Harvest

farm board

If you don’t like kale, or are afraid to try it (still), then substitute something else. I start with that so you won’t think “I hate kale; I’m never eating a kale salad” and miss the entire idea here: it’s summer harvest time, so you should enjoy the bounty available at the market. If your idea of a perfect summer salad does not include kale, or blueberries, or any of the other suggestions here, then use something else: basil and peaches, or celery and cherries, or whatever makes you happy.

Blueberry & Kale Salad

Love to Cook: Get your gourmet on with this Massaged Kale Salad with Creamy Blueberry Vinaigrette and Rosemary Candied Walnuts.

Weeknight Reality: This Best of Summer Kale Salad from Iowa Girl Eats is easy to prepare, if you’ve not intimidated by making your own salad dressing. The blueberry-balsamic dressing is good on just about any salad, in fact, so make a double batch. And her recommendation to massage the kale with salt only, not oil, works well. A vegan alternative is this version from the Blueberry Council.

Need a Miracle: Bagged kale, blueberries, seasoned nuts and prepared dressing. And cheese, or fish, if you like.

Leafy

lettuce

Spring Rolls | Vegetable Fried Rice

Did your CSA bag have at least two heads of fresh spring lettuce and a bunch of fresh mint? Well, mine did. And the tender, earthy leaves are just as tasty as ever. If you haven’t ever had fresh lettuce from a farmers market, this week would be a good time to find some and give it a try. Fresh lettuce tastes nothing like what you get in the store, and since it doesn’t have to travel cross-country in an 18-wheeler, it will last longer than a day or two.

Spring rolls bring out the best in fresh, spring lettuce, herbs and carrots. Pair them with some spring vegetable fried rice for the perfect seasonal comfort food dinner.

Love to Cook: Vegetable Summer Rolls (about an hour) and Vegetable Fried Rice (15 minutes, if you have cooked rice on hand)

Weeknight Reality: Quick Vietnamese Spring Rolls (about 20 minutes) and Quick Vegetable Fried Rice (about 20 minutes, if you have rice)

Need a Miracle: Make the spring rolls using this recipe; instead of fried rice make Faux Pho Ga (Vietnamese chicken noodle soup) with rotisserie chicken and packaged broth

Roughage

Spring is coming. Really. So put some heft in your dinner and clear out the winter blues.

lettuce


Food Ideas

  • Love to Cook: Composed Winter Salad with Whole Grain Bread
  • Weeknight Reality: Kale & Arugula Salad with Citrus Dressing and Raincoast Crisps
  • Need a Miracle: Prepared Broccoli Slaw over Greens (bagged, ready to eat) with Sesame Dressing

Recipe Links


Parting Thought

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.
Franklin D. Roosevelt