide publications, including this month’s Bon Appetit magazine, mentioned in a previous post. The restaurant’s encyclopedic wine list, unheard of in this area, usually is commended with Charlene’s brand of cuisine that celebrates specialities of Southern Oregon and the region’s seasons.

Their popularity is perhaps most puzzling to the Rollinses. Although its exposure may give New Sammy’s the aura of media darling, its owners are hardly self-promoting, skeptical of reporters and loathe to grant interviews. (They don’t even have a Web site.) A rocky past in California’s Anderson Valley may have something to do with their reticence.

But Charlene’s food, an offshoot of Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse, has always spoken for itself, and foodies discovered New Sammy’s, making the pilgrimage from the San Francisco Bay Area and then from the opposite coast to dine.

A piece in the newspaper’s Distinctly Northwest magazine and a July Tempo review made the argument for locals to discover this gem in their own backyard. Make reservations, though, and don’t be surprised if the start of Ashland’s tourist season and New Sammy’s most recent kudos put off your visit. It’s worth the wait.

James Beard finalists will be announced March 22.

Most Oregonians worth their salt don’t need a reminder. That’s why the primary aim with this week’s story was to provide some new recipes and highlight the new fishing co-op, Port Orford Sustainable Seafood, which is marketing its products toward the local and sustainable foods movement.

Of course, crab, as the story mentioned, is among the most sustainable fisheries, yet another reason to favor it. But unlike most seafood that has practically become a convenience product, eating crab will take a little more effort than ripping open a frozen, vacuum-sealed pouch.

Crab is a notoriously bad keeper, which makes it unsuited to the off-season storage that has become typical of so many other ocean species. Happily, the crab season is long, so there’s lots of time to enjoy it and to make some calls if you have to figure out where to get it in the Rogue Valley.

Most crab you’ll encounter inland, particularly in grocery stores and even from Port Orford Sustainable Seafood, is already cooked. But cooking your own is the gold standard in crab. A piece by Jan Roberts-Dominguez with the online version of this week’s story explains how.

Fresh and live crab can be claimed at The Wharf Fresh Seafood Market & Eatery in Medford. Call 541-858-0200 to check their supply. Or call Michael Cooper at Rogue Valley Fresh Seafood Co., 541-944-7519, and put in an order. He says he makes a trip to Bandon and brings crab back a few times per week.

Aaron Longton of Port Orford Sustainable Seafood plans to bring crab to the Grants Pass Growers Market Saturdays starting next month and the Hillcrest Growers and Craft Market Fridays starting in June. But as with any seasonal product, availability isn’t a guarantee, he says.

Once you go to all that trouble to get your crab, make the most of it. Just make sure you do that within a few days. Cracking the crabs open and dipping their meat in savory sauces is the purest way to enjoy them. Crab Louis salads are another obvious use. But once a couple such meals have been served, some variety is appreciated.

Consider the recipes with this week’s story or try one of my family favorites, Creamy Crab and Egg Bake, which does double duty for breakfast and dinner and is perfect for brunch. This dish takes its uniqueness from flavors of horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. The leftovers keep a good day in the refrigerator, and all you need to do is toast more English muffins for serving.

Creamy Crab and Egg Bake

6 tablespoons butter, divided

1⁄4 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 cup half-n-half

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

6 hard-cooked eggs

1 pound cooked crab meat, divided

2 teaspoons chopped chives

1⁄2 cup soft bread crumbs

12 English muffins, for serving

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Stir for 1 minute until mixture is golden and bubbly.

Reduce heat and add the milk, half-n-half, salt, pepper, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until thickened.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and scoop yolks into a medium bowl, reserving whites. Mash yolks with a fork and add 1⁄4 cup of the crab meat, 1⁄4 cup prepared sauce and the chives. Mix thoroughly and spoon mixture into egg whites, using all yolk mixture.

Arrange filled eggs in a shallow baking dish and scatter remaining crab meat evenly over top. Pour remaining sauce over eggs and crab.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and combine with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle bread crumbs over casserole and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Meanwhile, split the English muffins in half and toast halves. Butter toasted muffins, if desired. Serve casserole on toasted muffin halves, with an egg half on each muffin.

