March is always the hardest month of the year for me. By March I’m stir crazy with winter and I’m itching for a change- a change in climate, a change in season, a change in dinner options. By March I find myself walking through the grocery store, desperately searching for food grown a little closer to home than Honduras or California, striking out week after week. Year after year I find myself in a food rut where my commitment to sustainable agriculture comes head to head with my total exhaustion with root vegetables. It gets to the point where I’m ready to just throw in the towel and shop exclusively from the frozen section of Trader Joe’s (because pastry puffs).

In ways other than food, the past few months have been incredibly hard. I lost a friend, I’ve watched helplessly as another friend set out on an incredibly difficult journey, I’ve caught every bug and flu going through school… things in our lives have been in a state of constant upheaval. Thanks to the past month my students have started describing our days as caddywhompus. The dreary diet of late winter is insult to injury to everything else that has been going on, and I am ready for some big changes. Changes in weather, changes in health, changes in menu. Slowly but surely, it’s coming. The temperatures are rising, greenhouses are bursting with greens, and each day is a step forward. It’s almost Spring.

Watermelon Radish and Dandelion Green Salad

2 bunches fresh dandelion greens

3 watermelon radishes

1/4 cup shaved sharp white cheddar cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or fire cider)

Chop dandelion greens and thinly slice radishes. Toss with shaved cheddar cheese, oil, and vinegar. Serve immediately.