Eating veggies every day isn’t so chard – just order a Local Box! We’ve got you set this week with some of the last winter greens, plus warm-weather basil and tomatoes, and fresh little leeks. This week, I’m pulling out some recipes from the Greenling archives. Did you know we have a full recipe blog as well? Check it out! Our bloggers and employees come up with great ideas on how to use the season’s bounty. We even have special sections for vegans and vegetarians!

Breakfast: We’ve been using spring onions in our breakfast dishes, but this week, try the leek! Use baby chard and arugula in this Gouda Quiche recipe. Have you tried our local cheeses? We have a gouda selection! In most leek recipes, you’ll notice it says “white and light green parts only.” Never fear, your leeks will already come with the thick green stems removed!

Lunch: Grilling beets sounds like one of the best ideas I have never tried! Stuffing them in a pita with fresh arugula, baby chard, or beet greens with hummus sounds like heaven. I’ll follow this recipe for a Grilled Beet & Hummus Pita and add in basil for a summery touch!

Lunch: Did you try sauteeing radishes last week? Now that you’re a master, add in bok choy! Use your leeks in place of shallot.

Lunch: Basil and tomato in this week’s box? Naturally you’ll have to try them together in the most classic combination: Caprese salad or sandwich! It sounds simple, but salt, pepper, good olive oil and balsamic vinegar really bring out the farm-fresh flavor of your local bounty.

Dinner: Brush up on your curry! Try this Thai Curry with bok choy, sweet onions, and lime from Cooking Light. It’s an easy recipe to adapt to your diet, so feel free to leave out the chicken and add in more vegetables. I might add some arugula or baby swiss chard. Extra sweet onions from last week? Use ‘em up!

Dinner: Greens of all kinds make pasta + salad suppers a snap! Try this Creamy Avocado Pasta featuring a pesto of avocado with lettuce, arugula, or chard. Naturally, we’ll add basil and chopped tomatoes to round out this dish. Serve with a side salad and soak up all the nutrients from those remaining winter greens!

Drink: DFW blogger Amee (of Rabbit Food Rocks) introduced us to what she calls “the world’s first Gatorade! Iin India, it’s known as Limbu-Paani.  This Sweet and Salty Limeade is a staple overseas, where the temperatures get very high and air conditioning is the highest luxury.

If you have recipe ideas, please share them with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! We love the #LocalBox hashtag!

Taste the rainbow with the Local Box! Nothing brightens up your week like microgreens (with an edible flower!) purple or pink radishes, purple kale, pretty red tomatoes, and more! Hopefully we’ll see rainbows and pretty weather soon in DFW. Until then, you’ll have to eat the rainbow on your table.

Breakfast: Turnips! Yep, you heard right- get used to this delicious root veggie as a replacement for potatoes! Try this Primal Breakfast casserole for a casserole breakfast simple enough for a weekday. This one features a simple duo of sausage and scallions (or sweet onion greens!) but you can load the casserole up with more if you like. Diced peppers, mushrooms, sauteed kale, grated cheese, fresh herbs, etc. can all be mixed in with great results.

Lunch: Did you know cabbage is one of the world’s healthiest foods? Try your hand at a Japanese-inspired Kale and Cabbage pancake, topped with sliced spring onion greens. Since our cabbage heads are so ginormous, you could double (or maybe triple?) the recipe and follow Deb’s freezing instructions. Freeze your own handmade meals instead of buying from the store! Making large batches saves time, and you know exactly what’s in your meals.

Side: Hopefully we’ll be back to eating outside soon, because this Spicy Cabbage Salad with tomatoes, green onion, and radish looks picnic-perfect!

Dinner: Try your hand at another veggie patty this week: Smoky Beet Burgers with kale! Gluten and Dairy free, these burgers are quite delicate, but hearty and delicious. Sarah over at the Sprouted Kitchen says to make more than you need, because the leftovers make for an easy lunch. Put an egg on top! I also want to use the entire veggie, so I’ll top with beet greens and microgreens! Her feta spread will be delicious with dill instead of cilantro.

Dinner: Snow and Snap Peas alike are both delicious in stir-fry noodle dishes! This recipe for Linguine with Snow Peas and Cucumber uses peanut sauce- a great, protein-packed way to get your kids to try this dish.

Pickle: Yes, pickling might become it’s own recipe category around here! You don’t need any fancy canning material to make simple refrigerator pickles. This week, try pickling radishes! You can throw some dill in there too for that mild, springy flavor. Then, use your pickled radishes in taco recipes like this one!

Drink: Last week, we got so many comments on Facebook about your favorite ways to cook beets! One interesting recipe that stood out is Beet Kvass- a Russian cleansing tonic. In making beet kvass, fresh raw beets are peeled, chopped and set in a jar and covered with a prepared brine of unrefined sea salt, starter culture and filtered water. Beet kvass carries with it all the benefits of beets, marrying them with the benefits of fermented foods for a deeply cleansing tonic. Try it out and lettuce know what you think!

This week, give peas a chance! We’re seeing snow or snap peas for the first time! It’s easy to to confuse them-  snow peas are flat with tiny seeds that are barely visible through the pods. Sugar snap pods are plump, with visible peas. Low in calories and high in Vitamins A and C, both types have edible pods and are a great addition to your springtime diet! We also have two new fruits- mangoes and tomatoes! Get your summertime off to a colorful start with these flavorful recipes.

Breakfast: Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than fried egg and tomato sandwiches! If you are bored by fresh tomatoes, try roasting them for 20 minutes, drizzled with balsamic and olive oil. They get super sweet and mushy- perfect mashed on bread. I also prefer my egg sandwiches on the brunch side of breakfast, so I’ll add lettuce or sauteed onions and kale.  (If you really need a recipe, here’s one from Martha Stewart.)

Lunch: These radishes are just too pretty not to showcase on an open-faced sandwich. I remember my Mom making tea sandwiches sometimes for special occasions- simple cream cheese or goat cheese spread on soft bread and topped with sliced veggies. Keep it as simple as that- or add some chopped mint, maybe some spring onion greens from last week, or even freshly shelled and boiled peas.

Lunch: Our South Texas mangoes are (of course) delicious enough to eat raw, but I’m excited to use them in a spicy sauce for salad wraps! The First Mess’ recipe calls for raw chard, but you can use a lettuce leaf instead, or even a gently-boiled collard green leaf. I’ll kick it up a notch and add sliced sweet onions, and garnish with mint. Not sure how to slice a mango? Food 52 has got you covered.

Salad: Greens and citrus never go out of style! Kale and grapefruit (or orange) is a particularly delicious combination. Raw kale is massaged with dressing, which makes it soft yet still crunchy. Kale and citrus pack a powerful nutritional punch!

Dinner: New York Times food writer and general food defender Mark Bittman advocates for simple, delicious food preparations. His simple Asian snow peas are cooked quickly, and accented with sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a little half and half. Read the inspiration first, then try , the recipe. I’d add this to rice or noodles (with grilled chicken, beef, tofu, etc.) for a simple, healthy meal.

Dinner: Okay, since we live in Texas, you have to try classic Southern greens & tomatoes with onions! Use a ham hock for the real deal, and just take it out if you prefer vegetarian. Serve with rice  (and maybe baked “fried” chicken?)

If you have recipe ideas, please share them with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! We love the #LocalBox hashtag!