This is the time of year when people can’t wait to shed their heavy winter coats and head outside to look for the many signs of spring.
What we want to see is green. After so many months of cold and dreary weather, green grass and blossoming trees are proof positive that the tide is turning and that our yards and gardens are (finally) coming back to life.
Spring also brightens up menus with tender, seasonal veggies and fresh flavors. Sure, nothing beats a big, warming bowl of stew when it’s cold outside. It’s just that after eating those comforting (and filling) dishes for so long, we can’t help but applaud the arrival of delicate, aromatic herbs such as dill, parsley, chives and cilantro, or the crunch of a spicy radish—among the earliest spring harvests for most gardeners.
There’s also the joy of finding bundles of pencil-thin asparagus, spring onions and bunches of fresh, leafy greens like arugula, spinach and baby lettuce at local markets.
Early community-supported agriculture baskets are also a friend to spring kitchens with offerings such as garlic scapes, sweet baby carrots and snap and snow peas.
Until then, you can easily find everything you need to make dishes that burst with spring’s colors and fleeting flavors at your local grocery store. And we’re not just talking about the expected green salad, though a tender spring mix dressed in a vinaigrette with a sprinkle of cheese and a handful of nuts is certainly hard to beat.
A quick and simple salad of chopped, raw radishes tossed with fresh parsley and lemon is a a snappy way to start a meal. There’s also something incredibly satisfying about crunching your way through a crisp cucumber sandwich.
If Asian street food is more your style, how about folding chopped green onion into a flat disk of hot water dough, rolling it up like a burrito, flattening it and frying it into an extra-flaky, crispy pancake?
Or maybe you’re thinking brunch. In that case, a savory, custardy quiche studded with asparagus spears and lemon is your friend. It can be made ahead of time and served either warm or at room temperature and makes great leftovers.
Hungry for something a little heartier? Baby spinach is a great stand-in for basil in pesto sauce for pasta. Tossed with short and twisty fusilli, farfalle or tortellini, it makes a great addition to your Easter table.
