Green Eating

I’m an avid gardener, but my agricultural efforts tend more to flowers than produce. But the world being what it is these days, I’ve been giving more thought to that small patch of tilled ground that I usually reserve for tomatoes. After months of winter and eating mostly canned goods while “sheltering in place,” my soul hungers for something fresh and green and natural.

In determining the vegetables I will plant in that plot in a few weeks, I reflected on the kinds of veggie dishes I most enjoy. With a little planning, I can be ready to harvest my own ingredients for the recipes I love. Talk about self-sufficiency!

This spring I’ll be planting spinach, kale, carrots, chard, cucumbers, onions and, of course, tomatoes.

This variety of power produce will keep me in hearty and wholesome lunches and dinners all summer. Here are three I’m especially looking forward to:

Power Greens Grilled Chicken Salad. This is not your mama’s chicken salad! Crunchy and colorful, with grilled chicken and bacon (bacon!), it’s the salad that eats like a meal. Vidalia Onion Dressing is the tangy secret to flavor that pops.

Green Bean & Bacon Salad. I’m a big fan of salads that include mozzarella balls. The fact that this one also includes bacon (I’m sensing a theme here) as well as healthy green beans and grape tomatoes in a creamy Onion Onion™ dressing makes it my favorite throw-it-together-in-a-hurry lunch.

Corn, Black Bean Stuffed Peppers. Okay, this one is a cheat; I’m not planning to grow peppers, corn or black beans. But this recipe is too good not to include. Corn, Black Bean Salsa is a pantry staple, and I happen to know the next door neighbor grows a bumper crop of peppers … so I’m set. There’s a lot to love here, with ground beef, brown rice, Cheddar Cheese joining the super salsa in a pretty bell-shaped bowl.

With Earth Day on April 22, why not take a few minutes to start planning your green, new eating plan. It’s a delicious way to do your body – and the world – some good!