3 Simple, Rejuvenating Ways to Shift Into Spring

This time of year, the spirit is all about renewal. We’ve sprung our clocks forward, green shoots are pushing skyward from the dark earth, and the birds are singing about it in the evening.

It's a perfect time to shake off winter and embrace the season’s rejuvenating vibe. Here are three easy ways to get started.

Reboot your meals with tender, local spring vegetables

Winter is not without its delicious seasonal veggies, but spring is when things begin to pick up. Thanks in part to Northwest farmers who overwinter crops or work with greenhouses to get a head start on the growing season, we’re starting to see delicious spring vegetables in the Co-op. Swapping out the cold-season staples for these spring gems is a delicious way to shift your eating from winter to spring.

Currently stealing the show at both of our locations:

• Organic purple sprouting broccoli (pictured above)
• Organic raabs and rapinis (tender flowering versions of brassicas you already know, like broccoli and kale)
• Organic early-season root veggies like radishes (pictured below)
• Spring asparagus

Recipe inspiration:

• Delicious 2-Step Prep for Almost Any Vegetable
• Radishes with Bacon or Balsamic
• Roasted Asparagus

Other spring veggies will be stocked as they come available, so keep an eye out for them! The Co-op is proud to work with a long list of Washington farms.

Spring radishes are available at both Central Co-op locations. The French Breakfast radishes pictured above are from our 6th Ave store, grown by Tahoma Farms in Orting, WA - the first of the season from them!

Work in your garden, or get one started

Watching seeds sprout and plants grow is a nourishing-to-the-soul way to connect with the miracle of life, no matter what your age. 

Seeds are in the Co-op, and it’s the perfect time to start them for this year’s garden. Some seeds can be planted outside now, and others can be started indoors so they’ll be seedlings when the days warm. Check the seed package for information. The Co-op stocks gardening seeds from Seeds of Change, Co-op Feed, and Uprising Seeds. 

Kids are much more likely to eat veggies they helped grow themselves. When planting seeds with children, Kids Gardening recommends working with large seeds that are easier for small hands to handle, like peas, beans, sunflowers, and nasturtiums. 

No yard? Containers to the rescue. Choose a few not-so-big varieties of starts or seeds, pick up a few containers from a garden store, and find a sunny window or corner of outdoor space you have access to.

In addition to seeds, starts are also available at our 16th & Madison store.

Energize your routine with one simple change

With nature’s enthusiastic embrace of growth and the new during Spring, it’s hard not to join in. If you're looking for a way to breathe some new life in your routine, now's a great time to go for it. Stick with something simple and concrete – you’ll be more likely to adopt the change and enjoy it in the process. 

A few ideas:

• Drink those 8 glasses of water a day
• Eat vegetables at every meal
• Recommit to wearing sunscreen or taking your vitamins daily

Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy this fresh time of year.

Happy Spring!

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Date: Thursday March 24, 2016

Category: Spring

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