Recipe: Get your spring and summer greens sorted (without the powder)
One of the key principles for good gut health is eating a balanced meal, but that can look a little different across the seasons. While the cool and windy months of autumn and winter invite us to balance Vata dosha with more grounding and nourishing foods, the spring Kapha season and summer pitta vibes persuade us to reaching towards lighter, more fibrous foods to lighten up and keep cool as temperatures rise.
While getting enough greens is a priority, how to get them also matters. Choosing powdered greens in smoothies, juices or supplements means compromising on quality as these greens have been frozen, dehydrated and chemically processed. Many water-soluble vitamins that are present in leafy greens are destroyed, and the naturally-occurring microbes that live on green plants which we are meant to eat and feed our microbiome are also lost. Add to that, the life force or prana of the food is gone - as is the naturally bright and slightly bitter taste (which is a medicine itself!).
A simple tool to work with the medicine box of nature is to pay attention to seasonal produce. Maintaining a small herb or kitchen garden, going to a quality grocer or farmers market that prioritises good produce, and subscribing to newsletters and websites that keep you updates on what’s in and what’s out in the food world, are all great ideas. Eating seasonally is also more sustainable for the planet, so put your money where your mouth is and let’s help Mother Earth one meal at a time.
So what’s in for spring?
Veggies: Artichokes, Asian greens, avocado, beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, corn, daikon, eggplant, fennel, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, potato, pumpkin, radish, shallot, silverbeet, spinach, spring onion, squash, swede, sweet potato, tomato, turnip, watercress, witlof, zucchini.
Fruits: Banana, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherry, cumquat, grapefruit, honeydew, lemon, lime, loquat, lychee, mango, mulberries, orange, papaya, pepino, pineapple, rhubarb, strawberries, starfruit, tangelo, watermelon.
Herbs and spices: Basil, chervil, chilli, chives, coriander, dill, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage.
Spring cooking methods
More steaming, sprouting, stir fries and grilling, less baking, slow cooking, and making thick soups and sauces.
Spring is a great time to cut down on meat, wheat and dairy, or switch to lighter alternatives such as seafood, wheat alternatives like barley, quinoa and buckwheat, and move from aged to fresh cheeses like cottage, ricotta and paneer.
A really simple way to incorporate more greens (even for fussy eaters or a sensitive stomach) is to keep a weekly store of green pesto in the fridge. While the traditional Italian pesto was made from basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and/or Pecorino Romano cheeses, and was a traditional Italian sauce for dressing pasta, pesto is also delicious with fish, meats, vegetables, soups, and bread. Today, there are a huge variety of pesto recipes you can use, and this on has an Ayurvedic twist to make all the fibre more easily digestible.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 avocado, deseeded
1/2 tsp fennel
1/8 tspn black pepper
Pinch of salt
1-2 tbsp tahini/ ground almonds
5-10 curry leaves
Blend the first six ingredients together to make a smooth paste.
Lightly dry roast the curry leaves and crush, then sprinkle on top of the pesto.
Serve with pasta, barley or as a sauce for fish or a dip for a good quality bread. I even use it as a dip for homemade fries!
Options:
Swap the avocado for a fresh cheese to get a creamier texture and more protein.
“But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. ”
