Fresh Spring Veggies for the Win
SEAFOOD BOIL KIT
Whether from The South or elsewhere, you wanna have a Seafood Boil party both this Spring AND Summer?! Melissa’s makes it a bit easier with our new Seafood Boil Kit, containing the essential fresh produce ingredients. All you need is a big pot, fresh seafood of choice (usually crayfish, shellfish, mussels, n’ such), corn cobettes, a whole lotta water, and your friends or family to join in the fun. Our Seafood Boil Kit contains enough Dutch Red® Potatoes, garlic, boil seasoning, onions and lemons for about 6-10 people, depending on their appetite and the amount of seafood added. Oh, and don’t forget the bibs and table paper! Available through August.
GRILLING ESSENTIAL BOX OR BASKET
And for those who prefer to barbecue or enhance the outdoor seafood “pahtee” gathering with grilling, order Melissa’s Grilling Essentials Box or gift it in a basket. The difference between the two: The box includes grilling kabab hoops but does not include the grill basket nor all the beautiful wrapping. This basket makes a perfect Spring or Summer housewarming or milestone gift. Based on availability and quality, both the box and basket are hand packed to order and filled with fresh, conventionally grown specialty ingredients such as plantain, fennel, specialty squash, and classic grill ingredients such as peppers, variety onions and potatoes. And we can’t forget the most essential ingredient: grill hoops or grill kabob skewers. May we suggest also adding a set of Melissa’s Spice Grinders, perfect for backyard and travel outdoor cooking with whole Rainbow Peppercorns, Pink Himalayan Salt, Tuscan Seasonings, Spicy Sesame for an Asian flair, and Everything Spice similar to bagel topping (great on everything!).
PEAS
What is Springtime without fresh peas? Melissa’s has a variety of them, from the ones you’d sit around the table and shell while chatting with friends and family, to those you simply toss into a last-minute stir-fry. All peas should be selected with fresh color, without discoloration or mold. Shelling peas may have some scarring on the shell, but is no indication of the jewels hidden inside; the peas should be plump with no shrivel.
Refrigerate all varieties unwashed in a plastic bag, for up to four days. All are available through Spring to early Summer, depending on Mother Nature’s ire, and are nutrient-dense in Vitamin C and protein, per Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet. All are products of USA or Mexico.
SNAP PEAS
Named for that crisp crunch when bitten, snap peas are sweet and are best eaten whole, raw or sautéed. A hybrid of sno pea and English pea, they’re fabulous as dippers on a veggie platter or grazing boards, pickled with spicy peppers and carrots, or halved and added to cooked grains or crisp salads. The key is to keep them crisp!
To clean, simply rinse and pat dry, then gently pull the stem across the top of the pod to remove the runner.
SNO PEAS
Also spelled snow pea, this legume can survive the cold Asian winters yet remain tender. Available through Spring and early Summer, this delicate pea is classic in Asian stir fries and as a garnish in cocktails. They pair well with freshwater chestnuts or thinly sliced jicama as a snack with a little squeeze of orange and Melissa’s Chile Lime seasoning. When prepared with hot dishes, it is best to add them toward the end of cooking, just to heat through so they don’t become discolored and limp. To clean, simply rinse and pat dry, then gently pull the stem across the top of the pod to remove the runner, or trim/snip off the stem end.
ENGLISH SHELLING PEAS
There’s nothing like freshly shelled and steamed English peas with lots of butter … well, maybe adding in pearl onions and fresh mushrooms. This variety is called shelling peas, because the shells or casings are removed and the green pearls are removed. Larger peas may be too tough to chew, but smaller and plump, tender peas inside are luscious and sweet, even raw (but don’t tell Mama or Granny you sneaked a few while shelling). Give the shelled peas a good rinse in a colander, then serve raw in peas and jicama salad with a little mayo, lemon, and salt and pepper, or steam or stir fry to retain the most nutrients. Refrigerate any uncooked peas up to four days, or shelled peas may be rinsed, patted dry, then frozen for later use: up to three months.
EASTER EGG RADISHES
Definitely an eye-catcher, Easter Egg Radishes are beautifully colored radishes from white, pink, and red, to bright fuchsia and purple, resembling well, Easter Eggs. Mild in flavor and big on color, these radishes are perfect for Springtime crudité and grazing trays, sliced in salads, pickled (they hold their color), or roasted.
SUNFLOWER CHOKES
Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, these knobby root veggies look very much like overweight ginger, but are crunchy, nutty, mildly sweet, and can be consumed raw or cooked. They have recently become widely known for their probiotic digestive, inulin, but have caution when initially included in your diet as they can cause a lot of flatulence. Sunflower chokes are of the sunflower family, but not the root of the big, sunny flowers. Select sunflower chokes that are firm without sprouting or soft spots.
Some varieties are knobbier than others depending on the season, but all have the same taste and are fabulous peeled with a vegetable peeler, cut into even-sized pieces and roasted and mashed, or steamed to just fork tender and creamed for soup. A bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon to place peeled sunchokes will retard oxidation until cooked. The peel may be scrubbed and left to consume but can discolor in recipes. Served raw, sunchokes may also provide crunch in salads or acidulated and served as crudité. Available now through mid-summer. Product of USA or Mexico.