Makes 6 servings.

Sure, I’m all for giving hard-working home cooks a night off, myself included. But a night when everyone else dines out doesn’t always deliver in the romance department. Give me a birthday, catching-up-with-friends, TGIF or just-because restaurant meal any day.

That’s why I’ve cooked up a tradition in the past two years of preparing my husband’s favorite meal for Valentine’s Day. If this sounds like just another day of drudgery in the kitchen, I should confess that I make most of the weekly menu decisions, so the plan actually is a treat for him — and usually isn’t all that difficult for me.

This year, Will chose steak and fries. I tacked on escargot to elevate the celebratory mood. While we rarely have escargot, they’re not expensive nor difficult to make.

I covered the process in a previous post but need to make one update: Allyson’s Kitchen no longer carries a solitary can of escargot. I would have had to buy about a dozen snail shells with them, so I purchased the same brand sans shells at Albertsons.

I could have gone all out and cut my own fries from fresh potatoes and fried them, but Will was wowed enough with a homemade aioli to accompany frozen fries crisped in the oven. Any vehicle to get the aioli from hand to mouth is my motto. Will must have agreed.  

It certainly could be worse. For our continued Winter Olympics viewing, I’m considering whipping up a batch of Canada’s national dish, poutine, with some sweet-potato fries still in the freezer.

Beloved in its native Quebec, poutine is simply crispy fries covered with meaty gravy and cheese curds. In Vancouver, some multi-ethinic eateries top the fries with vegetable curry and paneer, an Indian cheese. Call it the ultimate in guilty-pleasure food to soak up an evening’s alcohol consumption.

At the rate we’re going, we may have a contender for Valentine’s Day 2011.

The event is likely to pass as mere curiosity for most, given the distance between millennia of Chinese civilization and the Western mutation of Valentine’s Day from Catholic feast day honoring early Christian martyrs to marketing ploy for greeting-card and floral companies. But this strange coupling is giving chefs and foodies some interesting opportunities this weekend, according to recent news stories.

It just so happens the color red characterizes both celebrations. In the case of Valentine’s Day, red represents love and passion while the Chinese have long regarded it as the symbol of happiness and good fortune. Either way you look at it, red makes a striking culinary statement, so it’s no wonder restaurants are looking for ways to capitalize on the dual occasions.

For some, pomegranate molasses is the ingredient of choice, one I’ve seen touted in several new recipes. As an added bonus, the fruit itself symbolizes fertility because of its many seeds.

Bottled by Cortas, a brand commonly attached to orange-blossom and rose waters, pomegranate molasses is a thick and syrupy reduction of pomegranate juice or seeds. A key condiment in Middle Eastern cuisine, it adds a sweet-tart, complex flavor to marinades and sauces.

I’ve used pomegranate molasses several times in the past year and covered my results in a previous post. Pomegranate molasses has only become more common since I purchased it at Abu’s Oasis Deli, a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean eatery in Grants Pass that doubles as a market for exotic ingredients used in many of its dishes. You may be able to find pomegranate molasses in your favorite grocery store. Or make your own by simmering pomegranate juice until syrupy (reduced by about half).

Experts say the flavor of pomegranate molasses can vary widely by brand. I find Cortas’ a little sour for my tastes and have added brown sugar to my preparations. Try it in the following recipes courtesy of McClatchy News Service.

Hoisin-Pomegranate-Glazed Duck Breast

2 duck breasts, fat trimmed, skin scored

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup hoisin sauce

1⁄4 cup pomegranate molasses

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 head garlic, finely chopped

1 pomegranate, seeded, for garnish

Chopped chives, for garnish

Season the duck with the salt and pepper. Cook, skin-side down, in a skillet over medium-low heat until skin is browned and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Reserve duck fat for later use. Cool duck to room temperature.

