Waste not the fresh ginger

Too often, fresh ginger goes to waste. You buy it for the occasional Asian-inspired recipe, use just a nub, and the balance sits in the fridge, ignored and shriveling until it’s finally tossed. Ginger, though, is a terrific spring ingredient whose uses are diverse enough to merit working your way through the full amount. Salad dressing is a great place to start. Start with two tablespoons white wine vinegar, half a fresh orange, one tablespoon honey and one tablespoon grated or finely diced ginger. Gradually add 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking the entire time to emulsify. Taste and adjust. Fresh and light, this is a great dressing for butter lettuce with radishes, endive with goat cheese and walnuts or any other crunchy, green spring salad.

Later in the week, use the ginger in weeknight standbys like fried rice and stir-fry, or in my favorite marinade for salmon or tuna: one part rice wine vinegar to two parts soy sauce along with one tablespoon grated or finely diced ginger, one tablespoon chopped garlic and one tablespoon brown sugar. Let fish marinate for a few hours, then grill, broil or sear in a hot skillet.