When we talk about seasonal produce, we are generally referring to crops that grow locally during a specific time of year. There is, however, a caveat with winter – when the ground is frozen solid, “seasonal” still includes those fall crops that store beautifully throughout the cold months – mainly, winter squashes and root vegetables (thus the many hearty stews and comfort foods that winter is known for). As we near the close of winter, however, our palates start to bore of those roasted and crock-pot-treated root vegetables, and we crave sweetness, lightness, and crunch. That’s why this salad is so incredible. It still relies on those trusty “winter” root vegetables, but offers a few you probably seldom use – beets, kohlrabi, rutabaga and/or turnips – and furthermore, they will be left raw for a really satisfying crunch. The “spring” in this transitional salad comes in through tender, sweet pea shoots. The sweetness of a snap pea is embodied in these little shoots, and they will make you believe that spring is right around the corner. Although peas are a spring crop, you can actually grow your own shoots year-round on your window sill. Follow the instructions in this post, but use pea seed in place of sunflower seed. You can also find pea shoots at many grocers, especially natural food stores. Finally, kale is a readily available green in both winter and spring, as it is so cold-hardy (albeit probably grown in some manner of greenhouse if you find it locally in Minnesota or other frozen-over states). It adds some nice color, flavor and nutrition to the salad.
Winter-Meets-Spring Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed is best
4 tsp rice vinegar other vinegar may be substituted
1/2 tsp Salt or more to preference
3/4 cup carrot, grated
3/4 cup rutabaga, kohlrabi and/or turnip, peeled and diced dice small, close to pea-sized, for best texture
1/2 cup kale, chopped fine
3/4 cup beets, peeled and diced dice small, close to pea-sized, for best texture
2 cups pea shoots
Instructions
Cook quinoa according to package directions and cool - 20 minutes in the refrigerator should be sufficient.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Pour over quinoa and stir to combine. Taste for flavor and add more salt or other ingredients as desired.
Add grated carrots, kale and diced rutabaga, kohlrabi and/or turnip to the quinoa and combine. Add the beets last and combine very gently, as over-mixing will turn your quinoa pink! If you are preparing this recipe ahead (which is actually great because it allows the flavors to set in), don't add the beets until you are ready to serve.
Spoon quinoa mixture over a bed pea shoots to serve.
Enjoy!