Spring is here. And that means the markets are going to pick up in a big way. Winter citrus disappears gradually, and springtime baby beets and asparagus give way to delicious summer stone fruits and berries. Cherries, peaches, pluots, strawberries, blueberries…. yum.
I shop at the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets and at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza market. The Berkeley markets have an awesome sea vegetable selection from a woman who harvests them up in Mendocino. Sea veggies like wakame, hijiki, and kelp are very high in trace minerals – great for adrenal health and stress management! The SF market is larger and has a better organic meat selection.
Asparagus is cropping up now, perfect oven-roasted with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper. And I love the baby beets, slightly sweeter than their larger parents. Beets are in season now and are excellent for the liver and are good roasted, steamed, and even raw (see recipe below that will convert even the most hard core beet hater), and BONUS: the greens are equally healthful – don’t forget to saute those up with some garlic. It’s like getting 2 veggies in one! Try golden beets too. Roasted golden and red beets are excellent served over arugula with goat cheese.
I made the following recipe a couple years back at a Berkeley Farmers’ Market cooking and nutrition demo. It’s a raw salad and very magically delicious (hence the name “surprise”) when the flavors meld. Excellent spring salad, very liver-loving. Kids love it too. Enjoy!
Beet Salad Surprise
2 baby beets or 1 large red beet
1-2 carrots
1 apple, pink lady or fuji
1/4 c chopped walnuts (pecans or almond slivers are good variations)
2-3 Tbs. shredded coconut meat
1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 c raisins (optional)
Grate beet, carrots, and apple in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil. Sprinkle nuts and coconut; toss all ingredients together. Adjust to taste; garnish with a pinch of nuts and coconut on top before serving. Raisins make a great optional topping that kids love!
Makes four 1/2 cup servings.
Nutritional Info per 1/2 cup:
Calories: 106
Protein: 2.45 g
Carb: 10.4 g
Total Fat: 6.7 g
Monounsaturated fat: 1.9 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 3.1 g
Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fiber: 1.53
Vitamin A: 391 RE; 39% daily allowance
Vitamin E: 1.36mg; 13% daily allowance
Folate: 20mcg; 9% daily allowance
Magnesium: 28 mg; 8% daily allowance
Potassium: 197mg; 9% daily allowance
Iron: .57mg; 5% daily allowance
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Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
The Civic Center Farmer’s Market (at UN Plaza, by Civic Center BART) is also great. Much more affordable than the Ferry Building market, in my experience, but with produce that’s just as fresh and good. Worth a look! You won’t be able to buy a $4 grapefruit like you can at the Ferry Building, but you could spend $20 and have enough for a week’s worth of meals.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/heart-of-the-city-farmers-market-san-francisco
I don’t think the Civic Center market has a lot in the way of organic or certified organic produce, but thanks for the tip, especially in light of these tough economic times!