Late spring heralds warmer weather, longer days, fresh blooms — and a new season of produce! So, consider saying goodbye to starch and carbs and say hello to lighter and healthier meals centered around vegetables.
Today’s burgeoning health-conscious attitudes are driving demand for menus and meals that taste good and are also good for the body. Finding creative ways to balance these concepts has never been more important for appealing to a new demographic and guaranteeing return business. Leverage the new season of veggies to offer guests thoughtfully prepared meals that balance health and taste. Consider using only the freshest vegetables and presenting them in unique ways.
Veggies are the Way
Veggie noodles are the new, well, noodles! To serve healthier and lighter this season, replace one or two of the regular carb-and-starch heavy pastas with refreshing ribbons of zucchini, butternut squash, carrots, and more. Consider using Peak Fresh Produce® for the freshest, farmer-supplied veggies available this season.
Committing to using seasonal vegetables in your late spring/early summer menus means putting a focus on the freshest and most natural ingredients, resulting in overall higher quality meals that’ll help you stick out from the crowd. Zucchini noodles pair well with a creamy basil or kale pesto, while butternut squash noodles can be tossed in a simple garlic and olive oil sauce, sprinkled with cracked black pepper. With the right sauce or seasoning, veggie noodles can taste and perform on par with your traditional favorites.
But First, Pizza
The veggie train doesn’t just stop at noodles. You can use various Assoluti!® products like tomatoes, pepperoni, and cheese to create authentic flavor profiles enhanced by a veggie twist. And game nights just got a whole lot healthier with slices of Asian fusion pies topped with spicy kimchi, an award-winning roasted mushroom pizza, or a green, Hispanic-inspired Baleada Pizza, featuring jalapenos, pickled onions, cilantro, and a poblano crema
Spiralizers Galore
A spiralizer is a useful gadget to have in any kitchen. Aside from creating ribbons of veggie noodles, a good device can also finely dice vegetables for stir fry, salads, or even pizza toppings. Plus, it can efficiently tackle the more mundane tasks of shredding, dicing, and grating and help you save valuable time in the kitchen. This can also help cut down on overall costs as manual input can be sourced to a small but mighty spiralizer.
There are tons of brands and styles of spiralizers on the market, so consider choosing devices that have a strong suction cup to keep the vegetable in place; are electrically powered to help you save time; and come with various blades so you can experiment with the cut and thickness that works best for you.
