Last Friday I got to visit the campus of Sunset magazine and wandered around its absolutely lovely test garden, where vegetables, herbs, flowers, and more grow in beautiful profusion. Talking with their food editor, Margo True, I learned that the August issue would feature this garden as part of an 18-month-long project: the One-Block Feast. During those months, the staff grew or produced all the food on site that they wanted for a summertime celebration, including grapes (they pressed their own wine!), honey from beehives, salt, olive oil, and eggs from some adorable red chickens housed in the garden. It’s an inspiring story, with lots of good ideas for getting closer to your food. Maybe I’ll try growing edamame, which they say has a high yield, because I love this recipe for Edamame, Cranberry, and Feta Salad.

Here’s a compelling graphic , put out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), that shows America’s weight gain, state by state, from 1985 to 2007. Wow; clearly we have issues with food (and lack of exercise).

What are some simple ways to stem this trend? Common-sense, intuitive-eating wisdom still holds true; my favorite approach, reflected in DL’s tagline, is to eat REAL FOOD instead of fake stuff — it tastes better, has usable calories, and is better for you. That’s why I love our recipes; they prove that real food, eaten in moderation, is not only healthy but DELICIOUS.