Turn over a new leaf for the New Year. Cooked fresh spinach, leaf by leaf, can line loaf dish to encase kugel loaf, chicken à la king loaf or Florentine vegetable loaf. Grape leaves create Greek dolma. Cooked cabbage leaves hold pockets of meat. Lettuce offers a wrap for deli selections. Kale creates interesting coleslaw. Radicchio leaves make perfect cups to hold chicken or tuna salad. Endive leaves are the quintessential hors d’oeuvre when topped with aioli or sour cream dip. When I need fresh leaves, I turn to my herb garden. Whether flavoring a sauce or infusing a new beverage, fresh herbs are very adaptable. So, explore the usefulness of edible leaves. Explore amaranth leaves, oyster leaves, nasturtium and mustard leaves as a goal in 2015. Exploration in the garden showcases extraordinary verdure plate after plate. I’m hungry for a stunning watercress salad topped with orange poppy seed dressing…how ’bout you! © Kelly McBride Loft