USDA ORGANIC JICAMA
Jicama is a member of the bean family and looks like an oversized turnip. It is often used as a substitute for water chestnuts in Asian cooking because it retains its crisp texture and white color when cooked. ‘Fries,’ though not crispy, made of jicama, are now a common homemade high-fiber, low-cal snack often seasoned with chili powder and a squeeze of fresh lime or orange. Peeled and chilled, jicama is quite refreshing, sliced into sticks or rounds, and is often commercially sliced extremely thin as a flour or corn tortilla substitute. It is neutral yet slightly sweet in flavor, pairing well with tropical fruits, citrus, hot or sweet peppers, other root veggies such as carrots and radishes as well as snap peas, celery, and cucumbers.
Select jicama that is medium in size and heavy with no cracks or shriveled skin. Jicama’s thick, inedible skin is often coated with a food-grade wax to prevent abrading of its skin. Store jicama in a room temperature ventilated area. Once cut open, the product should be stored wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to one week. To prepare jicama, wash off the root, pat dry, and place on a sturdy, non-skid cutting board. Using a heavy knife, cut off one of its tapered ends to create a flat surface. Then, lay the cut surface on the cutting board. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel off the waxed skin. Rinse off the peeled jicama and cut it into sticks, cubes, or slices. Store, refrigerated, in a well-sealed container and eat within the week. Jicama will not retain its quality and texture when frozen. Product of Mexico. Available year-round.
USDA ORGANIC VEGGIE SWEET PEPPERS
Colorful, bite-sized, cute and sweet, Melissa’s Organic Veggie Sweet Peppers are a must-have for spring and summer dishes. Their naturally bright colors add a pop of color to any plate or platter whether they are raw or grilled, sliced into rounds or left whole. So easy to use, yet add so much to a tablescape, Organic Veggie Sweet Peppers can be served alone or added to green, pasta, or fruit salads (after all, peppers have seeds and are of the fruit family), mixed roasted or sautéed vegetables, pickled, or even stuffed with seafood or soft cheese as an appetizer.
Peppers are a natural source of Vitamin C, a nutrient we all need to prevent oxidation, and improve overall good health. They are also a source of fiber, which helps with bodily function and maintenance. Select peppers with taut skin, no sign of shriveling or withered stems, signs of mold or soft spots. Refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag with holes and use within two weeks. Peppers may be washed, patted dry, then frozen for up to three months. Frozen peppers are best used in soups, casseroles, quiches, sauces and other cooked dishes, as they will no longer have their crisp profile.
Available Year Round. Product of Mexico.
DUTCH POTATOES
If you haven’t tried Melissa’s Dutch Yellow® Potatoes, what are you waiting for!!?? Grown in Idaho’s Magic Valley, where volcanic ash soil yields potatoes with thin, smooth, edible skin and buttery flavor, these potatoes are small and are considered a ‘waxy’ potato. When they are cooked, they will hold their shape for salads, breakfast country potatoes (or burritos) or in quiche served with a squeeze of Costa Azul sauce or Hatch Pepper Salsa, fried mini chips, or simply roasted with just a bit of oil and seasoned with Melissa’s Tuscan Grinder. They are also fabulous in gratin with sweet potatoes for Easter brunch, or puréed as a warming cream soup or mashed with cooked broccoli folded in. There is a Dutch Yellow® Potato recipe for every course, including dessert! Don’t believe me? Check out our book, DYP’s™ The Perfect Everyday Potato Cookbook, available for purchase on www.melissas.com.
Melissa’s Dutch Potatoes are available in three varieties of color, all with tender flesh and small size. Dutch Yellow® has golden skin with golden flesh. Its sister, Dutch Red®, is red-skinned with golden flesh and is a nice contrast color in dishes. And their sister, Dutch Blue®, is the popular one with striking indigo skin and flesh. Available separately, all three are also packed as a Red, White and Blue Medley and make an impressive spring salad, or side.
Melissa’s Dutch Potatoes are mostly clean right from their package but should still be rinsed prior to use. Store the potatoes in a cool, well-ventilated area away from onions and shallots. Available year-round. Product of USA, Idaho grown.
COLORED CAULIFLOWER
We eat with our eyes and seeing cauliflower in a shade other than creamy white is striking! Colored Cauliflower is non-GMO cauliflower grown of hybridizing heirloom varieties and selective breeding, resulting in green, purple, or orange (cheddar) heads and white stalks and core. They may be prepared the same as white cauliflower, and the color will not disappear under heated conditions.
Cauliflower is a crucifer, just like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages of all varieties, kales, collards, and turnips. They are all members of the brassica or mustard family. It is mild in flavor and a source of folate to help with cell growth and red blood cell formation, so it is easy to incorporate in any dish or grazing board. But the best feature is that colored cauliflower can be dipped into a dressing and eaten like a snack kids will love! Colored cauliflower has a bit more nutrients from the natural phytochemicals in food. Orange cauliflower gets its color from carotenoids, Green from chlorophyll, and purple from anthocyanins. Many pizzas and bread products are now made with cauliflower as the main ingredient since it is lower in carbohydrates than wheat flour and a bonus for those who must follow a gluten-free diet.
Cauliflower may be consumed raw, steamed, roasted, fried, mashed, or puréed. It’s tasty with parmesan cheese, good ole’ butter, hot spice, fat and protein of any type. The colored heads are attractive and stimulate one’s appetite when mixed with other colorful veggies, especially when steamed or roasted. Make cauliflower ‘wings’ in your air fryer and serve with a side of Melissa’s Hot Honey, or slice into thick vegan ‘steak,’ lightly oil and broil until well browned, then season with a bit of Hatch Powder and a few grinds of Melissa’s Everything Spice Grinder. Or try them pickled in a hot brine with jalapeños and carrot wheels! Tasty as a snack, as a condiment, or a justified meal! Colored Cauliflower is available year-round. Product of USA, California grown.
