INTERDEPENDENCE DAY POTATO SALAD

2 lbs. potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces
4 hard-boiled eggs, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 stalk celtuce, peeled and sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, quartered, and sliced
1/2 bundle spring onions, including the greens, chopped fine
1/2 bundle dill leaf, chopped fine
1/2 bundle parsley, chopped fine
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 cup mayonnaise  (if you are not a big fan of mayo, try oil and vinegar or yogurt, or some combination of these.)
dash of lemon juice or vinegar
salt and ground pepper, to taste

Here at Persephone, our new crop of potatoes is still a couple weeks away, so we are still using last year's crop (which has been kept in cold storage all this time!) of Mountain Rose potatoes.  You can probably find plenty of growers with local potatoes at market these days.  Choose a "waxy" type (not intended for mashing or baking).  Boil the potatoes in salted water until about half tender and drain, rinse in cold water and drain once more.  This should result in potatoes which are cooked through but not mushy.
Once the potatoes are drained, place them in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Combine until well-mixed and adjust seasonings to taste.  Chill until you are ready to serve.
This recipe is infinitely flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate whatever ingredients you have at hand.  I love beets in potato salad, and would often put 2 cooked beets, cut in bite-sized pieces, in along with these vegetables.  This year our beet crop is still a few weeks away.
Dill and parsley are the classic herbs to pair with potatoes, but feel free to get crazy with cilantro or basil or any other culinary herb you know and love.

KOHLRABI SLAW

3 kohlrabi, peeled and grated
1 apple, peeled and grated
1 grated carrot
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup yogurt or mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls. tamari soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Toss all ingredients together and chill for several hours.  Kohlrabi is one of our favorite vegetables, not just because it looks like a comet (though that's really cool), but for its sweet and tasty crunch.  A perfect summer food.

SIMPLY DELICIOUS FENNEL

Remove the stalks and leaves from 4 fennel bulbs and reserve for soup stock.  The fern-like leaf tips are also a great garnish for salads and soups.
Quarter the fennel  bulbs and cook in salted, boiling water until half-tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain.
Heat 3 Tbls. butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add fennel and cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5 - 10 minutes (Turn it often enough that it won't burn, but not so often that it doesn't have a chance to lightly brown.)
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, toss with parmesan cheese, and serve.
Variation:  If you are not a cheese eater, substitute 2 tsps. grated lemon zest.  Yum!

RIGHTEOUS RADICCHIO ROAST

I am a descendant of Italians, so I was embarrassed that I did not like to eat chicories.  I found them too strong-tasting.  After a while I discovered overwintered chicories, which are much milder than their summer counterparts, and I also learned that pairing chicories with a flavor equally strong in another direction ... sweet like apple, pear, or roasted beets, or tart and tangy like citrus, did wonders for my appreciation of their unique flavor.
This recipe uses balsamic vinegar, which is both sweet and tangy tart.  Madeline made this for us a couple seasons ago, and this was the first time I enjoyed eating summer radicchio. 

Cut one head of radicchio in quarters.  Place on baking sheet, cut side up, drizzled with a spoonful of your favorite oil and a sprinkle of salt on each quarter.
Place tray in preheated broiler for 1 minute. 
Remove from broiler and drizzle a spoonful of balsamic vinegar on each quarter (you can also drizzle a very modest amount of honey if you wish.)
Replace tray in broiler for 1 1/2 minutes. 
Once removed from broiler, trim the cores and serve.  You can enjoy them whole or chop them coarsely in a salad with other greens and vegetables/fruits.  A soft goat's milk cheese is also nice.