VegOut! Week 2 Roundup
VegOut! Weekly Roundup delivers fresh, seasonal inspiration with creative recipes showcasing our handpicked vegetables of the week. From simple weeknight meals to impressive dinner party dishes, discover delicious new ways to enjoy nature’s bounty in your kitchen. Register for the VegOut! Challenge and join our veggie-loving community to transform ordinary produce into extraordinary meals!
VEG OF THE DAY: MARCH 10-16
Monday, March 10
AVOCADO: Nature’s Butter with Benefits!
DID YOU KNOW?
This creamy superfood, once sacred to the Aztecs, delivers heart-healthy fats while transforming everyday dishes. Beyond guacamole, spread it on toast, blend into smoothies, create chocolate mousse, or make egg-free mayo. Kids love using the pit cavity as a bowl or creating colorful boats with healthy fillings. Pro tip: Store with a banana to speed
AVOCADO & WHITE BEAN SPREAD
AN ORIGINAL RECIPE BY RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Looking for a protein-packed upgrade to your avocado toast? Creamy avocados meet protein-rich cannellini beans in this quick, nutritious toast topping finished with zesty lime, crisp radishes, and fresh cilantro. Click here for the recipe!
TUESDAY, MARCH 11
ARUGULA: Ancient Green, Modern Zing!
DID YOU KNOW?
This spicy little leaf (aka “rocket”) has been wowing taste buds since Roman times! Once an aphrodisiac and monks’ secret treasure, arugula packs more iron than spinach while delivering serious culinary versatility. Toss it on pizza, blend into pesto, or call it “Rocket Fuel” for the kiddos! Our winter harvest at Hope Farms is extra sweet with just the right kick—perfect for arugula newbies. Blast off with flavor this weekend!
ARUGULA HARISSA PENNE
AN ORiGINAL RECIPE BY RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Spice up your pasta night with our vibrant Arugula Harissa Penne, where al dente pasta meets a bold North African-inspired sauce. This flavor-packed dish combines toasted almonds, fresh peppery arugula, and aromatic herbs with a homemade harissa featuring garlic, warming spices, and bright lemon juice. Not only is it delicious, but the arugula adds a nutritional boost with its high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support immune function and overall health. Click here for this tasty recipe and cross another vibrant veggie off your VegOut! Challenge list.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12
Radish: The Spicy Little Globe with Cool History!
DID YOU KNOW?
This humble root vegetable has an impressive past—ancient Egyptians actually paid pyramid builders in radishes! Available in a stunning rainbow of varieties from spicy red classics to mild white, slightly nutty purple, and earthy black versions, radishes offer more than just vibrant colors. They’re packed with beauty-boosting benefits as natural skin brighteners, anti-inflammatory heroes, and vitamin C powerhouses. Don’t limit yourself to raw snacking—quick-pickle them for tacos, roast for surprising sweetness, sauté the nutritious tops, or shred into slaws. Kids love transforming radishes into roses, creating veggie faces, or using them as colorful stamps! Pro tip: Winter radishes at Hope Farms are extra sweet and crunchy. Visit us to learn how to carve these spicy little globes into edible roses!
Roasted Radish & Herby Tahini Sauce
An Original Recipe by Alyssa Dole for Recipe for Success
Transform the humble radish into a culinary revelation with our Roasted Radish dish. These ruby gems turn magically tender and sweet when roasted to perfection, then are elevated by a silky, aromatic tahini sauce infused with bright lemon, punchy garlic, and fresh herbs. This unexpected combination creates a flavor symphony that challenges everything you thought you knew about radishes. This dish proves that simple ingredients can create extraordinary experiences. Click here for the full recipe and discover your new veggie obsession!
THURSDAY, MArCH 13
Brussels Sprouts: Tiny Cabbages, Mighty Powers!
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite their name, these miniature green powerhouses weren’t actually from Brussels, but a Belgian farmer made them famous in the 1500s! These little gems grow like green jewels on tall stalks, were once more expensive than caviar, get deliciously sweeter after frost, and pack more nutrition than their cabbage cousins. Forget the boiled sprouts of the past—roast until crispy, shred raw into slaws, air-fry for healthy “chips,” or caramelize with honey for game-changing flavor. Converting sprout-skeptical kids? Call them “Fairy Cabbages,” create mini veggie trees, craft bite-sized pizza bowls, or serve with colorful dips. Chef’s Secret: Winter-harvested sprouts are naturally sweeter—making this the perfect season to try these tiny but mighty vegetables!
SWEET TART BRUSSEL SPROUTS
AN ORiGINAL RECIPE CREATED BY THE INFORMAL GRUB FOR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Transform ordinary Brussels sprouts into an irresistible side dish or snack with this sweet and savory recipe featuring a delicious blend of brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, and umami-rich tamari. These miniature cabbages caramelize beautifully when roasted, bringing out their natural sweetness while maintaining their satisfying crunch. Brussels sprouts aren’t just delicious—they’re packed with fiber, vitamins K and C, and powerful antioxidants that support heart health and reduce inflammation. Click here for the recipe and discover a new favorite way to enjoy this nutritional powerhouse!
