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Quick, Healthy Recipes with Spring Produce
Spring is the perfect time to use fresh, local produce to brighten your meals. If you’re in need of something quick and easy, we’ve got some healthy recipes that work well as weeknight meals. Every recipe below takes 55 minutes or less. Many will even be ready in 30 minutes. Simple meals can be delicious, especially if you purchase the ingredients from a farmers’ market, or a place that sells locally grown produce. Here in Kitsap County, we love Kitsap Fresh, Kitsap Community Food Co-op, and our farmers’ markets.
Healthy Recipes for Weeknight Meals
For something flavorful that’s fun to put together, check out these chicken lettuce wraps. Highly rated, this dinner recipe incorporates fresh carrots, radishes, and lettuce – all wonderfully crisp in the spring. If you or a family member is a vegetarian, you can easily use tofu instead of chicken. Or, make a totally veggie version. Total time: 25 minutes
Vegetable lovers unite for this tasty veggie stir fry. This recipe calls for sugar snap peas and broccoli, but you can easily swap them based on what your local farmers’ market has. We love that the sauce uses garlic and ginger to give it a bit of a kick. Total time: 20 minutes
With just ten minutes of prep, this delicious dinner is great if you love seafood and some spice. Sheet-pan chipotle lime shrimp bake is colorful, incorporating asparagus, baby red potatoes, broccolini, shrimp, lime, and cilantro. Total time: 40 minutes
Aloo matar (Indian potato and green pea curry) can be made mild or spicy, and it’s perfect on a rainy spring evening. To make it, you’ll need ingredients like russet potatoes and fresh or frozen green peas. You can also use other veggies like fresh carrots to add even more nutrients. This recipe takes a bit more time compared to the other dinners listed, but you can make it ahead and store it in the fridge for up to three days. Total time: 55 minutes
Interesting Veggie Side Dishes
If you love fried foods but are trying to cut down, these baked asparagus fries might be the thing for you. They’re crispy and can be served as an appetizer or side dish. If you have little ones, they will enjoy helping you prep these. Also, they can easily be made vegetarian and/or gluten free. Total time: 45 minutes
Honey roasted carrots are simple yet satisfying. Bright with a bit of sweetness, this side dish pairs well with fresh fish, pasta, or the chipotle lime shrimp bake recipe above. We love the way they caramelize and recommend using locally harvested honey and carrots. Total time: 40 minutes
If you’re trying to eat more greens this spring, try crispy roasted kale. This is such a quick way to add more nutrients to your meal. Kale is easy to grow, and it’s so versatile. This recipe takes very little effort and also makes for a fun snack. Total time: 30 minutes
Fresh herbs make every meal more delightful. Straightforward and delicious, peas and pea shoots with spring onions and mint complements many main dishes. Total time: 20 minutes
Healthy Recipes for Salad Lovers
Enjoy a good salad but want to try something new? This snap pea salad with green beans, walnuts, and crispy quinoa has a wonderful mix of flavors and is full of vitamins and protein. We love the lemon-garlic dressing, added tang of feta cheese, and it’s gluten free. Total time: 30 minutes
We know spring isn’t apple season, but this spinach apple salad is fast, easy and sweet yet tangy. Whether you grow your own spinach or buy it locally, this salad is sure to be a family favorite. The honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing is also quick, and you can use local honey. Total time: 15 minutes
Looking for a salad that’s a bit more hardy? Check out this sun-dried tomato and arugula lentil salad. With an interesting mix of savory lentils, creamy goat cheese, and sweet sun-dried tomatoes, this salad will be remembered and enjoyed. Arugula is grown locally here in Kitsap County, WA, and if you aren’t the biggest fan, you could easily swap it for kale, spinach, or romaine lettuce. Total time: 30 minutes
Colorful and crisp with some sweetness to delight your palate, this carrot, date and feta salad is fun and yummy. What makes this salad so fun? The carrot ribbons! If you have kids or picky eaters, this may be one to test out on them. You could easily omit the feta or put it on the side. Personally, we love the salty tang of it paired with the dates and drizzle of honey. Total time: 35 minutes
We hope these recipes inspire you to try something new and support our local farmers!
Easy Grilling Recipes with How-to Videos
Sunnier days and warmer nights mean it’s time to start grilling! Here are some easy grilling recipes that will make dinnertime delicious and fun. We’ve got something for everyone: meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. And, who doesn’t love a good how-to video to further simplify the process?
Grilled Salmon with a Lemon Sesame Sauce
Salmon is a classic summer meal in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to our abundance of fresh seafood. This Bon Appetit recipe from Andy Baraghani is easy to make and very flavorful. The sauce can be made ahead of time and is pretty versatile. You can alter it by only including the lemon juice and peel and/or adding chile pepper if you want it to be spicy. To avoid having part of the salmon fall into the grates, Andy says to oil both the fillets and the grates. You also want to keep the salmon skin on. This fish dish would go well with roasted potatoes, grilled corn, and a fruit salad.
Time: Approx. 25 minutes
Grilled Lamb Chops with Pink Peppercorn Sauce
This delicious recipe is perfect for the meat lovers in your life. The Food Network’s Kardea Brown is known for her mouth-watering Southern recipes, and this one is a winner. It’s easy, and the marinade is yummy on pork chops or chicken, too.
