If you’re anything like us, you’ve been waiting about eight months for the first signs of spring, because spring means that fresh produce is finally here to stay.

And maybe you’re like us. Tantalized by all the leafy, fragrant goodness at your local farmer’s market? Then you’re in good company!

We’re continuing our roundup of favorite spring foods today. (If you missed Part 1, catch up here!) Each one of these foods is best enjoyed on a picnic blanket in the park with a glass of chilled rosé.

 Sorrel

This tart, acidic spring green has the kind of bite that reminds you it’s May outside. Look for the brightest, greenest leaves you can find—abandon anything that’s beginning to yellow.

Raw young leaves will brighten up you salads, and cooked leaves (which will turn a little grayish—that’s totally normal) are fantastic in scrambled eggs or as a side to chicken or fish. The greens are powerfully antioxidant, packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and flavonoids.

Cook ‘em up: Chop up a handful of sorrel leaves and toss into your salad to give it a lemony boost, or blend with strawberries and spinach for a tart Strawberry Sorrel Smoothie from Green Lemonade.

 Farm-Fresh Eggs

If factory farms infuriate you and/or skeeve you out, then this is the protein source for you! Not only are fresh eggs from happy chickens so much more humane, they’re actually better for you!

A 2007 study by Mother Earth News found out that free-range eggs have 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, double the omega-3s, three times more vitamin E, and seven times more vitamin A. Wow.

Chat with the farmer selling the eggs to make sure his chickens are treated well—you’ll probably hear some adorable chick anecdotes to boot.

Cook ‘em up: Let those delicious eggs shine in a simple, cheesy recipe that will have you wishing breakfast came three times a day—The Best Egg Sandwich You’ll Ever Have from A Cup of Jo. 

Rhubarb

It’s really hard to find fresh rhubarb outside of rhubarb season (spring), so take advantage of this delicious, tart plant while you can. For the best flavor, look for brightly-colored, firm stalks. Rhubarb is very high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and vitamin K, which may help prevent diabetes.

Cook ‘em up: In a stroke of Nature’s genius, rhubarb season coincides perfectly with strawberry season, so take advantage of both with this incredible Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble by 101 Cookbooks, perked up with port wine, black pepper, and pine nuts.

Photo attribute: simplyrecipes.com

Spring is finally here in full force, and that means it’s time to devour all of the season’s goodness before summer stomps in and wilts all the delicate young greens with its blazing temperatures, crushing humidity, and buckets of fresh tomatoes. Okay, that metaphor was a little elaborate, but you get the point.

Fresh veggies in springtime – is there anything more idyllic? Below, please find my top spring foods, why you should eat them, and a delicious recipe featuring each one. Bonus eco-points if you buy your spring produce at the nearest farmer’s market!

Ramps

Also known as wild leeks, ramps are briefly in season from late winter to early spring. Their delicate onion-esque flavor makes them a popular foodie ingredient. One cup of ramps gives you 30% of your daily vitamin A (pow!). They’re also a great source of vitamin C, along with trace minerals selenium and chromium.

Cook ‘em up: Introduce ramps into your cooking rotation with the incredibly easy Ramp Crostino from MarthaStewart.com.

Asparagus

Oh, asparagus. You are everywhere in spring. And you are delicious. These bright green spears are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and the large amount of the prebiotic inulin means they’re great for your digestive system, too. They’re also a powerhouse source of vitamin K – we’re talking 69% of your daily requirement, people -  in just one cup.

Cook ‘em up: Pair the spears with mozzarella, parmesan, and olive oil to make the Shaved Asparagus Pizza from Smitten Kitchen. Pair with a glass of white wine.

Watercress

Might “watercress” be the most refreshing-sounding word in the English language? We certainly think so.

This peppery leaf grows on top of streams, and is best eaten fresh, young, raw, and in springtime. Its health benefits are numerous – it’s got a reputation for defending against lung cancer and is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, the B-vitamins, and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.

