SPRING IS HERE!

Happy Spring Equinox!  After a long winter of hibernating and gestating, I am so glad spring is here.  To celebrate the first day of spring, the sun shone brightly and I cleaned my house.  Nothing says spring like a little spring cleaning.  Oh, and nothing says spring like fresh local spinach at the Farmer's Market.  I can't tell you how excited I was to see that.  To top off my excitement about the spinach, I was delighted to see it being sold in bulk, so no plastic bag!  Woo hoo.  I filled a paper bag and have been happily consuming spinach at every meal thus far.  Spinach in my crepes this morning, spinach in my tomato salad last night, spinach salad for supper tonight......mmmmmmmm spring.  Oh, I also came home from the market with some local, pesticide free, greenhouse tomatoes yesterday too.  I can't wait to see what else is in store at the market next week.  But until then, I am content to still eat winter squash.  It shined tonight next to our Equinox feast of Lemon Chicken and Spinach Salad.  That is the beauty of spring.  Just as the days are still sometimes gray and cold, the sun still feels that much warmer.  The gradual shift from winter to summer is what spring is all about, and so our diet should reflect this too.  The slow emergence of spring's bounty mingles beautifully with the last few remains of fall's harvest.

SPINACH SALAD with a Yogurt Pear Vinaigrette

1/2 pound local organic spinach, washed and torn

1 organic carrot, grated

a sprinkle of organic sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp organic whole milk yogurt

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 Tbsp organic pear cider vinegar

1/2 Tbsp local honey

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Whisk the yogurt, oil, vinegar, honey, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Drizzle it on salad.  Serve.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN

4 organic chicken thighs

1 clove organic garlic, minced

juice of half an organic lemon

3 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 Tbsp dried organic oregano

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Marinate chicken pieces in the lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano in the fridge for 2-4 hours.  When ready to cook, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drain the chicken from the marinade and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until juices run clear and skin is browned.