How does one have a garden without tomatoes?  Tomatoes are a staple in every garden's summer bounty, right?

Well, not ours.

I may be queen in my kitchen, but the garden is one area that is outside my domain.  It's not that I have a "black thumb."  Or that I don't enjoy gardening. It's just that my husband has taken complete ownership of it.  The garden is his realm.  And it happens to be one of his favorite hobbies.

It's been fun to play around with June's herb of the month, basil. Though we recommend the use of Holy basil for it's excellent adaptogenic benefits, it's more common cousins offer multiple health-boosting properties as well.

The basil family has been known to lower cholesterol and boost the immune system. Most interestingly, basil has antibacterial properties, which when consumed makes it a great protector against food-borne illnesses. Last but not least, it's just plain yummy.

As we wrap up the month of May and our focus on dandelion, I have one more recipe to tempt your palate.

One of the things I like about dried dandelion is that you can throw it into anything, just like nettle, and the recipe will still come out great. The same rings true for this curried tuna salad recipe.

Our family goes through a fair share of canned tuna fish for lunches and I like to use it primarily for salad, playing with flavors for some added variety, especially for my husband who hates mayonnaise. Or any condiment of any type. Is it strange for a man to dislike condiments?

I'm pretty sure that every American household has some form of mac n' cheese that's a family favorite. Both of my grandmothers have their own take on the traditional dish: one bakes hers in the oven until the cheese on top bubbles and turns brown, the other prefers the stove-top method and coats her pasta with a thick creamy sauce.

Prepared either way I can easily eat more than my fair share of the cheesy goodness. Can anyone relate with me or am I alone as a self-labeled mac n' cheese junkie?