What's in Season? Vegetables that Grow in March

The snow is finally melting away, and the sunlight is becoming the new standard for the day. I finally get to spend more time outside, absorbing sunlight while I play at http://www.canadiancasinosonline.com/ on the patio. 

It is also the time when the first fresh vegetables start raising their heads in the garden. Or, if you live in an urban area, at the farmer's market. I know, you can buy all kinds of vegetables all year round in supermarkets, but those actually growing in a garden, touched by sunshine, always taste better. At least for me.

Heading to the Market

The first fresh vegetable I usually find on the market is sprouting broccoli. While you might argue that you can buy broccoli at any time at a supermarket - I hate to break it to you like this, but that's not broccoli. 

It's calabrese, a relative of broccoli and romanesco, which has a larger cultivation time and it's easier to harvest. Bur broccoli is only harvested between January and April, while the other two reach maturity in late summer or in the fall.

Sprouting Broccoli

Sprouting broccoli, sometimes known as the "poor man's asparagus", can be used as a side dish to any meat or fish. 

It can be cooked much like asparagus and "broccoli" - steamed or boiled in water. It's full of healthy vitamin C, carotenoids, iron, folic acid and other nutrients. And it tastes divine.

Spring Onions

Spring onions also appear at this time of the year. Cultivated in glasshouses at first, spring onions are best in the spring, when they grow outside, in the sunlight, wind and rain. 

They are tender, tasty and crunchy - they can be cooked or steamed, but they are best eaten fresh, in salads, or even on their own.

Radishes

Radishes also start to appear at this time of the year. 

Like spring onions, these are perfect to be consumed as a salad, dressed with some olive oil, lemon juice and salt. 

They are great as sides to roast meats, but are also great on a slice of whole-wheat toast with some cream cheese spread on them.

Salads

Speaking of salads - salad leaves, rocket, baby lettuces and spinach also grow this early, mostly in a greenhouse. 

After a long, hard winter, when fresh veggies are scarce (those in the supermarket are hardly fresh), they are a perfect choice for re-building your vitamin reserves. You can use them to make the most delicious spring salad of them all, just add some lemon juice, olive oil and spices of your choice.

Spring is a time of revival. Nature sighs in relief after the long, harsh winter, and it expresses its joy to be alive by giving us some of the tastiest - and healthiest - vegetables. 

And it is also the time when the above greens, with tons of vitamins and minerals, can be bought cheap at local markets. Don't let them go to waste - use them to turn your diet into a healthier and cheaper one today.