Seasonal Cooking For March

**This is our monthly series that aims to help you cook more seasonally to save money and be healthy (visit the first one, Seasonal Cooking For May, for an introduction and definition of “seasonal”)**

I think of March as a transitional month – most of the month really is still winter, but it seems like spring. We do start seeing some overwintered plants start producing like purple sprouting broccoli and spinach. And by the end of the month those harbingers of spring – asparagus and rhubarb- also start producing.

But for most of the month, it’s mainly the same produce- canned, fresh, & frozen- that we’ve been eating since February (and January?). It’s also time to start using up what we have left in our freezers and pantries before the new gardening season is in full swing.

Produce in season for March:

• Apples (stored)
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots/Parsnips (stored)
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard/Kale
• Citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit)
• Garlic (stored)
• Green Onions
• Leeks
• Baby Lettuce (covered)
• Mushrooms
• Onions (stored)
• Pea & Pea shoots (in some areas)
• Pears (stored)
• Potatoes (stored)
• Purple-sprouting broccoli
• Radicchio
• Rutabagas/turnips/parsnips
• Spinach
• First Strawberries (some areas)

 From the freezer and pantry:

• Tomato products (Roasted Tomato Sauce, Addictive Tomato Chutney,canned plain tomatoes, seasoned sauce and garden salsa)
• Frozen corn and green beans
• Frozen blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries
• Pickled foods: cucumbers, beans, and asparagus
• Sauces and condiments: Plum sauce, chutneys, jams, etc.
• Oil-packed dried tomatoes
• Frozen chopped sweet peppers
• Dried herbs

Recipes For March:

Italian Vegetable Beef Soup (slow cooker)A great way to use up produce – frozen, canned, or fresh.

Mediterranean Fish Bake A one-dish dinner with tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta- yum!

Potato and Caramelized Onion FrittataThis is a thrifty dish made extra tasty with caramelized onions.

Slow Cooker Chicken ChiliSince this uses corn, peppers, and white beans from the freezer, it’s usually on the menu in spring as I’m starting to think about using up the freezer inventory.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat CheeseI still have a couple packages of roasted beets from the fall – they last surprisingly long in the freezer, but it’s time to use them up!What do you like to eat in March?

–Jami


This is linked to Pennywise Platter and Saturday Nite Special.