FRIDAY, MARCH 14
Jicama: The Crunchy Mexican Wonder Root!
DID YOU KNOW?
Imagine water chestnuts meeting apples—that’s jicama, the crispy, sweet root veggie that’s nature’s perfect snack! This “Mexican Potato” is actually a member of the bean family and can grow to an astonishing 50 pounds while maintaining its refreshing crunch even when cooked. Jicama is a nutritional powerhouse serving as a natural thirst quencher, prebiotic superstar, and fiber-rich but low-calorie vitamin stick. Go beyond basic preparation by sprinkling with chili-lime, adding to fruit salads, making crispy “fries,” or using as a healthy chip substitute. Kids love it cut into fun shapes, served with rainbow dips, made into jicama “cookies,” or crafted into crunchy art! Visit Hope Farms for smooth, firm roots and we’ll share our favorite Mexican-inspired serving ideas for this versatile wonder root!
Sōté-Rubbed Salmon with Hatch Pepper Sauce & Jicama-Mango Slaw
AN ORIGINAL RECIPE CREATED BY DRAGANA BAKES
Elevate your dinner game with a vibrant dish that combines perfectly seasoned salmon with a luxurious roasted Hatch pepper cream sauce and a refreshing tropical slaw. The star of this recipe is the crisp jicama slaw featuring sweet mango, peppery radishes, and zesty citrus dressing that provides the perfect contrast to the rich salmon. Not only is this dish bursting with flavor, but it’s also a nutritional powerhouse thanks to the vitamin-packed, fiber-rich jicama. Click here for recipe and try this delicious creation to check an “under-the-radar” veggie off your list for the VegOut Challenge!
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
Spinach: Popeye Only Knew Half the Story!
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know medieval artists used spinach to make green paint? From art supply to superfood, this leafy legend has quite the journey! Catherine de Medici adored it so much that fancy spinach dishes are still called “Florentine,” it was deemed worthy of Persian kings, and it made history as the first vegetable grown in space! Beyond Popeye’s muscle-building claims, spinach is truly a natural energy booster, brain-supporting powerhouse, and arguably more versatile than trendy kale. Skip the boring salad and blend it into undetectable smoothies, create silky pasta sauces, quickly sauté with garlic, or sneakily add to baked goods. For spinach-skeptical kids, rebrand it as “Power Leaf,” make fun green pancakes, create vegetable art prints, or disguise it in fruit smoothies. Visit Hope Farms this weekend for our winter spinach—it’s extra sweet and tender, perfect for smoothie newbies!
Sautéed Okra with Spinach
AN ADAPTED RECIPE FROM SHUBHRA RAMINENI for the Recipe for Success Foundation Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ program
Discover the perfect harmony of textures and flavors in this hearty, nutritious dish that transforms powerhouse vegetables into a satisfying meal. Fresh okra pieces are sautéed until perfectly tender-crisp, then combined with garlic-infused spinach, sweet onions, and a hint of zesty lime juice. The addition of cayenne pepper brings a gentle warmth that complements the natural earthiness of the vegetables. Served over your favorite grain—be it fluffy rice, protein-packed quinoa, or hearty lentils—this versatile recipe makes for a delicious lunch or dinner option that’s both nourishing and deeply satisfying. Click for recipe and discover a delightful new way to enjoy these nutritional superstars!
SUNDAY, MARCH 16
Bell Peppers: Nature’s Sweet Color Party!
DID YOU KNOW?
When your veggie looks like a rainbow, you know it’s going to be good! These vibrant beauties aren’t related to black pepper at all—they’re all sweetness without any heat, with each color offering its own unique personality. The green peppers transform into yellows, oranges, and finally reds as they ripen on the same plant, growing sweeter with every color change. From the crisp, fresh greens to the honey-noted oranges, sunny yellows, and sweetest reds (with gorgeous purples making rare appearances), bell peppers invite endless creativity. Go beyond basic preparation by stuffing with quinoa, grilling for smoky sweetness, crafting rainbow boats, or creating pepper “chips.” Kids love making pepper stamps, traffic light salads, pepper faces, or taking the rainbow taste test challenge! Visit Hope Farms this summer for freshly-picked peppers of all colors, and remember—those sweet red ones are just grown-up green ones with an extra dose of sweetness!
BLACK BEAN PINWHEELS
AN ORIGINAL RECIPE BY RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
These savory Black Bean Pinwheels blend creamy textures with bold flavors in every bite. Featuring a rich filling of cream cheese, sour cream, Monterey jack, and black beans rolled inside soft tortillas, they’re perfectly accented with roasted bell peppers, red onion, and fresh spinach. Easy to prepare ahead of time and perfect for parties, these colorful pinwheels are sure to disappear quickly from your appetizer table. Click here for recipe and track your veg!