Cook ‘em up: This simple, flavorful watercress salad from Rachel Ray gets a jolt from fresh herbs and lime.

Photo attribute: guardian.co.uk

Confession time: I love musicals. I grew up in the theater, and I adore everything about it. When NBC introduced their hit new show “Smash”, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Uma Thurman has been a guest star in the last couple episodes as the celebrity Rebecca who is taking over the lead role in the shows musical. And Uma’s celebrity character has a huge demand – for SMOOTHIES!

Have you ever noticed how many celebrities love smoothies? Have you noticed how fabulous celebrities look? Is there a connection? YES – I believe so, anyway.

In fact, there is even a 1,200 calorie a day juicing/smoothie diet plan that celebrities like Gwen Stefani are fans of. If smoothies work to keep celebrities looking stellar, then it could work for you too!

Can I have my kale, coconut water, flaxseed smoothie please?!

These are the key ingredients in Uma Thurman’s characters smoothie! So what are they, and why do they work?

Kale: A super green powerhouse food that is quickly taking over in popularity. At only 35 calories a serving, it’s loaded with nutrients including, vitamin K (1,020%), vitamin A (180%), and vitamin C (200%). This leafy veggie also contains 40% of your daily required magnesium and 15% of your daily calcium and vitamin B6.

Kale is also a good source of minerals like copper, iron, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Plus, it has 5g of fiber in a single serving – which we all know keeps you feeling fuller longer and helps clean out your gut!

With all the nutrients, phytonurients, Carotenoids and flavonoids (antioxidants) Kale is a cancer fighting machine, which also lowers your cholesterol and promotes normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity, and bone health. It’s also great for your eyes thanks to lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Coconut Water: Naturally low in calories and fat-free, this electrolyte packed beverage will quickly hydrate your body! Coconut water is the liquid found inside young coconuts before they mature. It contains almost twice as much potassium as a banana.

Potassium helps regulate blood pressure, which in turn helps to prevent related issues like stroke, heart attack and hangovers! Coconut water also has a small amount of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, and is low in sodium.

Flaxseed: By simply sprinkling this little seed into your food, you are helping to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Rich in Omega-3’s, Fiber and Lignans (they can contain up to 800x as much lignans vs. other veggies! Wow!) flaxseeds also helps out with inflammation and hot flashes!

Make your own version of Uma Thurman’s Smoothie today!

Using the three primary ingredients above as the foundation, you can add different fruits to create your own adaptation of the SMASH smoothie!

• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup kale
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 tsp flaxseed

Tear kale leaves off of stems and tear into small shapes. Put coconut water in the blender followed by all the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

So your shiny new juicer has just arrived, and you’ve got it all set up and plugged in.

What now? Do you fling yourself into a frenzy of beet greens, nettle tea, and broccoli florets? Do you fill your juicer with stalks of kale and hope it turns out tasting like chocolate milk?

We’ve got your back on this one. Try this simple, sweet-tasting recipes that will have you asking for a refill.

The Ingredients

• 4 carrots
• 1 cucumber
• Handful of spinach
• 1 lemon
• 1 apple or pear

The Directions

First of all, wash everything! Peel the cucumber and lemon, then core the apple or pear. Carefully feed the produce into your juicer, alternating between soft produce (cucumber, spinach, fruits) and three of the carrots. Finish off with the last carrot to make sure everything gets pushed down and juiced.

Pour the juice into a frosty glass and sip away, preferably through one of those fancy, curly fluorescent straws.

The Flavor

This recipe balances the sweetness of carrot, apple, and/or pear with the grassiness of spinach and the tartness of lemon. (Let’s be honest: can anyone taste the cucumber? We can’t!) It’s a great mix of accessible flavor for the juicing neophyte. Spinach is one of the easiest leafy greens to disguise in a juice—its flavor is gentle, and quickly overpowered by sweeter fruits and vegetables.

