General

Spring flings!

While spring is afoot around one hemisphere…. it is on the flip side elsewhere.

All the same, it is a joy to celebrate the seasons whatever they may be! As spring arrives, I am often reminded of fluffy sweet tasty treats, coconut, pastels, baby vegetables, primavera everything and inspiration for what to eat! After a season of root vegetables and a dearth of local produce, the spring weather brings hope for a new harvest of bounty!

For those who have been enjoying the warmer seasons, the joy of rich root vegetables is upon you!

Whatever the season, fluffy pancakes are always a joy, no? In cooler climates, think of apple pancakes with cinnamon and maple syrup, pumpkin or sweet potato pancakes with a hint of ginger and loads of tasty spices!

For warming climates, the final stores of apples and pears could also be enjoyed! Don’t forget the excitement of fresh produce that will soon abound, but in the meantime…. Who doesn’t love fresh glazed apple pancakes (whole grain of course!) sprinkled with a smattering of cinnamon sugar?!

Although rarely local for most kitchens, bananas are generally available year-round to help provide an excellent foundation for any pancake you wish! Think banana oatmeal, or banana blueberry or a decadent favorite, banana peanut butter chocolate chip (they don’t even need syrup!).

On one other springy flingy note, has anyone tried the new whip-it-yourself-soy-whipped topping brought to us by our fav whipped-topping-vegan-style-in-a-can company? Oooo, yum! It’s so tasty even w/o whipping it up! Yet another wonderful reason that non-vegans can’t say: “but it doesn’t taste good.” Because, this stuff is other worldly! Yum!

If you have the time, patience and space, spring weather is pretty inviting to start a few kitchen herbs a-growing for fresh accents to your favorite dishes! How about some mint or basil, thyme or rosemary? A refreshing mint-garnished strawberry lemonade? How about fresh basil in pasta? Thyme-scented foccaccia? Or rosemary roasted potatoes? Yum!

Patiently awaiting berry season and stone fruits (peaches, plums, cherries!)…?? Me too! In the mean time, I hope everyone is enjoying the excitement of spring weather in the northern hemisphere, or the flip side in the southern hemisphere! Always something tasty to think about though to brighten up the weather whether it be here or there!

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3 Comments

  • Reply
    eric (6 comments)
    May 14, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Just came from our local farmer’s marker and it was a great joy to find peaches, apricots, and nectarines back again… and they’re bound to get sweeter! Cherries are out too, but they’re still too pricey- samples were yummy though.

  • Reply
    Tatiana (20 comments)
    May 14, 2008 at 1:42 pm

    I tell ya, with my local produce delivery every week, as much as I love beets and oranges, I’m glad to see the winter produce finally falling off the order and all the spring foods finally arriving (although Valencia oranges just came in and I’m excited about those). I have been enjoying strawberries every week, as well as beautiful fresh dates! I’m looking forward to the big cherry season (it is my favorite fruit). And that’s not even mentioning all the veggies!

  • Reply
    Chia (324 comments)
    May 14, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    Spring brings forth so many varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables. Take advantage!

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