Using Local and Seasonal Veggies for Optimal Health

Farmer’s Market Spring Vegetable Favorites… Delicious Recipes Too!

Ahhh spring! Love is in the air, and so is arugula! This delicious green, used in aphrodisiac recipes since Roman times, was actually forbidden to plant in convent gardens. But its love inducing properties is not the only reason it’s one of my favorites. A light, peppery leafy vegetable, arugula packs the punch. A one cup serving is only 4 calories but contains 40% of the daily recommendation for vitamin A intake. Arugula is the acupuncture of food, unlocking stagnant energy with its pungency; light, uplifting flavors awaken the senses and bodily functions too. Arugula is so powerful that its first use was for medicinal purposes (and not for food). The oil, extracted from the leaves was made into an ointment for healing burns and skin infections, and was also said to treat hair loss.

For a Simple Delicious Arugula Salad
Toss these tender greens with extra virgin olive oil (or unrefined cold pressed sesame oil) and few pinches of sea salt, a dollop of mustard and a sprinkle of balsamic (or brown rice) vinegar.
Arugula is also great in any noodle dish, from stir fries to soups and noodles with sauce. No need to cook; if the dish is hot, the arugula will wilt perfectly. Here’s a favorite:
Lemon Olive Oil Pasta with Arugula
While your choice of pasta is cooking, grate the zest of 1 lemon into ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Let this marinate while you sauté in a pan 2-3 cloves minced garlic and 1 minced shallot in 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Let cook for a few minutes, then add the cooked pasta with the juice from one lemon. Add the olive oil and zest that have been marinating. Stir in a couple pinches sea salt and remove from heat. Add a few large handfuls arugula, or more! Stir and Enjoy!

Arugula is part of the mustard family, the seeds of which make the condiment mustard. All mustard greens are excellent sources of vitamin A, C and E, essential antioxidants that team up to fight free radicals, and therefore reduce the signs of aging. They are also great for you’re heart, lungs (including asthma conditions), and bone health (because they are loaded with calcium). Mizuna, a Japanese mustard green, is wonderful raw tossed in a salad. Sauté any mustard green in oil with a few pinches sea salt then toss with toasted pecans, or chop mustard greens fine and add to soups at the last minute.

Peas abound this time of year. Green peas, snow peas and sugar snap. Green peas are the small round balls that must be removed from their shells before eating. With sugar snap and snow peas, the peas and pods are eaten. Both have a similar oblong shape, though sugar snap are plumper and sweeter. Peas are so old they’ve been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and the snow pea is one of the earliest cultivated plants. Sugar snap is a hybrid between the other 2 varieties, developed around the 17th century, but only became commonly available in the last 30 years or so. I enjoy adding green peas to split pea soup (especially yellow split pea) at the last moment, for their bright beautiful color. Green peas only need to be cooked a second, they will turn bright green almost immediately, which signals they’re done.

Green Pea Soup
In a soup pot, heat anywhere from a couple teaspoons to ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or unrefined cold pressed sesame oil. I like to use ¼ cup olive, but for a low oil diet, a teaspoon or two of oil is fine. Add 1 diced onion, 1 diced carrot, and 1 diced celery stalk and a few large pinches sea salt. Sauté over medium-low heat until vegetables turn very soft and begin to brown, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add 4 -6 cups water, 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 diced leek, 2 bay leaves, and 1 diced potato (optional). Add optional fresh or dried herbs (I like dried rosemary, sage, basil, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or longer. Taste and add more salt as needed (soup should not taste salty, use only enough salt to bring out the flavors in the vegetables). During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add 2 handfuls whole grain noodles if desired. In the last minute or two of cooking add 2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen).
Tip: this soup is also great with a dried daikon broth!

Coconut Curry Green Pea Soup
Follow same directions as above but:
Replace the olive oil or sesame oil with unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin, and/or raw coconut oil for sautéing the vegetables.
Replace herbs with 1 teaspoon curry powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. (Taste, you may like to add a bit more).
Add 1 can coconut milk and 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup at the end.

Sugar Snap Side Dish
Steam sugar snap peas until they turn bright green, this only takes a few minutes, then season with coarse sea salt and optional freshly ground black pepper.

Snow Pea Stir Fry
Saute shiitake mushrooms in a couple teaspoons toasted sesame oil with a few pinches of sea salt. Turn the heat to the highest setting; add the snow peas and more salt. Stir constantly, and remove from heat immediately once the peas turn bright green, it only takes a few minutes.