Combine the hoisin sauce, pomegranate molasses, green onions and garlic in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold duck. Add duck, turning to coat. Marinate, covered, in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Remove duck from marinade; cook and sear meat-side down over medium-low heat until medium-rare, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn; cook until duck’s skin is crispy, about 2 minutes. Remove to a cutting board to rest, skin-side up, 5 minutes. Slice each duck breast; fan onto plates. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and chives.

Makes 2 servings.

Chicken Paillards With Avocado-Pomegranate Salsa

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 to 6 ounces each)

1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, divided

1 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large lemon

Seeds from 1⁄2 medium pomegranate (see note)

3 small green onions, thinly sliced

2 medium firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon finely minced, seeded jalapeno

Pound each of the chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap until about 1⁄8 inch thick. Or, if using large chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally so you have 2 thin, even pieces. In a shallow bowl, stir in the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate molasses, 3⁄4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Add chicken, turn to coat well, and cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

To make salsa, finely grate zest from the lemon and then squeeze out 1 tablespoon juice. Place the pomegranate seeds, discarding any pith, into a bowl. Add lemon zest and juice, the green onions, avocado, parsley, jalapeno, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, remaining 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt. Fold gently with a rubber spatula. Season to taste with additional salt.

To cook chicken, Heat 1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side and cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining 1⁄2 tablespoon oil and 2 chicken breasts. Serve chicken with salsa spooned over top.

Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: To remove seeds from a pomegranate, cut 1⁄4 inch off top. Score pomegranate on all sides. Place it in a bowl of water and pull apart. Push seeds out using your fingers. White pith floats to top and seeds sink. Strain out seeds.

— Recipe adapted by the Detroit Free Press from Fine Cooking magazine February/March issue.

Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon With Mejadra

1⁄2 cup dried lentils

1⁄2 cup long-grain rice

Small pinch saffron threads

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper

4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

1⁄4 cup pomegranate molasses

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lentils and just enough water to cover by an inch to a boil. Cook until just tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In another saucepan, bring the rice, saffron, 1 cup water and a pinch salt to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender and nearly all liquid has been absorbed, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooked lentils and rice to pan, tossing to mix. Season with the salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large, oven-proof saute pan, preferably nonstick, over high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and, when oil is hot, add it to pan. Cook until bottom has a toasted, brown crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and brush fillets with a generous amount of the molasses.

Transfer pan to oven and cook until fish is opaque throughout when prodded with tip of a knife, about 4 minutes.

Divide lentils and rice among 4 warm plates, top with a salmon fillet, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

— Recipe from “Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match,” by Cathy and Tony Mantuano (Clarkson Potter, $27.50).

No, this isn’t some new Malt-O-Meal product. It’s a porridge made from two ancient grains that get little play in modern life.

While “whole grains” became a buzzword in the last decade, Americans did little to progress beyond whole versions of the old standbys: wheat, corn, oats and rice. But there’s a whole world of grains that were never processed on such an industrial scale waiting to be discovered.

I started stocking my pantry with alternative grains about a decade ago after reading about their benefits in the best-selling blood-type diet books by a Seattle naturopath. Happily, the foods mentioned were readily available even then at Ashland Food Co-op and Shop ’N’ Kart.

Within the past few years, even the bulk section at Medford’s Food 4 Less started carrying some of the more popular grains, like quinoa, in bulk. What you don’t find in bulk are located around the corner with all the Bob’s Red Mill products, my source for amaranth, which cooks up sticky like oatmeal.

Knowing which grain to use in which dish takes a little practice, but a good place to start is simply by substituting an ancient grain for cooked rice. Serve stir-fry or curry on top or fold in other fresh and cooked ingredients for a pilaf. I love using quinoa this way with sauteed spring morels and millet as a stand-in for couscous in tabbouleh with summer cucumbers and tomatoes. Of course, that also makes the dish friendly to diners with celiac disease or a wheat sensitivity.

Millet is one grain that benefits from toasting before cooking. It also can contain tiny stones, so try to locate those and remove them. Many grains contain debris, so it’s always a good idea to rinse them before cooking.

