The earlier mornings, the not-so-occasional warm breeze, flower buds popping up, blossoms on trees, it’s spring! The time of year when all of us Pacific Northwesterners breathe a tiny sigh of relief; we made it through another winter.
But what’s the best part about spring? Well, the food of course! The delicately sweet flavor of sprouts: sunflower, clover, pea shoots; paired with the peppery and delightfully pungent tastes of radishes, arugula, dandelion or mustard greens, and the satisfying crunch from sugar snap peas, snow peas and asparagus, oh my!
Eating with the seasons is the way we were meant to eat, and with spring comes the fresh, “spring clean” veggies meant to awaken us and our bodies out of the heavier winter root veggies and back into bright, alive flavors and foods.
One way to get your hands on some spring veggies is visiting the local farmers markets here. The Bellingham Farmers Market kicks off their 2016 season Saturday, April 2 and happens weekly on Saturdays through December. The natural food store our business is located in, Terra: Organic & Natural Foods, does a great job of sourcing from local farmers for their all organic produce department as well. The Bellingham Community Food Co-op has two locations for additional convenience.
And, at Electric Beet Juice Co, we rotate our menu with the seasons, so we can highlight what’s fresh and local at local farms throughout the year — bringing our customers the most nutrientrich seasonal foods.
Our spring menu brings in cleansing greens like dandelion mixed with the brightness of grapefruit, lemon, and apple, with earthy burdock root for our Spring Tonic juice; ever-so-sweet strawberries for our Strawberry Banana Bliss smoothie; and French breakfast radishes, spring onions, salad greens, and alfalfa sprouts for our popular spring rolls that shift flavors with the season as well.
Spring rolls are a great vessel to utilize all sorts of veggies and can change based on the season or your preferences. There’s something really fun about wrapping up food too! Whether it’s in a rice or tapioca wrapper (that you can find at most grocery stores), a collard green or lightly steamed cabbage leaf, the possibilities are really endless!
My business partner Kara Marklin and I are excited to share a variation of our spring menu Spring Rolls with a quick radish pickle and a savory sauce that really shines the spotlight on the fresh veggies in their pure form.
