Nobody knows better that fresh spring herbs can magically transform an average dish into a sensational entree than Jerry Traunfeld, executive chef of The Herbfarm restaurant in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle. Traunfeld's passion for herbs developed when he started cooking at age 11. His mother kept dried herbs in jars, all alphabetically arranged. A pinch here and a pinch there taught him sage could enhance chicken and oregano would deepen the flavor of tomato sauce. Memorial Day is the beginning of outdoor eating season, and the microwave can help cook some grain salads for picnics.
Cereal grains are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Americans should get six to 11 servings of grain per day as part of the Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group, the foundation of USDA's Food Guide Pyramid.