With so many of us heeding orders to stay at home in these times, a lot of us are rediscovering — or learning for the first time about — kitchen basics. We’re cooking and baking in greater numbers now than we have in decades. And not without reason.

We all have to eat.

I’m going to start to share daily cooking and baking posts, along with handy kitchen tips. Whether you’re new to the kitchen, or feel a bit rusty when it comes to a particular skill or technique, I hope to help with these posts. And if you’re looking for any particular information or recipe, contact me and I’ll do my best to help you out, or point you to the right resource. You can reach me at: noelle@noellecarterfood.com.

Last week, I finished the last of the bunch of green onions I’d found at the market. Normally, I wouldn’t think anything of it. But lately, I’ve really learned to appreciate fresh produce and herbs. If, like me, you only leave the house once every week or two to hit the market, a scattering of bright colors and textures from fresh ingredients adds so much to a dish, particularly when you’re meals revolve around dried beans, rice and other shelf-stable pantry staples. Using the last of the onions actually depressed me.

Maybe you’ve tried to start new life from seeds or trimmings before. Many of us, as kids, learned how to sprout an avocado tree from the fruit’s large seeds. Using toothpicks, we’d suspend the avocado in a little fresh water and keep it in the window sill, checking daily for the seed to crack, roots and a fresh shoot to appear. It was fun, but for many of us it was simply a novelty.

Today, things are different. Going to the supermarket carries so much more weight, particularly for those of us who care for loved ones at high risk of serious complications should they come down with COVID-19. We don’t want to leave home, because each trip outside carries an invisible risk.

Last time I went to the market, I tried to buy as many live herbs as I could, planting them in a makeshift raised bed so I have a fresh supply whenever the need arises. I’m also rethinking other kitchen scraps, and looking for ways to regrow them, rather than composting them as I’ve done in the past.

Love green onions? Take the root ends and stand them up, covering the roots with fresh water that you change out every day. In a day or so, you’ll see new growth. Within a week or two, you’ll actually have enough growth to be able to use some trimmings.

The same goes for leeks, fennel, and even some lettuces, such as romaine and butter. If your garlic cloves start sprouting, plant them, and use the green growth similar to how you might use chopped green onion, the chopped trimmings adding color and a delicate hint of garlic to your dishes. Here are a few great online resources for more information:

https://lifehacker.com/kitchen-scraps-you-can-regrow-with-nothing-but-water-1531011995

https://learningherbs.com/skills/herbs-from-cuttings/

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/growing-cilantro-refrigerated-cuttings-88005.html

https://empressofdirt.net/regrow-vegetable-scraps/

This is a great project for kids, teaching them about life and gardening in addition to cooking. And even if you don’t have kids, it’s pretty fun watching how quickly some of these scraps grow (particularly those green onions, which seem to grow a little every time I walk past them in the kitchen). And they make me smile.

If you have any additional related suggestions or helpful tips, please share them with me and other readers in the comments below. In the meantime, use those green onions to garnish the seared tuna steak recipe below.

SESAME AND SOY SEARED TUNA

40 minutes. Serves 2

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 (8-ounce) thick cut tuna steaks, preferably sushi-grade ahi tuna

• Sliced green onions, for garnish

• Toasted brown or black sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Marinate the steaks: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar and garlic. Place the marinade in a sealable plastic bag and add the steaks. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place the bag in a baking dish (to contain any mess if the bag leaks) and marinate for 30 minutes, flipping the steaks halfway through marinating for even coating.

2. Remove the steaks and discard the marinade. Heat a skillet or grill over medium-high heat until hot. Lightly grease the skillet or grill racks and add the steaks. Grill the tuna on each side for 1 to 3 minutes (time will vary depending on the thickness and temperature of the steaks, as well as desired doneness). Remove from heat and rest 5 tp 10 minutes before serving.

3. Slice the steaks or serve whole, garnished with sliced green onion and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Note: From Noelle Carter.