Nothing beats a nice summer BBQ with fresh, seasonal foods and good company. Even when you're not at a BBQ or special occasion, you can still bring in the bounty of summer with these four recipes. All of them incorporate in-season produce. I highly recommend going to the local farmers market and picking up the ingredients for these recipes from there, as it will enhance your dishes greatly.
Do the gorgeous blooms of spring turn you into a sneezing, sniffling, itchy-eyed mess? If so, food can help.
We've all heard how good it is to eat seasonally, but sometimes it can be hard to know what to do with seasonal produce. After all, once you find out what's in season, how do you concoct that into a healthy meal? Well, thankfully, I'm here to help. I do my best to eat seasonally, so I wanted to share with you some of my go-to recipes for the spring. These four spring dishes will make your mouth water and bring a new appreciation to seasonal foods. After all, plants that are in season taste so much fresher and tastier than in other seasons.
While eating your dinner, you are probably focused on the hectic day you had or listening to someone else’s rant. You might be serving everyone and holding off eating until everyone is happy. You might be proud of the meal you prepared. But did you ever think about where it all came from? Your salad could have lettuce from California. Your potatoes might be from Idaho. Your stew has ingredients from all over the world.
Spring is here and garlic scapes are in season!
Garlic scapes are the long, curly, flower buds of the garlic plant that are typically picked and tossed by commercial operations. (Removing the flower bud allows the garlic bulb to mature in the ground.) The more savvy and local farmers at your co-op or farmer’s market know better; garlic scapes are delicious and can be found in the spring season and used for all sorts of dishes including stir-fries, salads, soups, and yes, even pesto.
While some of us are basking in the glory of all that is spring, others are upset. Why? Because summer is inching nearer and nearer with each passing moment, and some of us may have gained a few unwanted pounds this past winter. However, don’t let the vicious cycle of the seasons get you down! To get summer body ready, all you need to do is begin your clean eating with the fresh, seasonal produce of April!
It starts slowly. Icicles drip onto the sidewalks, snow mounds shrink under afternoon sunlight, and here in the Pacific Northwest, heavy, warm rains are ushered in. As spring approaches, our appetites desire light, fresh, yet still warming foods. Enter the classic vegetable soup.
Living in France, I am tempted by cheese all the time. Famous for beautiful ash-rubbed rounds of chévre and silky soft “moelleux” wedges of Camembert, one wonders how the French manage not to overindulge. One secret in French culture is the cheese course of a meal traditionally follows the “plat,” or main plate, and after one has (hopefully) already filled up on protein and vegetables. Another secret here on the French Riviera, near the Italian border, is parmigiano reggiano, a staple in Italian cuisine.
Slow living is deeply connected to the holistic wellness movement. It focuses on sustainable, local, organic, and whole ingredients, as well as taking the time to cook and enjoy each meal with the people we love. Instead of rushing to get our own five-minute dinner made before we’re on to the next thing, we come together to nourish our bodies and spirits. A slow living diet is equal parts delicious seasonal meals and telling stories about our day around the table.
Why Ayurveda?
Being healthy is an incomparable life experience, and the way we eat plays a huge role. We all want great health, but for many people, it seems complicated. Our busy lives, the number of diets, and conflicting messages about what we should eat can be overwhelming. Ayurveda offers us a holistic, intuitive, easy approach to eating. Since it’s been in use for at least 5,000 years, we can rest assured that it’s safe and effective.