The Benefits

Juicing breaks down the cell walls of the fruits and vegetables, making the nutrients easily absorbable and digestible. Essentially, the juicing action does the chewing for you, so you can consume huge amounts of fruits and vegetables without having to gnaw on a bag of carrots all day.

It’s important to add plenty of vegetables to your juice, since pure fruit juice can lead to a spike in blood sugar.

Spinach is packed full of vitamins A, C, and B2, as well as manganese, folate, iron, calcium, and potassium. Carrots are your friendly neighborhood powerhouse source of vitamin A (and they ain’t bad when it comes to vitamin K, C, and potassium, either). And the vitamin C punch of the lemon will help your body absorb the iron in the spinach. Win-win-win!

Photo attribute: www.nicolewaterhouse.com

I say it all the time: Dine on a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to net nature’s full spectrum of health promoting nutrients. But what exactly does an eat your colors diet look like?

It’s an enticing concept, but besides salad bar creations, how does one keep it fresh while reaping vitality through a blend of vibrant foods?

Eat Your Reds

• Lycopene

Found in abundance in tomatoes, watermelon, red bell peppers and pink grapefruit, this rich nutrient contains carotenoids that may reduce the risk of prostate cancer up to 35%, one study suggests.

When cooking these crimson gems, combine them with fat as the body best absorbs lycopene when fat is present. And lycopene is further increased in these foods when they are consumed at a higher temperature; think tomato sauce, soups and the like.

Capsaicin

This scarlet enzyme is found readily in chili peppers, and those spicy little bites help stave off hunger and burn calories. Here’s a tip: to minimize the heat in chili peppers, remove the seeds prior to cooking.

Resveratrol

Brimming in red wine and grapes, resvertrol has the health world a buzz as of late, because it’s reported to be an amazing polyphenol with the ability to neutralize free radicals and inhibit inflammation.

Eat your Oranges

Cur-cumin

Found in turmeric, the antioxidant properties of cur-cumin may help counter the body’s negative response to high fat foods. To use this spice in cooking, mix it into salad dressing or sprinkle it over cooked vegetables like kale – and be easy – a little goes a very long way.

Alpha Carotene

Found in sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash and cantaloupe. Alpha carotene is known for having anti-aging properties, which converts to vitamin A in the body and bolsters immunity. Like other carotenoids, it is best absorbed with fat. Try roasting the vegetables with oil or pair cantaloupe with avocado.

Eat your Yellows

Bromelain

The active ingredient in pineapple, this enzyme may ease indigestion and asthma. Pineapple paired with Greek yogurt is a stomach loving snack.

Limonoids

As the name would suggest, limonoids are found in limes and other varieties of citrus. They help protect against breast, skin and stomach cancer, and they lower cholesterol. Limonoids are concentrated in the citrus peel, so use the zest and juice to maximize your limonoid intake.

Eat your Greens

Catechins

This stuff is brimming in green tea, especially Matcha, as the whole leaf is consumed. Catechins may lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Chlorophyll

Best sources of this enzyme are watercress, leeks, arugula and parsley, but it’s present in nearly every green plant food- even pistachios! chlorophyll is also known to decrease the risk of liver cancer.

Eat your Purples

Anthocyanins

Found in red cabbage, grapes, berries and eggplant. This antioxidant has been proven to improve brain function and balance, as well as reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Tasting the rainbow is not just for candy lovers. With a diet full of vibrantly colored food, health and wellness become effortless.

Blend 'em up or juice 'em down?

To blend or to juice? - that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to chug a frosty glass of sweet green nectar, or to slurp up a creamy concoction with a spoon…ahem.

You get the point. Personally, we’re big proponents of the blend and juice theory (otherwise known as “get your greens whenever you can, however you can”), but if you’ve ever vacillated between the two, you know that each version has its pros and cons. So we’re here to help you decide.

