Food

This marriage of nutritional superstars is sure to bowl you over with fresh flavours, great textural contrasts, and visual appeal. Not just for the birds, millet has great corny flavour, and cooking it in cilantro water is a way to make it even better with extra herby taste. To make each bowl shine even brighter green, you can swap out black beans for edamame or lima beans. It can also become vegetarian by swapping out chicken for cubes of smoked tofu. Serve the bowls for lunch or dinner.

Pile It On

So lush in health-hiking nutrients and fresh flavours, this vividly green dish is perfect for moving away from heavier winter fare into lighter dishes that are a harbinger of warmer, greener days ahead. Left to darken in a frying pan, shallots transform from pungent to deliciously sweet, making them an inspiring salad topping.

It’s always a good idea to slip leafy greens into any meal for a nutritious boost. And you’ll be amazed how spring spinach can be sneaked into these Instagram-ready pancakes without making them taste like a salad. Banana offsets the earthy notes of spinach with natural sweetness, lemon zest infuses the flapjacks with citrusy zing, and almond flour provides nutty tasting notes. Top with berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. The batter can be prepared the night before and may also be used in a waffle iron.

Frozen asset

Israeli or pearl couscous is called ptitim in Israel. Small balls of toasted semolina flour are a type of pasta. With a lovely smooth texture and the ability to take on many delicious flavours and aromatics, it’s an easy solution for dinner. For the gluten free, substitute with short-grain rice. Wine Pairing: Les Hauts de Lagarde 2013, Bordeaux, France Tip: This dish is also delicious served at room temperature, if you wish. Refrigerate poached salmon, snap peas, and prepared couscous separately just until no longer hot. Then arrange and serve as above, garnished with almonds and green onions.

The ancient grain freekeh is chock-full of wonderful nutrients. It’s rising on the charts and replacing quinoa, rice, and wheat berries in many recipes. Its great texture and smoky flavour gives a delicious depth to salads. Wine Pairing: Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Blanc 2010, Kelowna, BC Tip: We used freekeh, a delicious and nutritious ancient grain, for this recipe. For a gluten-free alternative, substitute millet or quinoa. In case of vegan, use a nondairy substitute for yogurt, or simply eliminate.

We’ve broken from tradition with this light and healthy version of paella, adding fresh peas, asparagus, and herbs—the harbingers of spring. Fresh and clean, but still with a hint of smoky flavour. Wine Pairing: Castellblanc Cava Organic Brut Nature, Catalonia, Spain Tip: Bomba rice is a short-grain Spanish white rice. It absorbs far more liquid than long-grain rice but doesn’t become sticky. Alternatively, you can use Arborio or short-grain brown basmati rice for a creamier texture. Tip: Many canned products contain BPA (bisphenol A), which is linked to a variety of health risks, including increased risk for breast and prostate cancers, reproductive dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and many other ailments. Reduce your exposure and look for organic cans labelled “BPA free.”

This salad is bound to impress and can be made with a variety of organic vegetables. Mix it up a bit by using other spicy greens such as mustard and arugula. Wine Pairing: Southbrook Triomphe Organic Cabernet Franc Rose 2011, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Tip: Want to go vegetarian? Replace salmon and chicken with diced sautéed organic tofu and sliced almonds.

This delicious, lemony spring soup is light and creamy without adding dairy. For a meal-in-a-bowl, it lends itself beautifully to some cooked, diced chicken or cooked shrimp. Stir in and warm thoroughly before serving. Wine Pairing: Covert Farms 2014 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion, Oliver, BC Tip: Looking for an even creamier soup? Purée quinoa and broth with handheld blender before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Sure, it breaks from tradition, but sunflower greens infuse guacamole with fresh, nutty flavour. Beyond using as a dip for tortilla chips or sliced vegetables, try using this guac as a spread for toasted bread and top with roasted chicken, fried eggs, black beans, or smoked salmon. Tip: When the first true sunflower leaves appear, make sure to harvest the shoots within a couple of days. If left too long they will become fuzzy and bitter tasting.

Green power

If green is the colour of well-being, then this soup is a health bomb. Roasting the vegetables serves to infuse each spoonful with smoky flavour, beans add body, feta offers salty richness, and microgreens provide a sense of spring freshness. Other little greens such as mustard, arugula, clover, and radish will also be most welcomed in this blend.

Into the fire

If you’re going to serve a salad as a main dish, it had better impress. As a celebration of enticing textures and awakening flavours, this one certainly does just that. You can use one type of microgreen for the pesto (try basil, mustard, kale, or radish) and another for the salad, such as sunflower, red cabbage, pea shoots, or arugula.

