Spring is finally here! Despite the irritating allergy symptoms that don’t ever seem to go away, the spring season will bring in plenty of delicious produce that is sure to spruce up your kitchen. The spring season is full of refreshing fruits and vegetables that are easily accessible in any grocery store. It’s important to know what produce is in season since these ingredients are always cheaper and taste better. Spring and summer have the best produce in my opinion, so to help you out, here’s a list of the seasonal produce that’s available this season and a couple recipes to showcase these amazing ingredients!
Fruits:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Kiwifruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Pineapples
- Strawberries
There’s a bunch of ways you can incorporate these spring fruits to sweeten up your diet. The most simple ways would be to blend a variety of different fruits with some ice and milk to make a refreshing, creamy smoothie. You can also simply slice a selection of your favorite fruits from the list for a tasty fruit salad. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, however, try making your own strawberry jam!
Courtesy of pixabay.com
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
- In a large bowl, crush strawberries in batches until they are mashed.
- In a saucepan, mix all the ingredients together and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the mixture until it reaches 220 degrees.
- Transfer the mixture to hot jars, seal and place them in a water bath until cool.
- Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Vegetables:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Collard Greens
- Garlic
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Peas
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
This long list of veggies looks intimidating, but it’s actually really easy to use them in a lot of your meals. Try this recipe for a greens pasta that’s perfect for lunch or dinner!
Ingredients:
1 cup of asparagus, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup of broccoli, chopped
1 cup of peas
3 cups of spinach
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound pasta of your choice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Add the asparagus and cook an additional four minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, and drain.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, peas, broccoli and spinach. Cook until vegetables are almost soft.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the pasta and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and stir until ready to serve.
Looks way too light for me. I prefer heavy things. HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY.