Spring is one of those seasons in which growth naturally happens. Once you get past the never ending rain, the world seems to become alive again after laying dormant throughout the winter. One of the best parts of spring is foraging for new edibles like ramps aka wild leeks and fiddleheads.

Ramps are one of those delightful finds that add a spicy zing to your dish, they are often pickled but can be used just as you would leeks, onion, or garlic as they are in the same family. Excitingly enough, the entire plant is edible! Those stems can be used to make a spicy pesto that is absolutely delightful on any and everything. The flavor is rich, spicy, and fresh due to the lemon juice and a little creamy with the addition of the avocado. Seriously, I could eat this on a spoon although I am not sure that anyone would want to kiss me afterwards do to its pungency.

In addition, spring also sends us asparagus, an all time favorite whether raw, grilled, sauteed, paired with eggs or tossed with 'pasta' as in this instance, the addition is always welcome. Asparagus is extremely alkaline, a great source for Vitamin K and contains inulin which is highly beneficial to your digestive tract.

Pairing spaghetti squash with our pesto and asparagus provides a wonderful way to enjoy 'pasta' without the heaviness often associated with traditional flour pastas. This is a flavorful dish that evokes the sensation of spring right on the palate. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Ramp Avocado Pesto, Asparagus and Tomato

Serves 2

1 Spaghetti Squash, roasted or microwaved

1 handful of fresh Ramps (5-6), leaves and bulbs divided

4 cloves of Garlic

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1/2 Avocado

3 tbs Olive Oil

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

1 handful of Asparagus (5-6 spears)

1 Tomato, Chopped

Cook the spaghetti squash by roasting in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or microwaving for 10 minutes. The great thing about this squash is that you can prepare it quickly if you are in a time crunch.

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Chop the ramp bulbs and asparagus spears. Add to the pan, tossing to coat and cooking until the asparagus is bright green .

IN a food processor or blender, add the ramp leaves, garlic, avocado, lemon juice and salt. Blend until creamy, adding the 2 tbs of olive oil while the machine is running. Add more if the pesto is still to thick.

Divide the pesto between the two halves of the squash, stirring to combine. Top with the asparagus and ramp mixture and fresh chopped tomatoes. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!

Spring has sprung and there is nothing better than the charred taste of the grill. Grilled vegetables is a simple way in which to create a tasty, slight smoky salad especially when paired with quinoas protein packed goodness, fresh sweet corn and the tangy crumble of some goat cheese.

This week a follower sent me a message regarding the alkalinity of grilled vegetables. I am going to be straight with you - any cooking method reduces a vegetables alkaline pH and sends it closer to neutral and even sometimes dips it into ever so slightly acidic. The only way to preserve the natural alkaline state of vegetables and fruits is to eat them raw.

I love raw food and practiced a raw diet for quite awhile, however, the northeast is not the most ideal place for this. In the dead of winter with winds howling outside and temperatures reaching a high of 3 degrees you want warm food and not dehydrator warm but burn your insides warm. So even though cooking your foods, whether grilling, sauteing, baking, boiling, or steaming reduces their nutrient value and pH you still are obtaining a number of health and nutritional benefits and in a plant based diet a wide range of variety of consumption options, which is important to everyone. I personally don't want to only eat any vegetable cooked in just one way no matter how delicious it is.

It is also important to remember that in an alkaline diet you do not want to only eat alkaline forming foods, you want a balance and you want to eat 20% acidic food as well. This doesn't mean processed cakes and cookies but it does mean a little cheese, some eggs, perhaps a chicken breast if that is your thing, or maybe a few plums (they are acidic)! We want to create healthy bodies that are optimally energized through the food choices that we make.

I hope that you enjoy this great salad, it can be eaten warm or cool as it is tasty either way and makes a beautiful presentation when bringing it to summer picnics, yes I am definitely looking forward to summer!

Warm Red Quinoa and Grilled Vegetable Salad

1 Zucchini, sliced longways

1 Summer Squash, sliced Longways

10 baby Peppers

2 tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1 cup Quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 cup Fresh Sweet Corn

2oz Goat Cheese, crumbled

Preheat the grill. Add the water and quinoa to a saucepan and bring to a bowl. Cover and reduce the heat, simmering for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 2 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Meanwhile, toss the sliced zucchini, squash, and whole peppers in the olive oil, salt, and oregano, evenly coating. Arrange of the grill, turning over after 5 minutes until slightly charred on all sides.

Place the quinoa in a serving bowl and top with the grilled veggies, fresh corn, and goat cheese. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!