There’s no right answer—it all comes down to what you want out of your veggies.

Juicing: It’s all about VOLUME

The biggest pro of juicing is that it enables you to get a ton of nutrients, fast. Are you planning to sit down and eat a head of kale, a plate of spinach, a couple of carrots, and a pear? Of course not—but with juicing, you can drink it all up in mere seconds.

Juicing reduces fruits and veggies to pure, liquid nutrients — no fiber involved. Basically, juicing does the chewing for you, so all the vitamins are delivered into your system much faster than they would be if you gnawed on a stalk of celery.

If you’re sick, or have a sensitive digestive system, juicing is especially beneficial, since your body doesn’t have to work hard to get a huge rush of nutrients. Of course, you have to be careful—pure fruit juice can make your blood sugar levels go wild. Add plenty of vegetables to your juices to avoid a spike in blood sugar.

Blending: It’s all about FIBER

When you blend a stalk of kale, all of the plant’s valuable fiber is still contained in the smoothie. The high fiber content of a green smoothie is part of why it’ll keep you much fuller than a glass of juice.

The blending action destroys the cell walls of fruits and veggies, making them easy for your system to digest, but the presence of fiber helps your body regulate your blood sugar levels. If you’re looking to replace a meal with something green, a smoothie is your best bet.

And let’s not forget that smoothies give you the option to add fancy, non-veggie ingredients like hemp, flax, or chia seeds.

Photo attribute: www.melodybeefarms.com

What do you think? Weigh-in using the comment form below!

…Algae

The green smoothie movement is growing like a weed, but if you’re a first-timer, visions of chia seeds, hemp milk, dandelion greens, and garlic extract might make you feel a bit woozy and intimidated.

If you want to pack an extra serving of greens into your day, but you’re way too scared to find out what blended parsley tastes like, try this ultra-simple, foolproof green smoothie. It’s delicious—and totally intimidation-free.

 The Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup milk (your choice: cow’s milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc.)
• 1 banana
• Ice
• Optional – 1 tablespoon flax (okay, we couldn’t resist throwing in a slightly fancy ingredient)

The Directions

Plop the spinach (and flax, if you’re bold) into your blender, and top with the milk and banana. Blend until smooth. Add ice and blend again. Pour, sip, and enjoy your beginner’s green energy!

The Benefits

Green smoothie fans cite increased energy, clearer skin, stronger hair and nails, and natural weight loss as a result of their smoothie addiction. The smoothies themselves are full of fiber and chlorophyll, are readily digestible, and their blended state means the nutrients are easy for your body to absorb.

And of course, green smoothies offer a convenient way of packing more fruits and vegetables into your diet, which—let’s be honest—we all need.

 The Nutrients

Spinach is one of the easiest greens to add to your smoothie. You can find organic spinach at almost any grocery store, you won’t taste it once it’s blended, and it’s packed full of vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and flavonoids.

Notable nutrients include vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, and potassium. Note: when picking out your spinach, choose the brightest green leaves you can find. Studies show that paler spinach leaves have less vitamin C than their more vibrant siblings.

Bananas, as you probably know, are a great source of potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure and heart function. But don’t overlook their other nutrients—a surprising amount of vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and fiber can all be found in these creamy yellow fruits.

Photo attribute: gimmesomeoven.com

The weathers finally warming up, and we’re actually getting kind of excited to stop gorging on cheesecake, jalapeno poppers, and rum-based drinks for a few weeks in order to celebrate the freshness of our favorite season.

And with that seasonal change, as always, comes the need to cleanse and detox. Whip up these detoxifying juices several times a week to cleanse your liver, brighten your eyes, and stock your system with potent vitamins in order to counteract those rainy spring sniffles.

Use organic vegetables if at all possible—that way, you’ll avoid any pesticides that come in contact with non-organic leaves and peels.

