The springtime is the perfect time to embrace the idea of healthy eating. It’s not so hot that the very idea of doing anything extra feels like punishment, it’s not so cold that you simply require comfort carbs and warm drinks, and it’s no so near Thanksgiving that you might as well embrace the idea of Pumpkin flavored everything. Spring is also the time of year to get some of the best, most nutritious, and delicious vegetables on the market. A lot of them can be easily grown in your backyard.
There’s nothing more soul-shattering, though, then buying a colorful basket of vegetables and then slowly realizing you don’t know how to cook any of it. Like, sure, you could just throw some ranch dressing on it and serve it next to a piece of chicken, but not only is that awful for you it’s a waste of great vegetables. Thankfully, we’ve gone ahead and found some great cooking and seasoning tips to keep your meals healthy - and not bland.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a delicious springtime vegetable that goes great as a side to any dish, or our favorite, as an appetizer. For a tasty appetizer sure to make your guests feel special try our easy prosciutto wrapped spears. Trim the stems and blanch the spears. Blanch is a fancy term for placing in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then immediately putting into a bowl of ice water. Place them onto a paper towel to dry then lay them out on a cookie sheet (lay some parchment paper down on the sheet first). Drizzle some olive oil on to the asparagus spears, grind some salt and pepper on top, then wrap in prosciutto. Let that bake for 5 min and you are done.
Mesclun Salad
Spring greens and creative salads are a consistent hit that is easy to put together, and even easy to grow. A “Mesclun” salad is simply a combination of mixed greens. You could easily grow this mix in your backyard. The nice thing about this is it serves as a base for a salad that you can build on creatively. Add mushrooms, pine nuts, almonds, or even small fruits like raisins, cranberries, or mandarin orange slices. For a light dressing mix up a simple vinaigrette (olive oil and vinegar) with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh ground pepper, or if you really want to get fancy grind up some fresh herbs like sage or rosemary (also easy to grow in the backyard).
Bruschetta
The award for easy but classy appetizer always goes to bruschetta. This is an easy quick snack that can literally be pulled out of the backyard (minus the bread). Simply dice up some tomatoes, toss with minced garlic and balsamic vinaigrette, and spread over toasted bread slices. Easiest way, take a baguette, slice, and toast in oven for a couple minutes. Then grind some salt and pepper over the top, along with some fresh ground or sliced basil. Boom! Now walk that out into the backyard and claim your garden party praises.
You can turn out any of these recipes with ease, and we are here to make it easier. Take a look at our fresh herb grinder, our 5 blade scissors, and our selection of salt and pepper mills. Send us pictures of your garden or your garden bounty so we can feature you on social media.