Eating with the Seasons: Spring Menu - Main and Side Dishes

I hope you had fun making the artichoke appetizer from yesterday's blog post -- wasn't the heart delicious? Since artichokes are only available for 3-4 months out of the year, it's fun to savor their goodness during this short window of time.

In the spring we turn to lighter foods with an emphasis on steaming and boiling. The vegetables that grow in the spring have a rising energy that you can see clearly in the way they come up from the ground. Think of leafy greens, sprouts, chives, garlic, and asparagus. During this change in weather we want to embody that kind of energy as well. On that note, let's start with our spring side dish! (For all ingredients, choose organic when available).

SPRING ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON MISO DRESSING

Serves two (or one very hungry person)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus 

1 teaspoon chickpea miso (or similar light miso)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon olive oil or sesame oil 

2/3 teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar

1 teaspoon filtered water

Herbamare (an herb salt seasoning)

A note about umeboshi vinegar: if you have never tried umeboshi vinegar before, this is a must-have in your pantry. You can often find the Eden brand in health food stores (and larger chains like Whole Foods). It is worth ordering online if your local stores don't carry it (but feel free to ask them to!). Umeboshi vinegar has a salty, tangy, bright flavor that works well with vegetables and in sauces and dressings. This vinegar is excellent for your digestion and balancing your body's acidity/alkalinity -- if your stomach is upset from something you ate, sprinkle a few shakes of umebosh vinegar in a glass of water and drink it for relief. Your world will be changed from this one liquid!

When choosing your asparagus, look for the leaves at the tip to be tight -- if they are open, dry, or slimy, they're not as fresh and won't be as tasty. The stalk thickness doesn't decide tastiness, so feel free to get skinny stalks or fat stalks, whatever tickles your fancy! If you're purchasing the asparagus a day or two before eating, cut the very ends and place them in a Ball jar or vase with a half inch of water at the bottom and store them in the refrigerator. This drink of water will help prevent them from becoming wilted before you're ready to cook.

I think the tastiest way to cook asparagus is by steaming it -- you could always boil it, but I find steaming retains the green flavor a bit more. If they are thin stalks, it could only take a few minutes to steam. You want the color to brighten and the crunch to soften a bit. Taste and try the stalks as you steam them, and take them out just before they're perfect. They cook a bit more when steaming on the plate, and taking them out a moment early keeps them from yellowing and overcooking. 

Asparagus is another vegetable, like the artichoke from yesterday, that is tastiest when hot. Make this sauce on the side as you're steaming the asparagus so that it is ready to drizzle on top and serve!

Preparing the dressing: In a small bowl or teacup mix the miso, lemon juice, oil, umeboshi vinegar, and filtered water together with a fork. This sauce should have a creaminess from the miso, a smoothness from the oil, and a tang from the lemon juice and umeboshi vinegar. Taste it and see what it needs -- these amounts are just a starting point! I love to add a splash more umeboshi vinegar as the acidity brings out the sweetness of the asparagus. Try not to make the sauce too thin and watery. You want the dressing to adhere a bit to a dipped stalk or when drizzled over the whole bunch. 

My favorite vintage pink LuRay platter!

Present the asparagus on your favorite serving platter -- beautiful objects are meant to be used and enjoyed! You can keep the dressing on the side and dip the asparagus stalks one by one, or drizzle the dressing over the asparagus bunch. If you choose the former, a sprinkle of Herbamare seasoning is lovely to accentuate the flavor of the asparagus. This is finger food -- use your hands to eat the stalks, feel free to get dressing on your fingers, and enjoy!

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BITTER GREENS PESTO OVER SOBA NOODLES

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Soba noodles

Your choice of spring greens and herbs -- basil, kale, arugula, watercress, mustard greens, dandelion greens, chives, scallions, garlic scapes are wonderful options to choose from

Your choice of seeds or nuts -- sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, or cashews work well

Olive oil or sesame oil

Umeboshi plum vinegar

Herbamare (an herb salt seasoning)

Filtered water

This is a lovely and light main dish that shows up on the table in spring and stays into the summer months. Bitter greens are nutritional powerhouses and are fantastic in promoting enzyme production and digestive well-being. In the spring you want to awaken your system and clean it out. Bitter greens do just that!

The recipe for this sauce is purposely vague with the proportions -- I want you to taste as you go, see what it needs, and make it perfect for you! Choose the greens that look best at the greenmarket that day, the ones you're most drawn to. Try to add one of the more peppery or bitter green options to your mix, like watercress or arugula, alongside an allium like chives or scallions. Dandelion can be quite bitter, so use a light touch when adding it. My favorite mix always includes basil and garlic scapes (when they're available). I love sunflower seeds with this pesto because they add a hint of sweetness and provide a bit of texture to the sauce. If you use cashews, consider soaking them in water beforehand so they're extra creamy when blended.   

Preparing the sauce: Add all your greens to the blender with a little bit of water and blend until they are well chopped. If you're lucky enough to own a Vitamix it will make it even easier to get a smooth sauce. Now add your seeds or nuts and the oil, and blend again until very well mixed. If the sauce gets too thick to blend, add a bit more water. At this point you want the sauce to be as blended as possible. Start blending again and slowly pour water in. The key here is that if everything has been blended well enough beforehand, the water will be adding a smooth lightness and increasing the yield considerably. Avoid making the sauce watery, but as long as it's frothing up nicely, feel free to add more water, making sure it will still adhere nicely to the noodles. Add a few shakes of Herbamare and umeboshi vinegar, blend, taste, and adjust until it's to your liking. As you now know I adore umeboshi vinegar, so I always add a little more to make the flavors pop.

