Eating seasonally is a great way to get the freshest, most flavorful produce around, and as local markets start filling up with early-spring vegetables, it’s finally time for the asparagus-fest to commence! Here’s a guide to 10 springtime vegetables that you just have to try while they’re in season.
1. Asparagus
Sure, you can technically get “asparagus” year-round, but the kind of “asparagus” you get in a grocery store in November really ought to come with a warning label reminding you that it only passingly resembles the real thing. Truly fresh asparagus picked at the height of its season has a delicate flavor and a light crunch that works perfectly with eggs, steak, or just about anything else.
Try it in…
- Asparagus soup with a hint of Lemongrass (Made by Jayne)
- Chicken, Bacon, and Roasted Asparagus Salad (The Healthy Foodie)
- Truffled Spring Green Omelet (Colorful Eats Nutrition)
2 . Radishes
Raw radishes add a sharp crunch to salads, relishes, and burgers. Cooked, they have a more savory flavor with just a hint of bite remaining – choose your favorite method or just buy a couple bunches and make several.
Try them in…
- Carrot and Radish Sauerkraut (Fermented Food Lab)
- Paleo Skirt Steak with Radish & Cucumber Salsa (Rubies and Radishes)
- Sautéed Radishes with Butter and Parsley (Delicious Obsessions)
3. Rhubarb
Rhubarb has a bit of a pucker to it, to put it mildly. It’s not the kind of vegetable you just grab and chow down on. But you also don’t need to drown it in sugar, and in fact, it doesn’t even have to be dessert at all! Try it in…
- Chicken aux Herbes de Provence & Savoury Rhubarb (The Saffron Girl)
- Strawberry Rhubarb Omelette (The Primalist)
- Roast Pork with Cherry Rhubarb Sauce (Gutsy by Nature)
- Easy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce (Seasonal and Savory)
4. Spring onions (scallions)
Onions are a year-round crop, but spring onions are best in the earlier months – these are the ones with the long green stems and white bulbs that are just barely thicker than the ends of the stems. They’re pretty mild, and they’re particularly great for people with a FODMAPs sensitivity, because most people can still eat the green stems, even if they can’t eat the white bulbs. Try them in…
- Asparagus and Caramelized Spring Onion Saute (Slim Palate)
- Pickled Spring Onions (Sippety Sup)
5. Mustard greens
Mustard greens have a slightly peppery flavor, a little bit like arugula, but not quite so intense. Most people like them better cooked than raw; they make a nice change from spinach and kale. You can use mustard greens in almost any recipe that calls for collards or other cooking greens, or try them in…
- Braised Mustard Greens with Bacon (Stupid Easy Paleo)
- Indian-Style Mustard Greens (Food 52)
6. Fresh apricots
You can get dried apricots at any time of year. But for the best fresh ones, you’ll want to stick with their actual growing season; otherwise, you’re liable to get ones that were plucked before they’re ripe and don’t have much flavor. In the late spring and early summer, apricots are at their most flavorful, so take advantage them as a nice preview of the summertime fruit season to come. Try them in…
- Curry Apricot Relish (Cranking Kitchen)
- Apricot Ginger Applesauce (Stupid Easy Paleo)
- Rabbit and Apricot Skewers (PaleOMG)
7. New potatoes
Yes, white potatoes are fine to eat. New potatoes are in season in the late spring to early summer – they’re small and tender, and perfect for salads or roasting. They’re slightly sweeter than regular potatoes, and have a firmer texture. Try them in…
- Crushed New Potatoes with Olive Oil and Chives (Lemon Squeezy)
- Syracuse Salt Potatoes (The Black Peppercorn)
- Herbed New Potatoes (Clean Eating)
8. Arugula
Arugula, or rocket, is a green with a serious attitude. You can get it spring through fall, but it’s a little bit milder in the spring, so if you’re not totally sold on the full-on bite of summertime arugula, the springtime version is much milder. Try it in…
- Spring Salad with Prosciutto and Grapefruit (Primal Palate)
- Zesty Zoodles with Wilted Arugula (Balancing Paleo)
- Spring Green Arugula Pesto (Colorful Eats)
9. Strawberries
Strawberries are the early birds of berries, showing up at the start of the season to whet your appetite for the summertime bounty to come. (Unless, of course, you live in Florida, in which case strawberry season is in the late fall!). Strawberries are tasty in desserts, but here’s a collection of savory recipes that feature them in salads or with vegetables as part of a main course:
- Sauteed Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Strawberries (The Fitchen)
- Creamy Strawberry Chicken Salad (Jan’s Sushi Bar)
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad (Paleo Leap)
10. Foraged Wild Plants
From tender young dandelion greens (get ‘em before they bloom!) to the famous morel mushrooms to regional favorites like fiddleheads, what you forage will depend on where you are. A good place to start for recipes is to search for foraging guides for your area; in the mean time, here are some common favorites:
- Dandelion greens: everyone knows what they look like; here’s how to make them into dandelion green salad. (Terra Americana)
- Morel mushrooms: here’s a quick guide to identifying and finding them, including some lookalikes to avoid, and here’s a recipe for trout with morels and wild onions. (Hunter Angler Gardener Cook)
- Ramps: ramps are wild onions that grow on the East Coast of the US and have an intensely devoted following among amateur foragers who just can’t get enough of the taste. Here’s how to cook them with eggs and bacon. (Serious Eats)
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