Natural Awakenings Arizona: Recipe 2: Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto

by Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Culinary Expert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition, award-winning cookbook author, speaker,

So honored to create “recipe articles” for the Natural Awakenings Arizona magazine, with our local farmers produce. For the March 2020 issue, the recipes include:

• Farm-to-Table Spring Arizona Greens Salad
• Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto
• Roasted Spring Veggies Bowl. Cashew Cream

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Recipe: Arizona Spring Steamed Veggies. Arugula Hempseed Pesto

Enjoy a simple lunch or side dish by gently steaming local Arizona Spring veggies in a bamboo steamer and enjoy with simple Arugula Hempseed Pesto.

Lightly steaming veggies brings out the beautiful colors and natural flavor of vegetables, while maintaining their nutrients. Steam a mix of a few Spring veggies with different colors, shapes, and textures, such as golden and Cylindra beets, Daikon radishes, Tropical Black carrots, purple snow peas, sugar snap peas, and corn grown at The Soil & Seed Garden at the Farm at South Mountain.  Plus, steam beautiful, unique roots, such as those grown by farmer Billy Anthony of Tropizona – China Rose Radishes and Hinona Kabu and Hida Beni Red Turnips – to add brilliant red and purple to the dish. Enjoy the Spring steamed veggies with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt, refreshing Arugula Hempseed Pesto, and Calendula flowers.

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Always be mindfully organized when cooking…

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Steamed Spring Veggies

A bamboo steamer is key to simple plant-based cooking.  Learn to steam spring veggies with the mindful process of steaming.

Simple Ingredients

• 5-7 different Spring veggies, such as beets, carrots, purple snow peas, sugar snap peas, corn, radishes, turnips, sliced
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt
• Garnish: Edible flowers

 Simple Steps

• To set up the bamboo steamer, fill a large (6- to 8-quart) soup pot with 3-4 inches of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
• Place sliced veggies into the bamboo steamer. Spread out the veggies so that they do not touch each other to allow the steam to rise and cook them. Sprinkle veggies with a pinch of sea salt.
• Place bamboo steamer on top of the pot with steaming water. Cover with lid and let steam for about 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.
• Test the veggies for doneness. When veggies easily come off a fork, they’re ready.
• Once the veggies have finished cooking, pour them into a large bowl.
• Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

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ARUGULA HEMPSEED LEMON PESTO

Make simple Arugula, Hempseed Lemon Pesto to enjoy with steamed Arizona Spring veggies. With plant-based cooking, add extra flavor to vegetables with simple herb and seed pestos.

Simple Ingredients

• 2 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup hempseeds
• 5-7 stems chives
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon zested
• Pinch sea salt

Simple Steps

• Place all ingredients (except olive oil) into mini-processor or food processor and blend.
• After processing, stream in ¼ cup of olive oil.
• Adjust with oil, lemon, or salt to suit your taste.
• Enjoy with steamed veggies.

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Mindful Plating

• Mindfully plate the veggies and pesto, showcasing the color and shapes of the veggies.
• Garnish with edible flowers.

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Simple plating…to start…

And, next, a full bowl of steamed veggies and pesto…

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2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreats

• Interested in a weekend of Plant-based Cooking, Self Care, Hiking and Special Sedona Ceremonies?
• 2020 Retreat Dates: June 12-15, 2020; September 18-21, 2010
• Click here: Take a look at our retreat page to see all the activities, our unique eco-retreat house, and Sedona.
  

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2020 Authentic Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Experiences at The Farm with Lead Grower Billy Anthony and award-winning cookbook author, Melanie Albert.

Classes held at The Farm at South Mountain, 6101 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona

To Purchase, click below on the class date:

• March 28, 2020, 11am-1pm
• April 18, 2020, 11am-1pm