Corn was developed about 7,000 years ago from a wild grass called teosinte. Cornmeal today, along with polenta and other refined corn products are made from corn with a very high starch content. The type of corn you eat on the cob is a different variety called sweet corn. Many farmers markets this time of year sell both. Freshly milled corn flour from a local farmer is a cornbread lovers dream come true, and my cornbread recipe that follows will knock your socks off! Most corn and corn products these days are genetically modified, so be sure to purchase organic only. Traditional corn, the type Columbus and the Indians ate came in many more varieties and colors than we have today, including kernels of purple and pink! Darker corn varieties, such as the blue that makes blue corn chips, have more antioxidants, a higher protein and lower starch content, which puts them lower on the glycemic index, and makes them a better choice if you are watching your weight. The blue corn variety is also a bit sweeter than our traditional yellow corn. Heat rapidly converts the sugar in corn to starch, so make sure to buy ears that haven’t been sitting in the sun, and if you can’t cook it right away, which is best, store it in the refrigerator.

Knock Your Socks Off Cornbread
1 cup finely ground cornmeal or corn flour
1 cup whole grain spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
3/4 cup unsweetened soymilk
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or unrefined cold pressed sesame oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
The zest from 1 lemon or orange, finely grated (optional)
1 cup fresh corn kernels
½ cup toasted walnuts, pecans, fresh cranberries, or dried (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Use a wire whisk to incorporate everything very well.
In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients: soymilk, oil, maple, and lemon zest.
Add the wet to the dry. Stir gently until almost incorporated. Gently stir in the corn kernels and optional nuts/cranberries. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting.
*this cornbread is mildly sweet. For a sweeter cornbread replace maple with agave nectar.

Serve with Sweet Sesame Butter
Puree in a blender ½ cup tahini, 3 tablespoons brown rice syrup, ¼ cup warm water, and 1 pinch sea salt (or 1 teaspoon ume vinegar or 2 teaspoons sweet white miso).

Lighter cooking and simpler flavors is a great way to get your body in shape for the warmer weather. In winter our bodies tend towards stagnation, mimicking the plants and trees around us. The following dish is wonderful to make use of the wide array of spring vegetables and shed that winter sluggishness (and those pounds)!

Blanched Spring Vegetables
Wash and slice your favorite spring farmer’s market vegetables including summer squash, daikon, brussel sprouts, zucchini, carrots, sugar snap and snow peas, fennel, asparagus, red radishes, purple broccoli, celery, cucumber, tomato. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a few large pinches sea salt. Start with the summer squash and immerse in the water. Cover pot and bring water to a boil again. Once the water starts boiling, the squash should almost immediately turn brighter in color. Remove with a small strainer. Bring water back up to a boil before immersing the next vegetable. Purple broccoli should go last as it will color the water. Celery is nice blanched, but cucumber and tomato should be served raw. Sprinkle with chopped spring herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage, dill, mint, scallions, chives, parsley, or make a

Spring Herb Hummus, with lemon for dipping the vegetables.
Puree (or hand mash with a potato masher or fork) 1-2 cups cooked chickpeas with the juice of 1 lemon, 1 minced shallot, a few drops ume vinegar or pinches sea salt and optional couple tablespoons tahini and oil (olive or sesame), the zest of 1 lemon, and 1 clove minced garlic. You can also add the leftover cooking water from the chickpeas (or plain water) for a lighter and creamier hummus. At the end stir in fresh chopped spring herbs as listed above and/or blanched shelled fava beans, blanched green peas, or raw chopped watercress.

Greens are especially cleansing for the spring, and extremely nutrient dense too. Wild spring greens to try, include chickweed, dandelion, sorrel, chicory, malva, violet, mustard greens, nettles, and watercress. Use these greens in a fresh salad, a grain or bean salad, a quick sauté, or finely minced and added to soup at the last minute. I make it a habit to find a new green, or long forgotten one, on each of my weekly visits to the farmers market! The following soup is delicious and a great cleanse too!

Creamy Greens Soup
Slice 2 large zucchini (or 4 small) into large chunks. Steam with a few pinches sea salt or tablespoon sweet white miso and optional 1 clove chopped garlic until zucchini is fork tender. Add to a blender with chopped tender spring greens such as arugula, watercress, lemon balm, or lightly steamed kale. Blend and enjoy!
Tip: add leftover cooked brown rice to the blender for an ever thicker, creamier soup!

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