Food plays a massive role in sustainable living. Think about it. We eat three meals a day. When it comes to shopping and consuming, food is the number one item we buy most.
So it should come as NO surprise that one of the best ways to have a positive impact on the planet is to eat in-season, local produce. As a bonus, it also just tastes about 1,000 times better. Seriously!
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I wanted to start a new series where I round up all of the current in-season produce for North America and then list out a few recipes. Some of the recipes are old favorites and others are new ones that I'm going to whipping up this month along with you.
All of the recipes will be vegetarian and vegan because another great way to have a positive impact with your diet is to reduce the amount of animal products you consume.
If you're looking for more tips, be sure to check out our Foodie's Guide to Saving the Planet detailing all the ways you can eat your way to a healthier Earth.
I'll also try and pick out meals that are perfect for making in large batches so you can cook once and eat twice or even three times. Because who doesn't love leftovers!?
what's in season this March?
Now, that it's March, the cusp of spring, we're just starting to see more fresh produce come to life. While citrus will be in season for the next two months, we're going to see a lot of green pop up after a strictly root vegetable kind of season.
If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, here are the goodies you can expect to find!
- Citrus (grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, mandarins)
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Pea Shoots
- Radish
- Snow Peas
- Squash (winter)
For me, the highlight of this month is asparagus. I love this nutty, bright green vegetable. If you've been turned off from asparagus in the past my tips are to try and find thinner stalks rather than thicker ones.
If you wind up with large asparagus just shave the bottom half of the stalk with your vegetable peeler. You'll be left with a perfect tender stalk!
However, if Asparagus realllyyyy isn't your thing then check out my meal guides for January and February. Both include plenty of citrus and root vegetable recipes that are perfect for this time of year!
breakfast:
Y'all know how much I love breakfast, and while I am a huge fan of all three of these recipes, why do they just need to be limited to breakfast time?
These sweet or savory maple squash muffins could easily be dessert or a snack. I always try to include at least one muffin recipe because they're so easy to prep at the beginning of the week. You can cook once and eat all week long.
I also try to avoid muffin recipes that include an entire cup of sugar because the last thing I want is to spike my blood sugar first thing in the morning.
Next on my list of lunch or breakfast is this asparagus and goat cheese quiche. I love quiche so much it's one of my favorite meals to eat pretty much any time of the day. If you're vegan or avoiding eggs check out this awesome egg replacement made using chickpea flour!
And, this herbed ricotta asparagus tart is calling my nammmeeee. Tofu makes an excellent ricotta substitute and it packs and extra protein punch that will keep you full until dinner time.
lunch:
Now, if you've been a fan of this series for a while then you know that I love lunches that can easily pack in mason jars and that I prefer soups and salads.
So, up first is this divine looking salad that just screams spring! It's an all green things salad that even Sam I Am would have no hesitation eating. But, since this is a plant-based recipe guide green ham is not included.
This salad really intrigued me. I would personally serve it warm because, well, it's still kind of chilly. It's a grain-based salad with asparagus, dates, and oranges.
I remember having something really similar one that also included roasted beets and it was one of my favorite dishes I'd had in a long time. I'd also add a little bit of arugula because I need to sneak my greens in any way I can!
Lastly, how could you go wrong with a spring vegetable soup? You cant! This is perfect for those (STILL) chilly days. Sip a nice cup of soup with a heel of bread, and be grateful that you won't be driving home in the dark because the sun sets at 6 instead of 5. PRAISE.
dinner:
Out of all these tasty looking dishes, this is the one I plan on making tonight! It's an asparagus and mushroom white bean cassoulet that looks just perfect. Warm, creamy, and springy... which I think is officially my new mantra.
And, in a similar vein, this garlic and white wine pasta just looks divine! Substitute the brussel sprouts with in-season asparagus, kale, or a winter squash like butternut and you'll be set!
Pizza Friday's are sacred in my house. And this warm, creamy, and springy pie is right up my alley. (I promise, I'll stop) It's a spring vegetable pizza with gremolata that is honestly getting me really excited about April.
Lastly, this ginger corn and asparagus stir-fry is something you can whip up fast when you get home from work.
dessert:
Since, St. Paddy's day is coming up I have decided that all of the deserts will be themed green! And, obviously, you have to have the all-green-things salad for lunch on 3/17.
Up first is a green cake that's used making spinach instead of artificial food coloring! Don't worry you can't taste the spinach, but it does a nice job of coloring the cake.
Now, if you're more into the shamrock shake thing, this is a vegan option that is less like dessert and a little more like breakfast... maybe you can just have all green food that day.
But, if you want all the sugar then this decadent cocca-nutty lime tart just looks amazing! It's bright green, fresh, and sweet.
Now, I know that this isn't a dessert, but I don't have a snack column and this matcha-green popcorn looks so much fun! So, I just had to include it too.
