Organic Easter this Spring

Spring has begun! Fresh, premium ingredients are desired by consumers when shopping for a numerous range of products.   Quality items have become more readily available and often, even surprisingly affordable. The fun can begin.  Transition during the change of seasons, especially into Spring (yes- it is here), brings with it a reminder of the variety of bountiful seasonal produce. Spring marks an opportunity to easily embrace “the healthy” found in aisles and at markets, but there are more routes to truly embody fresh, natural and premium product scouring.  Easter is the perfect holiday to depict the select food, craft, and household products easy to adapt to during the awakening Spring.

photo credit: etsy

Pastels, perennials, and pie illustrate Easter. Organic products and food are more frequently becoming the top choice in many categories, yet not all switches to the natural version are attainable whether due to cost or demand. The eco-friendly and healthier options are actually more accessible than the preconceived notion surrounding the steadfast trend.  

Dying Easter eggs is a tradition, instead of the chemical laden box dyes use the following suggestions for natural produce egg dye decorating that turn eggs amazing colors!

Photo credit: serious eats

Beet Juice (boiled eggs can go right into a jar of fresh beets for a couple hours).

Gently warm fresh berries on a stove top or double boiler then crush berries in a strainer over a dish to extract the juice.  Add ¼ cup of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to each extracted juice.

Raspberry juice.  Intense pink!

Blueberries/blackberries: same as above, but blue!

Spinach (truly, works) : boil fresh spinach leaves then extract juice as above.  

Carrots: boil carrots in as little water as possible and use the marigold colored water for dye, add vinegar as above.

Easter flowers/plants are customary to bring to households hosting the holiday gathering.  This year, select perennials from a local farm stand or take it a step further and give the gift of an herb garden starter.  Supply handwritten instructions for organic garden care if in possession of a green thumb or direct to Organic Gardening for herb sustaining tips.  Basil and mint are exceptional gifts.

Easter Pie, not of the dessert variety but a savory Italian Easter Pie filled with meats and cheeses is typically made on Good Friday and served on Easter Sunday.  For more on Easter pies visit the 2013 Easter post be sure to make the pie at home with the freshest, quality ingredients sourced from Italian specialty stores.  Actual dessert? Simple, fresh, premium berries or homemade berry pie with a scoop of gelato harmoniously blend with the natural options used to celebrate this Easter and Spring.

Italian meat selections used for traditional Easter Pie.

Enjoy a fresh approach. Happy Easter and Welcome, Spring! How will you incorporate organic in Easter this Spring?

Thanksgiving & Game Day Fare

Avid football fans, elevate the game day experience with a harvest chow down.  Turkey tailgates and enticing food arrays will elicit enjoyment during the game from the most discerning in the crowd to the non-sports enthused.  Incorporate traditional holiday fixings to create the ideal atmosphere for the ultimate in football fare.

Turkey & Football unite via sliders

Turn up the heat on the barbecue, the turkey is here.  Football and Thanksgiving have long paired up, over the next two weekends revel in the combinations of game day and grub.  Stadium tailgating will no doubt showcase the trend of football turkey- inclusive of grilled up drumsticks, but at home viewers can set up in the same fashion.  Pulled turkey sliders displayed with a toppings station of fresh cranberry sauce, gravy, and stuffing is a simple, creative, and tasty spin on a commonly reinvented offering.  No to mention the grab and go style is conducive to spectators not wishing to miss a play.  

The specialties of the season provide numerous recipes to delight guests with a twist on the ordinary.  Sweet potatoes used for potato skins in this recipe are a hit, follow the directions but feel free to try out favorite cheese and toppings of choice.  To amend standard antipasti spreads to adhere to the theme, stack figs wrapped in prosciutto, mozzarella, and roasted squash for skewers that reach a new level entirely. Putting leftovers to use for feeding a crowd is easy, this pizza holds it’s toppings and for an early game time create a quiche with the Thanksgiving extras.

Sweet potato skins. Photo credit: www.marthastewart.com

Sweets are a welcomed must for entertaining, even in a crowded parking lot dessert can be done well.  Handheld mini pies, assorted pastries, and cookies with fall season flair (think cinnamon, pumpkin, and nuts) will satiate the sweet tooth and wake up those impaired by a food coma.  It may even be appropriate to whip up the first batch of eggnog of the season, add a scoop of gelato to serve a seriously delectable version.

Thanksgiving-fueled menu options perfect what game day parties are all about.  Utilize seasonal culinary trends to rally the fans and their taste buds.  Food, football, and family unite this time of year... dig in!