Winter is almost over and with that comes a host of cleansing foods, detoxing us from the heavier foods of winter that keep us warm. Eating seasonally is one of the best ways to keep a reasonable grocery budget, have great tasting meals and get the most nutrition from your food. As much as I love winter squashes, soups and heavier meals, I am more than ready for the lighter, cleansing produce that comes with spring.

The produce I’m going to list is in season March-May, maybe some into June. Obviously you will find a lot of these year round, however, they taste their best during their natural season.

Apricots
Artichokes
Asparagus (all colors)
Belgian Endive
Bitter Melon
Broccoli
Butter Lettuce
Cauliflower
Chayote Squash
Chives
Collard Greens
Fennel
Green Beans
Honeydew
Limes
Lychee
Mango
Manoa Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Peas
Pineapple
Radicchio
Radish
Red Leaf Lettuce
Rhubarb
Snow Peas
Sorrel
Spinach
Strawberries
Swiss Chard
Vidalia Onions
Watercress

As you can see, there are a lot of options and new foods to try. I find it exciting. My favorite spring vegetable recipe is roasted asparagus. It’s simple and my kids love it.

Roasted Asparagus

• One bunch of asparagus
• EVOO
• Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper
3. In a single layer, evenly lay out your asparagus
4. With an oil mister, mist your veggies with EVOO. You can drizzle it as well but will have a less even coverage.
5. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
6. Roast for 20 minutes or until desired softness.

You can eat them like this as a side, chop and toss into salad or quinoa or into a pasta dish with rice noodles. There are many possibilities!

Live Healthy and Whole,

Marian

 

Image via: bottlebranch.com