Dandelion-Spinach Detox Juice

Long praised for their liver-detoxifying properties, dandelion greens are rich in beta-carotene and have a signature bitter bite to them. Add more lemon (or toss in some agave) to taste if the juice is too bitter for you.

Spinach’s list of vitamins and nutrients is too long to list here, but let’s start with vitamin K, vintaim A, manganese, folate, magnesium, and iron (thinking of sneaking an extra handful of leaves into your juice yet?) If after you’re finished with this recipe, be sure to checkout our growing list of spinach blog archives for some other info and ideas on how to use this magical green!

• 1/2 bunch dandelion greens
• 4 cups spinach
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 cucumber
• 5 stalks celery
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

Feed the dandelion greens and spinach into your juicer. Then add three carrots and the rest of the ingredients, using the last carrot to push all the rest of the ingredients through. Drink immediately.

Carrot-Beet-Celery Detox Juice

This peppery drink offers powerful detox action from the root vegetables, while the spiciness of garlic and black pepper gives your immune system a boost. Beets are packed full of a variety of antioxidants; carrots, as you know, are an amazing source of beta-carotene; and celery is a rich source of vitamin C (not to mention that its water content makes it great for juicing).

Radishes also help to cleanse the liver and improve digestion, as well as being a good source of vitamin C. Parsley isn’t just a garnish—it can actually neutralize certain carcinogens, and it’s full of antioxidants and folic acid. Enjoy this bright drink once a week for maximum benefits.

• 1 carrot
• 1 c. beets
• ¼ c. celery
• 2 tbsp radish
• ¼ c. fresh parsley
• 1 clove raw garlic
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Feed parsley through your juicer, followed by the celery. Add the rest of the ingredients, and top the juice with fresh ground black pepper. Drink immediately.

Photo attribute: kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

 I am a self-proclaimed tea addict, averaging two to four mugs of the stuff a day. From green to black, and a few herbals in between, my loose leaf tea purveyor has come to know me by name!

Being a tea addict is undoubtedly a good thing because, quite frankly, the stuff is amazing! But the superstar of all tea is Matcha Green Tea.

What is matcha green tea powder?

It’s a premium tea powder which is unique to Japan, used for brewed beverages and recipes. It is renowned for its numerous health benefits, including it’s richness in nutrients, antioxidants and the wonder that is chlorophyll (not bora-phyll!)

The benefits associated with consuming matcha are due in large part to the fact that the whole leaf is ingested, as opposed to just the brewed water. By comparison, nutritionally and in terms of antioxidants, drinking one cup of matcha tea is equivalent to drinking ten cups of the brewed stuff.

Matcha is known for delivering sustained energy because when the amino acid L-theanine, a known relaxant, is combined with caffeine, this drink gives users a sustained calm alertness, as opposed to the buzz characterized by coffee.

Since I discovered this powder I have used it in many applications from cheesecake to a savory salmon sauce. But the way – matcha finds its way into my life the most through my morning almond milk latte.

Every morning after my daily lemon juice shot, I make myself this smooth and silky sipper. Its full of antioxidants, to battle all the free-radicals I will likely be exposed to during the day. And it provides me sustained energy, needed in this frenetic world in which we live.

I sweeten my almost milk matcha latte with coconut sugar, as matcha needs some form of sweetness since the natural flavor is bit bitter. Once enhanced, the flavor becomes palatable and the result is a drink that cannot be described in words – only sounds! Mmmmmm!

Almond Milk Matcha Latte

Makes 1

• 1 ¼ cup vanilla flavored almond milk, warmed
• ½ cup hot water
• 1 tsp matcha green tea powder
• 2 tsp coconut sugar

Combine hot water, matcha and sugar in a blender, and buzz until smooth, or about 1 minute. This step is needed to prevent the matcha powder from lumping. Pour the mixture into a glass and top with almond milk; stir. The milk can be served warmed or chilled.

Don’t remember how to make your own almond milk? Here’s a refresher!