It’s March! You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate the prevalence of green that is beginning to show all around the country. And March heralds the approach of spring, where green is the predominant color poking through the snow in some places, springing up in flowerbeds in others. What will you find on your plate this March? How about some of these tempting recipes made from fennel, grapefruit, California strawberries, kiwi, dandelion, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, baby spinach, and snow peas.

Nick’s Salad

My husband, Nick, has been making this salad for us on a daily basis for many years, and I still love it! I came up with the dressing just last month, and I think it really makes a great combination. The trick to this salad is to mince all the ingredients as finely as possible. This mixes the flavors in the best way.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup green cabbage, finely minced
1 cup spring greens and/or baby spinach, finely minced
1 cup leek, finely minced
1-2 large cucumbers, finely minced
1 cup tomatoes, finely minced
1 large bell pepper, finely minced
1 cup cauliflower, finely minced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely minced
Sunflower seed oil and cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Tonya’s Dressing
1 young Thai coconut–water and the “meat”
1 cup macadamia or pine nuts, soaked a few hours
juice of 1/2 lemon
Celtic sea salt to taste

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over individual servings of the salad when ready to eat.

Serves 2-4

Dandy Lion Smoothie

Treat your liver with the bulb of fennel.

Ingredients:

1 grapefruit, peeled
1 bulb of fennel
2 ripe bananas
1 navel orange
2 Romaine leaves

Juice the grapefruit and fennel. Place the juice into a blender and blend with remaining ingredients. Garnish with orange wedges.

Serves 2

Creamy Early Purple Soup

Now with a name like that you have to try it just to say you did.

Ingredients:

3 cups cashew milk (may substitute sunflower or other if desired)
4 cups of purple sprouting broccoli, washed and broken into florets
1 tablespoon of minced white onion
1 stalk of celery
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
Celtic sea salt (optional)
dash of cumin
½ of a leek, washed and slivered

Set aside the leeks and half the broccoli. Blend remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Place 1 cup of remaining broccoli florets in two soup bowls. Pour soup over the top and garnish with a dusting of cumin and sprinkle with leeks.

Serves 2

Dessert Cocktail

Be sure to use beautiful tall glasses for an elegant effect

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled and cored pineapple
1 cup fresh mint (plus extra for garnish)
2 cups fresh California strawberries, sliced thinly
4 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced thinly

Juice the pineapple and most of the mint. Place alternating layers of sliced strawberry and kiwi in tall, decorative glasses. Pour pineapple/mint juice over the fruit and drizzle with the honey. Garnish with remaining mint leaves. Serve with dessert spoons, mixing gently now and then to allow juices and flavors to meld. Very refreshing!

Serves 2