If you only put one ancient grain on the menu, make it quinoa, experts say. High in protein, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), originated in the Andes Mountains and was eaten by the ancient Incas. It’s actually the seed of a plant from the spinach family. The red variety is now available locally and provides a visually interesting change of pace from most brown and beige grains.

Some 50 people already have signed up for the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center’s “Ancient Grains Cooking” class tonight. A follow-up class Feb. 23 at the Josephine County Extension Center still has plenty of space. The class, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., costs $7. Call 541-776-7371 to register.

Or bone up on your grains with this glossary courtesy of the Akron Beacon Journal, then try some of the newspaper’s recipes using amaranth, millet and red quinoa.

Amaranth: So tiny, it resembles a mustard seed. Try toasting the grains, then cooking as a breakfast cereal or as a side dish like polenta.

Barley: The perennial soup ingredient is fiber-rich and heart-healthy.

Buckwheat: You may use the flour for pancakes, but the whole toasted groats, known as kasha, are popular for breakfast or as pilafs. Buckwheat flour is used for Japanese soba noodles.

Corn: Fresh sweet corn, of course, but whole grain corn can also be found in the form of grits, hominy and corn meal, which is cooked into polenta or baked into corn bread or muffins.

Millet/teff: Both forms of the same grain, millet does have a bird-seed appearance that turns off some eaters. But when toasted, it’s great for breakfast cereal or for use instead of corn meal in polenta. As a cooked grain, it can substitute for rice. Teff is the main ingredient in Ethiopian flatbread injera.

Oats: Perhaps the best-known breakfast grain, rolled oats are full of antioxidants, and are as heart-healthy as you can get. Try oat groats or steel-cut oats if you prefer a chewier variety.

Quinoa: This ancient grain, eaten by the Incas, comes in yellow or red varieties. It cooks quickly and makes a great side for any meal. With a slightly nutty flavor, it works well in salads or instead of rice for dishes like stuffed tomatoes.

Rice: If you want the benefits of whole grain, avoid white rice, which has been stripped of its bran and germ. For maximum dietary benefits, substitute whole grain brown rice, or experiment with more exotic brown, black or red rice varieties.

Rye: It’s not just for whiskey or bread; rye berries cook up similarly to wheat berries for use in salads and side dishes.

Wheat: We are so used to using wheat flour, we forget about its other forms: bulgur, wheat berries, couscous and spelt. Bulgur grains, soaked in water to soften, are popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, while wheat berries are nutty and flavorful when eaten as a breakfast grain or in salads. Couscous, which is made from wheat flour, cooks up as a pasta-like side dish. Emmer or farro, kamut and spelt are all forms of ancient wheat varieties that are available as flours or berries, and sometimes can be tolerated by those who suffer from wheat sensitivities.

Wild rice: These skinny black shoots that we typically see in soups or pilafs aren’t actually rice, but the seeds of a wild grass that is native to North America. Wild rice was a staple of the Native American diet.

Hot Millet-Amaranth Cereal

1⁄2 cup millet

1⁄2 cup amaranth

Place the millet and amaranth into a dry skillet over medium heat and stir until grains begin to crackle and release their nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 2 1⁄2 cups water to a boil. Add toasted millet and amaranth in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Return to a boil.

Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with milk and sugar, honey or maple syrup. Top with dried fruits and chopped nuts, such as raisins, cranberries, pecans or almonds, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

— Recipe from “The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook,” by Judith Finlayson.

Red Quinoa With Green Beans and Tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1⁄2 small onion or shallot, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup red quinoa

1⁄4 cup dry white wine

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (at room temperature)

1 1⁄2 cups green beans, sliced into 1-inch lengths

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained well

1⁄2 teaspoon thyme, dried

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a skillet for about 3 minutes, until onion is tender. Add the red quinoa and stir until well coated. Add the wine and stir for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock, green beans, tomatoes and thyme. Cover, bring to boil, then lower heat and cook until beans and quinoa are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove lid and let cook another 5 minutes to finish absorbing most of the liquid. Season to taste with the lemon juice.

Makes 4 servings.