With spring comes sunny days, birds chirping, flowers emerging, and an abundance of fruits and vegetables that have come into their peak seasons.
Even during these times of social distancing, grocers are working hard to provide all year round access to fresh, in-season produce that we should all the more take advantage of stocking to use with dry pantry goods.
Eating in-season produce is nutritionally and environmentally beneficial. Seasonal produce requires less pesticides and chemicals for growing and, due to local availability, uses less fossil fuel consumption in transporting food to the grocery store. Because of this prices are lower too!
Fruits and vegetables in their peak seasons are at their most nutritiously rich and flavor, here are some of our favorite…
Asparagus
A great source of fiber and antioxidants, asparagus can be cooked with very little effort. For a perfect spring side dish, we suggest tossing it with olive oil, crushed garlic, and salt & pepper before throwing it on the grill until it’s tender and charred. For indoors cooking, try Meisterdish’s Roasted Tomatoes & Asparagus recipe!
What you need:
1 bunch of Asparagus, trimmed
2 oz. Cherry Tomatoes
2 oz. Goat Cheese
2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Instructions:
1. Turn broiler on at med-high heat
2. Place asparagus on oven safe tray, top with cherry tomatoes, garlic and crumbled goat cheese
3. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season to taste with roughly ½ tsp salt and pinch of pepper
4. Cook for 6-8 min or until slightly browned
5. Enjoy your Meisterdish!
Arugula
It’s truly one of the most versatile lettuce varieties. It serves as an easy side salad or addition to sandwiches. Our Burrata Arugula Salad recipe is a simple and satiating meal. Just toss arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped tomatoes, and a healthy chunk of burrata cheese.
Scallions
The more mild onion taste of scallions makes them the perfect accompaniment to a lot of dishes. At Meisterdish we love scallions as a garnish to freshen up a dish and add some color. Pictured is our Korean Bulgogi Bowl which is topped with green onions for added freshness.
Spinach
The healthiest of leafy greens, spinach is packed with nutrition. It can be used as a salad base, mixed into soups and sauces, or added to smoothies.
Avocados
They’re the trendiest fruit out there thanks to the avocado toast craze a few years back. They’re a great source of healthy fat and versatile in the ways they can be prepared. For a power lunch try making our Chicken Avocado Salad.
What you need:
(Serves 2)
10 oz. Chicken Breast
1 Avocado
5 oz. Mixed Greens
½ a Lemon
¼ cup of Sunflower Seeds
2 Cloves of Garlic
½ a Shallot
¼ Greek Yogurt
¼ cup of Cilantro
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Instructions:
1. Place sunflower seeds on a plate, press chicken
breast into seeds
2. Season with 1/2 tsp salt to taste
3. Place chicken breast and any remaining seeds in heated pan with 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
4. Add garlic and shallots to pan
5. Cook chicken for 3-4 mins on each side
6. Scoop out avocado and cut into 1/2 inch slices, add a squeeze of lemon juice, drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt & pepper to taste
7. In a bowl, mix salad with sliced avocado (save a few for garnish)
8. Roughly rip cilantro and add in with 1/2 tsp salt& pepper, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and lemon juice, toss well
9. Plate salad, chicken, and avocado slices
10. Drizzle yogurt and lemon juice as a dressing
11. Enjoy your Meisterdish!
Strawberries
In season strawberries are at their sweetest and most juicy. They’re great mixed into yogurt and smoothies or to get into the spring spirit, can be blended with some sugar and added to lemonade for a refreshing drink.
Meisterdish 