Field Guide to Spring Farmers’ Markets

Field Guide to Spring Farmers' Markets Select from some familiar favorites and new-to-you veggies and fill your plate with One Medical Group's spring picks. Artichokes Asparagus Beets Oblong root with reddish-purple, white, or golden yellow edible leaves Globe-shaped and green Rounded stalks Heavy and firm Firm, thin stems with green or purple tips Firm, smooth roots Closed leaves Avoid beets with spots, bruises, or soft areas Stems should not have dark spots A low-calorie source of vitam ins A, C, and dietary fiber Serving Suggestion: Steam, grill, or serve leaves raw Serving Suggestion: Chop and toss into a leafy green Serving Suggestion: Drizzle olive oil over asparagus, toss, and roast until tender in salads salad Fava Beans Fennel Fiddlehead Ferns Thick pods holding 2 - 7 lemon-lime-colored beans Bright green, smooth, and free from spots White or pale green bulb Stalks topped with feathery green leaves Firm with tight coils Select firm pods filled out along the entire length The smallest bumps won't need as much peeling Avoid split, bruised, or flowering bulbs A very good source of vitamins A and Cat just 10 calories per cup Subtle licorice or anise aroma Serving Suggestion: Puree into spreads or dips Serving Suggestion: Add to veggie soup by braising until soft Serving Suggestion: Steam for 10-12 minutes or until tender; do not eat raw Morels Peas Ramps Sponge-shaped mushroom with hollow stems and caps Bright green leaves Fresh, green tops with smalI, flat seeds Firm stems Avoid soft, mushy caps or ones that become granular when rubbed Should snap when broken in half Small bulbs with roots attached Dry and springy but firm Loaded with fiber, protein, iron, and vitamins C and E Great plant source of vitamin A-1 cup of ramps provides 30% of the RDA Serving Suggestion: Sauté with veggies-must be cooked thoroughly Serving Suggestion: Serving Suggestion: Eat raw or puree in soup Substitute for leeks or onions in any recipe, or sauté bulbs and leaves as a side dish Rhubarb Stinging Nettles Watercress Moderately thin, crisp, dark pink to red stalks An herbaceous weed covered in hair-like needles Small, leafy greens attached to stems Avoid wilted, blemished, or stringy stalks and rough textures Select crisp, non-wilted green leaves Upright, rigid stems Heart-shaped, fine-toothed, tapered leaves with yellow or pink flowers Contains good amounts of calcium, fiber, and vitamin Cfor just 26 calories per cup Choose plants with the smallest new shoots 1 cupprovides more than 100% of the RDA for bone- building vitarmin K Serving Suggestion: Serving Suggestion: Serving Suggestion: Braise or stew in a saucepan before baking or roast until tender Boil in water and allow mixture Can be eaten raw in salads, or as to simmer for a few minutes to make tea a sandwich topping or garnish one MEDICAL GROUP onemedical.com