Bring on Spring!
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
It seems to have taken its time (at least for us down South) but Spring has finally started to make an appearance. Blossoms are opening their colourful heads, buds are sprouting up vibrant and tall, and a sense of new beginnings fills the air.
Nature is now beconing us to come out of our Winter slumber and play with her. The days are longer, the air less crisp… bright hues in the gardens and fragrant smells on the wind are luring us outside. You may experience this as a hankering to work in your veggie patch or a pull to visit the local farmer’s market. Spring is a very sensual season, so make the most of these precious months and indulge in nature’s gifts!
This is also the time to say goodbye to produce that graced our tables in Winter and make space for the current harvest. It’s always tempting to purchase produce from afar and ‘prolong’ the season (I struggle most with saying goodbye to apples!). But nature has its own rhythm and if we go with the flow (by eating fresh, seasonal and local), our bodies will receive exactly what they need to thrive.
I’m itching to play with some of my favourite Spring produce and see what culinary creations emerge. Bursting with vitality, the potent flavours and gorgeous colours of seasonal veggies and fruits are a chef’s dream. Some of the new beauties arriving in markets over the next 3 months are:
Asparagus – Avocados – Beans – Cherries
Cucumbers – Leeks – Lettuce – Mangos
Melons – Nettles – Papaya – Peas – Pineapple
Snowpeas – Spinach – Strawberries
Sweet corn – Tomatoes – Zucchini
The other day I spotted my first bunch of stinging nettles at CERES market. They may be fiesty, but a good pair of gloves will help you tame and transform those sprigs into a memorable dish. Lunch that afternoon was simple and divine — roast pumpkin and nettle soup. This dish flaunts nettle’s bold, unique flavour while balancing it it with a soft, sweet edge from pumpkin. Nettles not only taste wonderful, they are loaded with precious nutrients like iron, vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a go:
Stinging nettle and pumpkin soup
1 cup + stock – either chicken or vegetable
2 cups stinging nettle leaves
1 cup roast pumpkin
salt* and pepper to taste
a dollop of extra virgin olive oil
In a small saucepan, heat the stock until simmering. Add the nettles and pumpkin, cooking just until the leaves soften and turn bright green.
Puree the soup using a hand-held blender or food processor. If the consistency is too thick, simply add more stock.
Reheat the soup if needed, using the original saucepan. Season to taste (*I prefer using umeboshi plum vinegar instead of salt because of its salty-lemony flavour).
