Round-up: Eating with the Season: MARCH

Here comes the round-up for Eating with the Seasons: MARCH.

We’re warming up here in the Northern hemisphere, finally! Exciting stuff is coming our way. For introduction into the bounty that’s ahead of us, see the recipes below. But don’t miss the two treats from Down Under, either! Scroll down, sigh, and mark them for next year (unless you’re from Down Under, of course).

This time, the hostess has not done her bit, I’m afraid. Here in the still cold (esp. today) UK, there’s precious little of spring in the markets, if any at all. OK, there are daffodils, but they’re not eaten, are they? Anyway, I apologise, and plan to join you for the April round.

 

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

 

 

Fruit

Avocado

Avocado & roasted corn salsa ~ Soma from eCurry (Plano, Texas, USA)

If you live down South, you’re in for some treats. Like fresh avocados amongst other things. (If you leave up North like me, dream on!) Did you know avocado is a berry? I didn’t (thought I knew it was fruit). For more avocado facts, and for the recipe for this tasty Mexican salsa, head straight to Soma’s!

 

 

Blood Oranges

Blood Orange Salad with Goat Cheese Croutons ~ Emiglia from Tomato Kumato (Paris, France)

Emiglia loves citrus in salads, especially when paired with melting goats cheese. While I’m segmenting the blood oranges, she cleverly reserves all the escaped juice in a bowl, and uses it to make a dressing, together with a little bit of lemon juice, some olive oil and salt and pepper.

 

Mango

Coconut-Mango Jello ~ Allen from Eating Out Loud (Vancouver, BC – Canada)

Mango is coming into season, and with it – MANGO FEVER IN THE BLOGOSPHERE! We’re kicking off with Allen’s coconut-mango jello, a combination made in heaven. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Vegetables (& herbs)

 

Cabbage

Cabbage Poriyal ~ Lisa from Lisa’s Kitchen (London, Ontario, Canada)

For this month’s event, Lisa makes a South Indian delicacy a flavoursome cabbage poriyal with green chillies, coconut and curry leaves.  Dishes like this one prove that cabbage’s reputation of being plain and boring is totally undeserved, and only due to cooks who abuse it and misuse it! Let’s start a cabbage revolution here and now!!!

Cauliflower (& Broccoli!)

Cauliflower, Broccoli and Pasta Clear Soup ~ Priya at Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes (Paris, France)

Priya treats us to a delicately flavoured clear soup made with broccoli, cauliflower, pasta and vegetable stock, and seasoned with cumin, black pepper and parsley. Not only is it tasty, but it’s also healthy and light.

 

 

Dill

Dill and green peas pulao ~ Bee & Jai from Jugalbandi (North Western US)

Bee & Jai share this elegant Karnataka dill and green peas pulao with us. We should all cook more with dill. Did you know it’s a real nutritional powerhouse? I was amazed. Do visit Jugalbandi and find out exactly why. I certainly learn something new from them every time!

 

 

Mung beans

 Sesame Mung Bean Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts ~ Greg at Sippity Sup – Serious Fun Food (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Greg (with a fantastic blog name ‘Sippity Sup’) has found fresh mung beans at his local market! Yeap, the mung bean of the dhal and bean sprouts fame, grown in California. Though better known for other, starry reasons, this state produces a dazzling array of fruit and vegetables. And you can read all about them in Greg’s Market Matters posts. While you’re at it, check out this gorgeous salad.

 

Roselle leaves (or Gongura)

Fish curry with roselle leaves ~ Nomi from Taste of Assam (Assam, India)

Popular in Assam, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, roselle plant or gongura or tenga mora adds a sour taste to food. Leaves of the plant are used in savoury cooking, like in this hot and sour Assamese curry, and its fruit is used to make jam or jelly.  I’m very tempted. I love the sound of this hot and sour curry, and would definitely try if I could get my hands on some gongura!

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

Fruit

Crabapples

Crabapple Jelly ~ Lucinda at Nourish Me (Melbourne, Australia)

Autumn in Melbourne draws closer as Lucinda’s harvest of crabapples is transformed into a beautiful jelly flavoured with pomegranate molasses and rose water.

 

Pear

Gluten-Free Almond Chocolate Baby Pear Cakes ~ Arfi at HomeMadeS (New Zealand)

Arfi made these gorgeous gluten-free cakes with Borsch pears which have delicate flavour and are firm and so can be easily used in cakes.  Here, the pears are caramelized lightly with a little butter and brown sugar.

 

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That’s all for March, folks!

Happy cooking and see you in April!

THANK YOU all who took part in this round-up.

Posted by Maninas on 27 March, 2009

https://maninas.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/round-up-eating-with-the-season-march/