Here in Michigan winter and summer collide. We have a few sporadic spring days sprinkled between winter temperatures and then suddenly the days are long, humid, and green. This seemingly overnight season change is a shock and jolt to the system.
Eating seasonally towards the end of winter and beginning of spring is challenging and when the first summer harvest arrives, my tastebuds are ready for the freshness of greens and strawberries and rhubarb. In this post, I’m sharing some of the seasonal foods we’ve been loving, some things to listen to, and a few recent discoveries that have totally blessed the early days of summer. Scattered throughout are a few photos from a recent Saturday lunch of arugula pizza, mesclun salad, and the most luscious farmers market strawberries.
Tastes of early summer
Spring greens are such a refreshing taste and flavor after months of root vegetables, soups, and stews. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing with our early summer harvest of greens:
Arugula/rocket: this peppery, hardy leaf grows so well it can be overwhelming if you don’t have a few different ways to use it. A few that I love include:
Simple salad: arugula, juice from half a lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper
Pizza: bake your choice of dough/flatbread, cheese (I like mozzarella or goat), and maybe some proscuitto then throw a generous handful of arugula on top after it comes out of the oven
Pesto: whiz together arugula, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese if you like, and salt and pepper until it’s the consistency you like and use as pasta or pizza sauce
Spinach: rich in nutrients, it’s hard to say no to the health benefits of garden fresh spinach. Ways I use it most often:
Frittata: basically a panfried then baked egg dish – I love the combination of spinach, baby potatoes, asparagus, and feta cheese
Scrambled eggs or omelette: sauté spinach with a little onion then added to some eggs with goat cheese served with some whole grain toast makes a delicious meal
Smoothie: throw a banana, frozen blueberries, a handful of spinach with some nut milk and nut butter in a blender for a refreshing snack
Rhubarb: this secret vegetable is one of my late spring, early summer favorites. It’s tangy, fresh flavor remind me of my grandma’s strawberry rhubarb pie. Some ways to use it:
Muffins: there are so many lovely recipes for rhubarb muffins floating around Pinterest. These ones made with applesauce are simple and tasty.
Crisp: throw some cut up rhubarb, sugar, cinnamon into a baking dish and top with your favorite oat crumble/crisp topping and bake
Jam: this rhubarb chia jam recipe is so simple and healthy
Strawberries: they don’t last longer than a day in our house eaten straight out of the bowl
Sounds of early summer
Rebekah Lyons: Being Free Part 1 and Part 2: few podcasts make me stop everything I’m doing to sit down and just listen. Rebekah’s powerful testimony and speaking ability communicates some of the most foundational truths about who we are in Christ with such grace and heart that I felt challenged and inspired afresh. Take a listen. You won’t be the same after.
Hillsong United’s new album Wonder: full of beautiful songs, this album is breathing life into summer right now. So Will I (100 Billion X) has been on repeat the past few days. It’s one of the best contemporary psalms/hymns I’ve heard in a long time.
The Simple Show: Tsh Oxenreider is so easy to listen to and the most recent episodes about summer travel and hospitality are practical and inspiring.
For some more serious listening: Invisibilia Season 3 recently began and it’s just as phenomenal as seasons 1 and 2. Sorta Awesome episode 99 is one of the best discussions I’ve heard regarding talking to kids of all ages about their bodies, reproduction, and sexuality. This list of books and resources from the podcast is amazing – I’ve checked out all the books for preschoolers from the library and they have been so good.
Early summer discoveries
The Organically Clean Home by Becky Rapinchuck: about a year ago, I began the slow process of using up pre-made cleaning products and then making my own. While I love Pinterest, it feels like a rabbit hole of information that is hard to climb out of. This book is clear, concise, and full of recipes and tips for literally everything. It’s free on Kindle, which is amazing if you have a kindle or even have the kindle app on your phone. I borrowed it from the library and will be adding a physical copy to my own personal library once I return it.
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel: with summer break just around the corner and two preschool aged kids who don’t nap, I’m looking for all the resources about parenting these days. This book is practical and well researched. There is a cheat sheet at the end that is perfect for printing out and sticking on the fridge as a constant reminder of the solid principles found in this book.
With every new season, there is the opportunity to try new things and make a shift in life. Cheers to enjoying these long, warm days and all the lush sights, nature sounds, season fresh tastes, and all the summer sensations!
The Grass so little has to do –
A Sphere of simple Green –
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain –
And stir all day to pretty Tunes
The Breezes fetch along –
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything –
(Emily Dickinson)
Advertisements Share this:
- Share
