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Cooking with Spring Produce: Squirrel Hill Food Pantry Healthy Recipe Series

| JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry

Spring in Pennsylvania: What’s in Season?

Eating fruits and vegetables that are “in season” in your state ensures that your body absorbs the most varied and freshest nutrients possible. In Pennsylvania, the season of spring brings the following vegetables:

  • Arugula
  • Asparagus
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Chard
  • Kale
  • Lettuce (Red, Green, Romaine)
  • Mushrooms
  • Parsnips
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Spinach
  • Spring Mix

Which of these is your favorite? Which have you not tried? Consider including one or more of these spring vegetables into your meals this month!

April Recipes: A Tale of Two Spring Salads

Spring Vegetable Grain Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing

Adapted from Greens & Chocolate

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups of your favorite grain, cooked (farro, wheat berries, couscous, rice, etc.)

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 small lemons)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

For the vegetables:

  • 2 cups asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces (about 15 stalks)
  • 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh
  • 3 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare the dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus, and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the peas at the last minute.
  4. Immediately drain and run cold water over the vegetables.
  5. Add asparagus, peas, and radishes to grain, then toss with the dressing.
  6. Top with goat cheese.

Spring Farro Salad with Fava Beans, Asparagus, & Peas

Adapted from Italian Food Forever

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Pound Fava Beans, Shelled
  • 1/2 Pound Asparagus, Ends Trimmed & Cut Into 2-inch Pieces
  • 1 1/2 Cups Spring Peas
  • 2 Cups Cooked Farro, Cooled
  • 2 Cups Baby Arugula

For the dressing:

  • 1 Large Lemon Zested & Juiced
  • 1 (1-inch) Piece Of Peeled fresh Ginger
  • 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring a medium sized pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the fava beans for 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the beans and place in an ice water bath.
  3. Remove the skin from the fava beans.
  4. Next cook the asparagus, then the peas, each until tender crisp, and place these in an ice water bath as well to stop the cooking process and keep the vegetables bright green.
  5. In a large bowl, place the cooked and cooled farro, the fava beans, peas, asparagus and arugula.
  6. In a small blender, mix the dressing ingredients then pour over the salad.
  7. Toss the salad well, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.