Savor Spring Vegetables

I'm partnering with my friends over at Family Eats again this month for a post on eating seasonally. Stop by Family Eats here to take a look at what's being cooked up for spring!

As the warming weather reveals beautiful new elements in the world, the earth also yields wonderful treats just waiting to be eaten: spring vegetables. The season for each spring vegetable is short lived, so be sure to take advantage of the selection at your local farmers' market. Snap up the best of the season as soon as they appear, because they might be gone next week! Some of my personal favorites are asparagus, artichokes, and baby English peas. All three can be incorporated into salads or a springtime pasta dish. Asparagus is one of my personal favorites. Not only is it delicious, it is very good for you, too. Studies have shown that it is a great low-calorie source of folate and potassium and that its stalks are high in antioxidants. Just six spears contain some 135 micrograms of folate, almost half the recommended daily intake. Green asparagus especially is a good source of vitamin C.

When you eat in season, and the vegetables are locally grown, you'll find such a wonderful difference in taste and texture from out-of-season supermarket varieties. Once you try eating seasonally, I promise you'll never go back. Below is a list of delicious fruits and vegetables available during the spring. Be sure to grab them!

March, April, and May Fruits
Apricots
Barbados Cherries
Honeydew
Limes
Lychee
Mango
Oranges
Pineapple
Rhubarb
Strawberries

March, April, and May Vegetables
Artichokes
Asparagus
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Corn
Fava Beans
Fennel
Green Beans
Morel Mushrooms
Pea Pods
Peas
Purple Asparagus
Radicchio
Red Leaf Lettuce
Snow Peas
Spinach
Spring Baby Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Vidalia Onions
Watercress
White Asparagus

There are also a number of delicious vegetables and fruits available year-round:

Apples
Avocados
Bananas
Bell Peppers
Black Eyed Peas
Bok Choy
Broccolini
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Coconut
Leeks
Lemons
Lettuce
Olives
Onions
Potatoes
Rutabagas

Enjoy the Spring!

With love,

www.rosannainc.com