March Madness!
Happy March Gleaners!
Hopefully you’re enjoying the warmer temperatures and the longer days. Don’t forget to change your clocks for daylight savings time!!
March 19th is National Poultry Day!
When people think of Poultry there may be an inclination to think that there is only one type (Chicken comes to mind fairly quickly), but this day is a celebration of all types of poultry including Duck, Pheasant, Turkey, Quail, Goose, Game hens and Chicken among others. Celebrate this holiday with some delicious recipes or by learning some new things about different poultry (did you know that Duck is the only poultry that can be and is suggested to be served medium rare?!) or learning about the origins of the day. Here are some fast facts that you may not have known:
Chicken is the most widely consumed in America with each meat-eating person consuming 101 lbs a year!
The first poultry kept by humans were kept for entertainment rather than for food.
Chickens are still considered sacred for their tenacity and powers of divination in many countries around the world
The chicken is the national animal of France
Poultry feathers have been used to create quill pens, fire tinder, fishing lures, goose down bedding, decorative paper and much more!
Round out your celebration of this holiday with some delicious recipes: National Poultry Recipe Roundup
March 20th is National Ravioli Day!
It’s ravioli day! You might be wondering what makes a ravioli a ravioli? Is it anything encapsulated into a small package with things inside (AKA is a poptart a ravioli??). Well here’s the answer: it’s a small pasta envelope containing meat, cheese or veggies; which yes, technically makes poptarts or similar types of pastry (hello uncrustables) a ravioli, who knew?!
Ravioli can be filled with anything you want and that means you can afford to get really creative by adding different veggies, cheeses and meats (if you’re a meat-eater) and create infinite possibilities to what your ravioli can hold! Some of our favorite recipes include butternut spinach ravioli, pumpkin ravioli, and a three bean ravioli! If any of this sounds great to you check out these recipes : Over 50 Must-Try Ravioli Dinners
March 23 is National Chia & National Chip & Dip & National Tamale Day!
This day is jam-packed with delicious opportunities to try new things and explore a world of flavors! Let’s start at the top:
Chia Seeds! What are they?? They’re small seeds of a flowering plant of the mint family that are used to add fiber and micronutrients. They can be super beneficial too and they can be used in all kinds of applications (Chia Seed Pudding is delicious!). There are incredible uses and flavors you can add to these amazing seeds (check out: 25 Best Chia Seed Recipes for some starter ideas)
Chips & Dip!! The classic party food that can be made into anything you can imagine and can include any number of veggies, fruits, dairy, meats—really as far into the imagination as you can get! This delicious dish became popular in the 1950s as a finger food due to Lipton advertising campaign for their French onion dip recipe . Treys were then made to serve both chips and dip together and were featured during the Super Bowl in America and lo and behold, now almost any part or event has a chip and dip area for everyone to gather around. Check out these 85 Best Party Dip Recipes to see what you can create for your next party!
Tamales! Often imitated but never replicated completely. Tamales are made traditionally in corn husks in order to keep them from drying out but also to allow steam to come through and cook the filling. While making authentic versions of tamales can take some time there are faster recipes that can be made if you’re in a hurry (definitely try to make the authentic versions sometime though!)
March 25th is International Waffle Day!
An International holiday only comes around on our calendar once and a while but Waffle Day is here February 25th to make itself known! Waffles are defined as dishes made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that leave the iconic shape of a waffle! If you’re into ingredients, waffle batter has more sugar, butter and eggs than pancake batter which makes it higher fat content but also richer. Waffles come in a variety of types including Belgian, Flemish, Stroopwafels and others but all of them are delicious! Check out these 32 Waffle Recipes to wake up and start your day with!
March 26th is National Spinach Day!
Spinach day is a day to explore the incredible versatility of this great green! It offers some delicious diversity in your diet whether it’s cold in a salad or a sandwich or hot and cooked up in a stir fry. Make sure you find a new way to explore this day! 35 Best Spinach Recipes
March 27th is National Something On A Stick Day!
Something on a Stick day has got to be one of the most interesting and different National holidays that we get to celebrate. How many times have we been to a street fair or a food truck and seen people eating things easily off a stick as they head off to whatever else they need to do that day? How many folks can relate to eating things like candy or caramel apples or cotton candy on sticks at various celebrations? What about kebobs over a fire? Here’s your chance to celebrate not only those delicious memories but also explore new memories you can make with anything delicious you can manage to put on a stick!
March 31st is National Tater Day!
Potatoes are one of the greatest foods that covers almost all of the nutritional needs of humans (seriously, if you ate 10 potatoes a day you could have all the protein you need, but you’d be lacking in some vitamins and minerals—so maybe this isn’t the best new diet). Potatoes can be used to make anything from fries to hashbrowns to even potato candy (seriously you have to try this Potato Candy recipe!!). What a perfect way to round out March with a potato holiday in the month typically associated with St. Patrick’s Day and with Ireland (a country with a rich history of a variety of potato dishes since it was easy to grow in their soil and provided a lot of nutrients in a time when there were often lean food resources). Make sure you try out all the different ways you can use potatoes and maybe look into 10 Tasty Treats made with Potatoes!
This month finishes up with some of the same foods in season as were in early March, so while we’re going to give you a list update, we will also give you some information on some of the herbs and foods that you may not have known !
Apples
Chives
Horseradish
Mint
Morels
Mushrooms
Nettles- these can be dried/freeze-dried, used in soups, as greens in a salad, made into tea, made into beer or used to make lotions and tinctures!
Oregano- Can be used in sauces, marinades, stuffings, pizzas, salads, mozzarella, teas and tinctures. Should be stored cool and dry in an airtight glass container but can be stored in plastic bags in the fridge (up to a week in water!)
Potatoes
Sage
Sprouts