We all take farming for granted. We rarely consider just how many ingredients go into a single dish. Though something like spaghetti may seem simple it contains more ingredients than one might imagine. There is wheat used to make the flour for the pasta. The herbs and tomatoes for the sauce might include a few varieties of each, recipes tend to be more involved than we think.

So what ingredients go into your favorite meals? Create an ingredient list for your favorite meal, complete with main course and side dish. Be sure to include greens and herbs which are often overlooked. Can all of those ingredients be grown in the Lab?

Repeat the exercise for several of the class favorites until you find one that has ingredients that can all be grown in the Lab. Then create a garden plan to grow your favorite meal. Consider the time to transplant and time to harvest for each ingredient so that you know when to start and then transplant each variety to achieve perfect timing: all ingredients ready for harvest at the same time. Of course, you’ll also want to think about how much of each ingredient you will need and plan accordingly.

Save this plan for later. You can use the ingredients from your harvest to prepare your favorite meal. Bon apetit!