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Juicy jumbo shrimp grilled in just a few minutes makes a delightful dish. It can be served as an appetizer or paired with rice and salad as a complete meal. These garlic shrimp skewers are easy to make, and they’re definite crowd-pleasers for fans of seafood. Check out the recipe and note that it makes 5 servings. You may want to double it because they tend to go fast.
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant With Whipped Feta
A great vegetarian option, this grilled eggplant dish comes from Suzy Karadsheh, author of the New York Times Bestselling book The Mediterranean Dish Cookbook. The recipe is easy to follow, and you can make it a meal by including pita bread, this 10-minute sauteed asparagus dish, and this 20-minute basmati rice.
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Honey Chicken Kebabs
Sweet and savory, these chicken kebabs are simple to prepare and satisfying. They’re kid-friendly, and they can be made veggie-only for vegetarians and/or with tamari instead of soy sauce to accommodate gluten-free individuals. Be sure to check out the tips included with the recipe, such as soaking your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before putting your kebabs on the grill. This will prevent your skewers from burning or becoming too brittle to support the ingredients.
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Grilling Recipes are Best with the Freshest Ingredients
Whichever grilling recipe you decide to try, we highly recommend using the freshest ingredients, which you can find right here in Kitsap County. Check out our local farmer’s markets like the Silverdale Farmer’s Market, Bremerton Community Farmer’s Market, and the Port Orchard Farmer’s Market. They are filled with fresh produce and all kinds of wonderful, locally sourced ingredients. For excellent local seafood, check out Suquamish Seafoods or Valhalla Seafood.
Get creative and modify one of the recipes above by using a tasty, local spice blend from Spiva Cooking. A few tantalizing examples include the spicy chili rub and the smokey maple blueberry rub. For incredible olive oil and other high-quality ingredients, visit Vulca’s Mediterranean Market in Bremerton. They sell imported foods and local Mediterranean-style artisan foods, with a focus on natural and sustainable production.
We hope this inspires you to try a new grilling recipe and to shop locally. Bon appétit!
Delicious Summer Recipes Using Local Produce
When driving through different parts of Kitsap County, you are sure to see farms tucked into neighborhoods and historic barns hiding behind the trees. We have urban farmers, multi-generational farmlands, and a plethora of farmers’ markets. One thing Kitsap is not short on is delicious, healthy, locally-grown food. Here are some fun recipes using local produce. Bon Appetit!
Roasted Radishes
Photo by A Couple of Cooks.
A quick search for radish recipes will show that this delicious veggie isn’t just meant for crudités. This Roasted Radishes recipe would make a tasty side dish to compliment many summer meals. And, you can prepare it with radishes from Pheasant Fields Farm. You can find them at the Poulsbo Farmers Market, Kitsap Fresh, or the Kitsap Community Food Co-Op.
BBQ Pork Chops
Photo by Spiva Cooking.
Local chef Steve Spiva sells all of the spice blends you could ever dream of at his shop in Bremerton. This recipe for BBQ Pork Chops would be a delicious entrée for a summer party or a family meal. Grab some Port Townsend-raised pork from Foggy Hog Farms at the Bremerton Community Farmers Market and give it a shot. For more recipe inspiration and ways to use Spiva Spices, visit the Spiva recipes page.
End of Summer Salad
Photo by Sarah Yates.
We love this summer salad recipe because blackberries are possibly the most quintessential PNW summer food and can be found all over. Medulla Farms, a Bremerton urban farm, offers a wide selection of beautiful microgreens. They are available at Kitsap Fresh, Kitsap Community Food Co-Op or delivery through their website.
Carrot and Kohlrabi Slaw
A fun variation on traditional coleslaw, this slaw recipe uses the “cabbage cousin” kohlrabi. It is offered at many local farms across Kitsap County. Check the Bremerton Community Farmers Market, Silverdale Farmers Market, Kitsap Community Food Co-Op, or Kitsap Fresh for who currently has it in stock. This slaw is packed with vitamins and would be a nice compliment to the BBQ pork chops recipe above.
Rhubarb Crisp
Photo from Delish.
Although it’s associated with sweet treats, rhubarb is actually a vegetable. This rhubarb recipe allows rhubarb to be the star of the show. Usually considered a spring-harvest plant, this year’s cooler start to summer means that rhubarb is still prevalent with many local producers. Port Orchard’s Sound Grown Farm offers it via Kitsap Fresh, and we bet you can find it at the Bremerton Community Farmers Market. Kick your local shopping up a notch and grab some flour from Finnriver Farm & Grainery while you are getting ingredients together.
Elderberry Mocktail
Locally-made Syllings Elderberry syrup is a popular treat for many locals. It would also make a delicious addition to lemonade, iced tea, a mocktail, or a cocktail. Here’s an Elderberry Lime Immune Mocktail recipe from their Instagram. You can find their products at many local shops and farmers’ markets.
More Recipes Using Local Produce
Bremerton Community Farmers Market
Every 3rd Thursday of the month at the Bremerton Community Farmers Market, you can find a special “Chef at the Market” demonstration. A local chef shares recipe ideas using local ingredients in cost-effective ways.
Kitsap Community Food Co-Op
Subscribe to Kitsap Community Food Co-Op’s newsletter for fun recipe ideas and tips on what to make with current offerings. They also provide weekly fresh sheets with what is currently in stock.
Kitsap Fresh Recipes
Get great recipes from locals using Kitsap Fresh by joining the Kitsap Fresh Facebook group. Additionally, they email the Fresh Sheet to subscribers each week. It includes what you can order online and recipes with a shopping list of ingredients you can add to your cart.