Cook your favorite type of soba noodle -- in this instance I made soba that contains mugwort, which has its own cleansing and digestion properties and a tasty strong flavor. It also has this great green color, which matches so well with the colors of springtime. Try to avoid choosing a refined white pasta for this dish -- the processed grains absorb quickly into your bloodstream and result in a sugar spike, leaving you ultimately less satisfied. Soba noodles like these are made from a variety of whole grains and provides proteins, complex carbs, and iron. 

You have your artichoke appetizer and now your main dish and side vegetable. Join me tomorrow for a light and tasty dessert and a warming beverage to cap off your spring meal! 

Once you make these dishes I would love to hear your thoughts -- are you all about umeboshi vinegar now? Found a new bitter green you love? Do tell!

Molly Clarke // Rock That Gem

Eating with the Seasons: Spring Menu - Appetizer

With the vernal equinox and daylight savings giving us warmer temperatures and more hours of sunlight, spring has officially sprung! Flowers are popping up and so are delicious spring vegetables. A vegan my whole life, I was raised in line with macrobiotics, keeping a yin and yang balance through eating whole grains, vegetables, legumes, seaweeds, and fruits. There is a strong focus in macrobiotics on eating only what is in season in your area. Your body and digestion shifts and changes with the adjustment in climate each season. Nature provides the vegetables you need to smoothly make these transitions at exactly these times of the year. The advent of supermarkets means that every kind of fruit and vegetable, culled from all over the world, is available to you night and day. If you want to know what is truly in season, visit your local farmer's market. The colors you see around you should be reflected on your plate!

Many of you are fellow makers and creatives, developing beautiful products and handling all the aspects of running a small business -- maintaining your shop, mailing orders, vending at craft fairs, crunching the numbers. It can be stressful and chaotic, and in those moments you may reach for a candy bar or salty chips to keep you going. When you eat with the seasons your mind is clear and your body is able to maintain its energy more evenly through whole foods. 

I put together a perfect spring menu to get you started. For the next three days I will post a new recipe each day so you can create a lovely spring meal by the end of the week! Today we start with the appetizer. Remember to always chew your food well, eat until you are satisfied but not stuffed, and be thankful for all that you have!

THE HEART OF THE ARTICHOKE

Ingredients:

1-2 artichokes (make one for a friend!) 

Green and purple artichokes -- green ones are the most common, purple was a brand new find!

Artichokes are in season from March to May, and again briefly in October, lining up perfectly with the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. These two seasons are times of detox for your liver, especially in the spring after a long, cold winter of heavy foods and excess. Artichokes contain nutrients that help your liver in this cleansing process. Many of you know artichokes in two forms -- either pickled to a yellow color and canned, or baked and slathered in butter and breadcrumbs. This recipe cooks them as close to their original state as possible, retaining the nutrients and resulting in a sweet and delicious appetizer before your meal!

Preparing the artichoke: Cut a half inch off the base and remove any small leaves. Using scissors, cut the very tips of any leaves that have a spiky point -- not all artichokes have them, but they sure do hurt when you get poked with them! Using a knife, slice off the top inch of the artichoke, revealing this beautiful pattern of inner leaves.  

Rinse the artichoke under water, opening the leaves slightly to make sure the water rinses out any dirt or sand. 

Cooking the artichoke: Fill a large pot 2/3 of the way with water and heat until boiling. Place your cleaned artichoke in the pot and cover. Depending on the size of your artichoke it can take shorter or longer to boil. Most are ready within 20-30 mins. Check on it at the 15 minute mark, to make sure it is boiling evenly (if not, turn it in the water to the unboiled side). You will know the artichoke is ready when it is no longer a bright green color, and both the leaves and base are tender. Remove the artichoke using tongs, and let the water drain out from between the leaves before placing on a plate. 

Ready to eat!

Eating the artichoke: Boiled artichokes are most delicious when they're hot. Starting at the base, break off a leaf and look for the half moon shape on the bottom fourth of the leaf where it was connected to the rest of the artichoke. Scrape this area along your top or bottom teeth to remove the tasty flesh. It will have a light, sweet, and tender taste. Repeat with each leaf, working your way up. If you can, compost the discarded leaves to thank nature for this treat. This slow method of eating an artichoke, piece by piece, is the perfect occasion for mindfulness. Take your time with it. Enjoy the moment. 

When you get down to the leaves that are translucent and don't yield much flesh, it's time to scrape out the choke and get to the tastiest part, the heart! Pay very close attention to the fuzzy and thin fibers of the choke -- they are not edible, and have the name choke for a very good reason. These spiky fibers can get stuck along your throat. Using a spoon, start at the very edge of the choke and scrape it away, making sure to leave the tender flesh behind. 

Halfway done with scraping away the choke to reveal the delicious heart!

Once the choke has been scraped away and there are no more fibers you have reached the delicious heart. As you ate the flesh from the leaves you were getting small morsels -- think of the heart as one great big bite of that goodness! You can eat the whole top portion. The base can get a bit fibrous, but feel free to split it open and eat any tender flesh inside as well. One of the most magical things about artichokes, besides their ability to support your liver and stimulate bile production, is that they make everything you eat afterwards taste sweet and delectable. Go ahead and try drinking a glass of water after eating an artichoke. See how the water is now magically sweet? Artichokes contain cynarin, an acid which inhibits the taste buds that detect sweetness. When you take a bite of food or sip of a drink, the cynarin is washed away and your brain perceives the contrast as a rush of sweetness. This makes artichokes perfect to eat as an appetizer before a meal -- they make the main dish and side dishes even more delicious!

See you here tomorrow as we make the main dish and side vegetable! And make sure to comment below and tell me how your artichoke comes out, I would love to hear!

Molly Clarke // Rock That Gem