Dark delight

Think of these pea-infused savoury pancakes as a blank canvas ready to welcome all sorts of toppings such as smoked fish, a slick of hummus, or even just melted butter. And don’t forget to sprinkle on some additional pea shoots. Made by grinding up dried chickpeas into a fine powder, garbanzo bean flour contains higher amounts of protein and dietary fibre than typical types of flour such as whole wheat. You can also use it in pizza crusts, flatbreads, crackers, crepes, and muffins.

Make the dressing first ... it’s a cooked one. Vary the recipe by adding arugula or other greens, but it definitely requires the sturdiness of kale to stand up. You can use thawed frozen peas or even chopped fresh snap peas, but if you use your own homegrown freshly shelled peas, look out—you might just perish from pleasure. Choose Cambozola or Roquefort or a “mild gorgonzola”—an oxymoron? If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, substitute goat cheese. Reprinted with permission from The Book of Kale & Friends: 14 Easy-to-Grow Superfoods, 130+ Recipes by Sharon Hanna and Carol Pope (Douglas & McIntyre).      

Not just for sandwiches, microgreens can also instantly punch up the flavour of tacos. For a horseradish-like kick, opt for mustard greens, or for a splash of cheery colour, scatter on mini-sized red daikon radish. This hand-held meal serves up a festival of great textures and comes together so quickly it’s a definite candidate for the most harried of weeknights. For more authentic taco flavour, seek out Mexican-style tortillas made with no more than masa (corn flour), lime, and salt.

When people think of salad, they generally envision leafy greens. Well, not all salads are leafy—and definitely not remoulade. But it lends itself to being served on a bed of leafy greens. Or salmon. Or grilled chicken. Or even crisp little toasts. Take your pick. Tip: For a lovely twist, fold in some julienned strips of smoked salmon.

Soft little gnocchi parcels are delicious with all sorts of toppings. And it’s as effortless as adding some chopped fresh herbs, oil, and Parmesan. In this version, we opted for the fresh garden kale pesto, whose main ingredient is growing in the garden in abundance.

Kale pesto is heartier than the more familiar basil pesto. It’s delicious tossed with our Potato Gnocchi recipe, but it’s also appealing in many other dishes. Try tossing it with roasted diced butternut squash or spreading it on chicken breasts before roasting. The possibilities are endless wherever pesto is used. Can be refrigerated in tightly covered container for a couple of days or frozen for up to a month. Double up the recipe and freeze in batches so you’ll have a small container ready in an instant for any dish.

Borlotti beans, also known as cranberry beans, are native to Italy and can charm any number of dishes with their smooth texture; mild, sweetish flavour; and versatility. Cook as per instructions below and use in soups, salads, or stews. Satisfyingly delicious. Switch out tuna with organic boneless chicken breasts, if preferred. The bigger the beans, the longer the soaking and cooking time. Cover with enough cold water to extend above beans by 2 in (5 cm). Set aside at room temperature overnight for no longer than 12 hours. For a shorter soak, place beans in a pan of cold water with 2 in (5 cm) to spare. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 1 hour. Thoroughly drain and use as per recipe. Dried beans will keep for 6 to 9 months in a lightly sealed container at room temperature. To have beans ready to go for quick dinner plans, soak and cook up a generous-sized pot. Strain and cool. Then store in small containers and freeze. Simply add frozen to soups and stews or thaw and toss into salads or stir-fries.

This is a delicious hearty meal in a bowl for lunch or dinner. We stirred kale into this recipe, but any chopped greens will do.

Borlotti beans

New baby potatoes, also known as creamers, are so satisfying. They’re easy to prepare because you don’t have to peel them. Simply said, they roast or cook in an instant. These little babes are sweeter than big potatoes because their sugar content hasn’t converted to starch. Just rinse and scrub off any marks. Toss them with handfuls of fresh greens such as garden-fresh arugula and you have a delicious meal in practically minutes. Tip: Depending on what gardens are growing, pick from baby yellow, red, blue, purple, or fingerling potatoes. Or mix them up to create your own colourful and flavourful dish. Tip: Switch it up and substitute baby spinach leaves for arugula. Delicious served as a side dish with salmon fillet.

Nothing beats fresh ratatouille made from your own garden-fresh vegetables. There’s something profoundly flavourful when the products are fresh picked and immediately turned into a recipe.

Zucchini steaks

Mizuna is an easy-to-grow Asian green, often found in store-bought baby lettuce mixes. Grown fresh, it lends a slight peppery flavour to salads. Delicious tossed into rice dishes, pastas, soups, or in a simple salad. Tip: For a warm salad, sauté onion. Whisk lemon juice and oil into sautéed onions and heat through. Drizzle over crisp greens and toss with remaining ingredients. Delicious!

Chef Luptak includes kelp for a little seaside tang in this dish that will make you fall in love with tiny Brassica vegetables in a big way. If you can’t find kelp, use nori instead.

Like other nuts and seeds, sesame seeds are known for containing phytosterols, which are known to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. If you want to try something extra special, drizzle these squares with some melted vegan dark chocolate.