Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club #5
Featuring Feel Good Food by Jeanine Donofrio
Welcome to the Michelle Seguin MD newsletter! I’m Dr. Michelle, and I’m so glad you’re here. Our community of over 975+ readers continues to grow, and this week’s issue features something special: our very first reader’s choice cookbook for the Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club.
Hello friends,
After weeks of bare branches and muddy ground, something shifted here in Upper Michigan. A stretch of warm days and one good spring rain, and suddenly the leaves popped. The serviceberry trees are in bloom with the apples soon to follow. The hillsides have gone from gray to green almost overnight, and everywhere you look, there’s a quiet kind of aliveness.
It’s that energy of emergence, of color returning, of meals that feel fresh and vibrant, that inspired this month’s Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club pick: Feel Good Food by Jeanine Donofrio. I was so happy to see this one chosen by you, our community, as our very first reader’s choice selection. Jeanine’s recipes are the kind that nourish from the inside out: simple, seasonal, and grounded in real life.
I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s cook together.
With gratitude,
Dr. Michelle
Background for Feel Good Food
Feel Good Food is a book that meets you where you are: in a real kitchen, on a weekday, with whatever’s in the fridge. Jeanine Donofrio, the creator of the Love & Lemons blog, organizes her recipes in a way that is both practical and refreshing. The chapters are grouped by meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, soups, salads, and desserts. It makes it easy to find what you need when you’re standing in the kitchen, wondering what to make.
What I really appreciated is how each section is divided into two styles of cooking. The At the Ready recipes are for those moments when you want to open the fridge and make something with what’s on hand. The In Advance recipes are for those who like to meal prep, have a few go-to flavorful sauces or dressings, and bring together nourishing bowls or plates with ease during a busy week.
It made me pause and reflect on how my own cooking rhythms shift throughout the year. In some seasons, I cook more intuitively. In others, I rely on simple building blocks to help me feel grounded and supported through the week.
One of my favorite features in the book is the “3 Ways” series. Jeanine highlights a single ingredient, like spring greens or lentils, and offers three creative ways to use it. It’s a thoughtful and playful way to stretch what you have, reduce food waste, and keep meals feeling fresh.
This kind of structure reflects so much of what I teach through the lens of food as medicine. It supports different cooking styles, lowers the pressure of perfection, and makes it easier to prepare meals that are both supportive and sustainable.
What kind of cook are you right now? Did this book reflect your natural style, or inspire you to try something new?
What’s on the Menu
This month’s recipes center on spring vegetables like peas, asparagus, and hearty greens, all of which support our bodies’ natural rhythms this time of year. These meals are flexible and forgiving, perfect for easing back into cooking with fresh produce.
Spring Pea Fritters with Whipped Feta (p. 109)
Rating: Crisp and joyful
These fritters are light yet satisfying, with the sweetness of peas balanced by the salty tang of whipped feta. I love them over greens with a handful of herbs and a drizzle of lemony olive oil. They also make a great packed lunch, soup topper, or afternoon bite along your favorite fresh crudités. Like pancakes, it took me a couple of tries to get a feel for the batter. It’s a little loose, so packing it into the measuring cup helped give it structure.
Peas are rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and micronutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. They support immune function, blood sugar regulation, and healthy digestion. Pairing them with feta adds calcium and healthy fat for a more complete, satisfying meal.
Creamy Orzo with Asparagus and Peas (p. 115)
Rating: Bright and comforting
This is a perfect weeknight dinner, quick to make and full of spring flavor. The orzo cooks into a creamy, risotto-like texture that pairs beautifully with crisp-tender asparagus and sweet peas. I like to finish mine with lemon zest, fresh basil, and as luck would have it some of the leftover shaved pecorino from the greens and grain bowl below.
Asparagus is high in folate and inulin (a prebiotic fiber). Peas add fiber and plant protein, while orzo offers gentle carbohydrates that fuel energy and focus.
Greens Three Ways (p. 197)
This section was a reader favorite, and I can see why. Jeanine offers three delicious ways to prepare seasonal greens, encouraging us to use what we have and reduce waste.
Farro and Greens Gratin is hearty and cozy, ideal for cooler spring evenings.
Kale Pesto Gnocchi is vibrant, rich, and comforting.
Colorful Greens and Grains Salad is the one I cooked this month, and it’s packed with color, texture, and flavor.
Dark leafy greens like kale, chard, and spinach are high in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K. They support cardiovascular health, bone health, and brain health. These recipes encourage whole-plant cooking using stems, leaves, and all. It’s also a beautiful continuation of the low-waste kitchen strategies we explored last month in One: Pot, Pan, Planet.
1. Spring pea fritters with whipped feta and fresh herbs including chives from the garden
2. Creamy orzo with asparagus & pea plus the first of our tulips and daffodils
3. Colorful greens and grains salad
Reflections for You
As we settle into the fullness of spring, I invite you to pause and reflect. These questions are meant to help you notice what’s resonating in your kitchen, your body, and your life this season:
Which recipe felt most alive to you this month? Was it the color, the flavor, or the way it made you feel after eating it?
What greens or spring ingredients are showing up in your meals right now? How are you preparing them?
Did Feel Good Food inspire you to approach your cooking with more intuition or flexibility?
What does feel good food look like for you this season?
This month’s featured recipe is the Colorful Greens & Grains Salad—a vibrant, textured bowl made with kale, quinoa, walnuts, apricots, and pickled rainbow chard stems. I added a few of my own touches, including a swap for quinoa and a boost of grilled chicken to round out the plate.
In this episode, I walk you through the step-by-step process while sharing:
How this recipe fits into a plating method I use in my clinical practice to help build balanced, nourishing meals
Reflections from a spring evening at Granor Farm and what it reminded me about care and attention
Why Swiss chard is one of my favorite crops to grow with kids and how the stems, often tossed aside, can become something beautiful
You can listen to this month’s episode just below.
You can also explore past episodes or subscribe to the series through my Kitchen Conversations Directory on Substack.
In Closing
Thank you for being here, and for cooking alongside me this season. Whether you made just one recipe or tried them all, I hope something about this month’s book brought you a sense of joy, comfort, or inspiration. Feel Good Food reminded me that care in the kitchen doesn’t have to be complicated. It can come from using what we have, honoring the ingredients in front of us, and showing up with presence.
Next month’s cookbook selection is one I’m especially excited to share. We’ll be cooking from a beautiful book filled with summer-inspired recipes that also support a specific health focus for the month of June.
It will also feature our very first special guest Kitchen Conversation with the author. Stay tuned—I’ll announce the title in next week’s newsletter!
Until then, I’d love to hear what you’re making and how you’re feeling in your kitchen this spring. You can share your reflections in the comments or join us in the Substack chat thread, where we swap photos, tips, and seasonal inspiration.
With love and care,
Dr. Michelle
P.S. If this month’s reflections on spring greens, whole food cooking, and what it means to feel nourished resonated with you, I’d be honored if you’d like this post or share it with a friend. And if you’re new here, welcome! I’d love to have you join us in the Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club as we explore food as medicine, one seasonal recipe at a time.
Here are my most recent Substack sharings:
Begin Again - A quiet reflection on beginner’s mind, slow growth, and the early days of spring
I love everything seasonal. As a new empty neater and a busy business owner I am looking for simple recipes. I would like to cook 2-3 a week and reheat my meals. During winter I made a large pot of soup veggies with protein once a week.
So many good things here! I’m savoring the creative ideas for cooking with greens and ‘three ways’ of inspiration for vegetables! That should help build my repertoire of options