Ideas for Adding Fresh Produce to the Plate for Seasonal Spring Eating
It’s nearly spring! For many people, that means tucking away the heavy “winter” recipes like soups, stews and casseroles in favor of lighter meals for the season. Sphinx Date Co. shares some easy ideas for adding fresh produce to any meal in honor of eating seasonally this spring.
Blend it Up — Many people may not think to get their greens in at breakfast time, but one of the easiest ways to add more vegetables and produce to their daily diet is by blending them into smoothies or juicing them. Try sipping some celery juice, blending a carrot and ginger “mocktail” or adding texture to smoothies with some spinach or kale items along with almond butter or Medjool dates.
Scramble it — Another simple trick for getting more produce in early on in the day is starting off the morning with a veggie-packed omelet or scramble. Think onions, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapenos… the list goes on! Get creative and have fun — remember “sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet!”
Top a Hearty Salad — Forget the notion that salads are “boring” or “rabbit food” and instead, pack them with bold flavors to make them fresh and enjoyable. Consider, for example, a bed of leafy greens topped with some grilled chicken, pistachios, goat cheese, halved grapes, diced apples, and chopped dates drizzled with poppyseed dressing. All these flavors combine to make for a complex taste explosion no boredom in sight!
Grill or Wilt Them — Roasted veggies are synonymous with winter time, but those that love roasted veggies can still get similar flavors by switching them over to the grill! Grilled veggies go great with a lean turkey burger or grilled shrimp, for a light and delicious spring dish. For simple sauteed meals, fold greens into the pan to wilt them along with pastas and sauces for another layer of flavor to those dishes as well.
Add Them to Pasta Salads — Speaking of pasta, it is really a blank canvas when it comes to making it a meal. For springtime, swap heavy hot pasta dishes for cold pasta dishes that can actually serve as the main event rather than simply a side. Forget the heavy traditional pasta salad dripping in Italian dressing, and instead lighten up with some cooled whole grain pasta (or any variety – there are so many options!) topped with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese and a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Or toss together some store-bought fresh tortellini pasta, zucchini ribbons, spring peas, a handful parmesan or a dollop or two of ricotta cheese, salt and pepper, and a spritz of lemon juice and olive oil. Voila — easy peasy.
Fresh produce is anything but ordinary and there is no limit to the ways a wide array of vegetables can be added to any dish to liven it up and add a boost of flavor and nutrients! In the market for some fresh produce? Sphinx Date Co. partners with RhibaFarms to bring freshly harvested local produce — grown with the highest attention to detail in the San Tan Valley — to Scottsdale residents through RhibaFarms’ FarmBoxes, which can be ordered online at www.rhibafarms.com for pick up at Sphinx Date Co. So order today and start eating fresh for spring!