Reeling in a spring menu

As writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry said, “Eating is an agricultural act.”

Eating with the seasons makes eating healthfully easy… and delicious! This lifestyle encourages you to only eat fruits and vegetables that are in season for your geographic area. Shopping the farmer’s markets will ensure that you find such fresh, seasonal, and local produce.

When we have an awareness of what is currently growing and we know how to take advantage of it, enjoying a healthy diet is simple. Plus, seasonal eating is a sustainable way of changing your diet that has health advantages.

Simply put: seasonal food is fresher, tastier, and more nutritious than food consumed out of season.

The Mediterranean Diet, which can adapt to the seasons, is uniquely healthy. This diet encompasses all food groups and is family friendly.

The following quick menu– which applies the Mediterranean Diet to this season’s foods– is perfect for a busy weeknight or a leisurely dinner:

Sauteed Asparagus and Leeks with Farro

This simple side dish can be served hot, cold, or room temperature. Chewy farro with tender asparagus and fragrant leeks are a perfect match. I like to add toasted hazelnuts for added crunch and a toasty bite and top with thinly sliced radishes for a peppery finish.

1 cup farro

Extra virgin olive oil

1 pound asparagus

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly into rounds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil, chopped hazelnuts, or favorite nuts.

1. Place farro in medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Loosely cover pan and cook until the level of water is just below the farro (about 8 minutes). Turn off heat and cover. The steam will continue to soften the farro.
2. Place a medium sauté pan, lightly coated with oil, over medium heat.
3. Trim off about 1-1/2 inches of asparagus. The bottom of asparagus stalks are tough and woody. Cut stalks into 1-inch pieces. Add asparagus and leeks to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally until leeks are soft and asparagus is bright green and tender (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute.
4. Stir asparagus mixture into farro and add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
5. Garnish if desired.

Pan Roasted Wild Salmon with Shallot Vinaigrette

I wait all winter for wild salmon season to begin. The flavor of wild salmon is incomparable, and its health benefits greatly outweigh those of farmed salmon. Take advantage of the season with this simple method of roasting fish. The easiest and best baked salmon is pan roasted. No need to heat up the oven, and pan roasting adds caramelization, plus crispy, flavorful crust.

Serves 4

4 5-ounce salmon filets, skin off

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat a large sauté pan, lightly coated with olive oil, over medium-high heat. Season salmon filets with salt and pepper. Place salmon (non-skin side down-this is the presentation side) in hot pan.
2. Don’t touch! Allow salmon to brown and form a crust. After about 7 minutes, gently lift an edge and see if a crust has formed. If not, continue cooking another few minutes.
3. Turn salmon filets over and turn off the heat. Cover the pan. The salmon will continue to cook and be a perfect medium rare. Make the vinaigrette.

For the vinaigrette

Yields ¾ cup

1 medium shallot

½ cup basil leaves

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1. Place shallot, basil, vinegar, mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until a thick puree has formed.
2. Store leftover vinaigrette, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. The vinaigrette color will darken due to the basil, but it will be delicious.

Laura Frankel is a noted kosher chef, a cookbook author, and Culinary Director for a media company. Currently, she serves as Director of Catering at Circle of Life catering at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El.