a sight for sore eyes

With warming weather and blooming flowers comes local Spring produce! Learn about the season’s staples and what you can do with them.

Click on each image to go to the recipe. 

Arugula

Arugula is a member of the mustard family with peppery, nutty flavors. Like other dark, leafy greens, arugula is filled to the brim with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin K.

Augula Salad Pizza

Springtime Pesto

Citrus and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Asparagus

Asparagus is a Spring staple! Its mildly grassy and sweet flavor works in many applications. Asparagus has more glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, than any other fruit or vegetable.

 

Asparagus and Bell Pepper Quiche

Asparagus Stir-Fry

Broiled Asparagus with Cotija

Beets

Raw beets have flesh that is dense, aqueous, and crunchy. When cooked, beets develop a tender, toothsome texture with a mildly sweet, earthy flavor. Red beets are earthier than golden beets. You can even eat the beet greens – they taste like Swiss chard. Beets contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plenty of fiber!

Banana Beet Muffins

Roasted Beet and Fennel Soup

Carrots

Carrot flesh is dense, crisp, and snappy. Carrots have a sweet, earthy flavor, which intensifies when cooked. The leaves are edible too – use in place of parlsey or in pesto. Carrots are an excellent source or vitamins A and C. 

Moroccan Carrot and Radish Salad

Carrot and Pea Fritters with Raita

Maple Glazed Carrots

Garlic

Raw garlic is known for its pungent flavor and aroma, which intensifies when chopping, pressing, or pureeing. Cooking garlic mellows its sharpness and roasting it brings a wonderfully sweet flavor to the foreground.

Salad Pizza with Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic Aioli

Leeks

Leeks have an earthy, mild onion flavor and are considered the sweetest and most mild member of the onion family. Raw leeks are crunchy while cooked leeks take on a silky texture. Leeks are a good source of iron, vitamin C, and folate. 

Savory Noodle Kugel with Leeks

Potato Leek Soup with Gruyere

Peas

Spring peas are sweet and can be eaten fresh, cooked, or dried. They are also a first-rate source of plant-based protein!

Charred Snap Peas with Mint and Lemon

Vegan Split Pea Soup with Rosemary

Weeknight Ravioli with Peas and Ham

Potatoes

With earthy, buttery insides potatoes are one of the most versatile veggies! You can roast, grill, fry, mash, sauté, and boil them. Potatoes can also be prepared alongside so many cuisines. Potatoes contain vitamin C, fiber, and potassium! 

Parmesan Herb Crusted Potatoes

Mashed Potato and Bacon Pizza

Potato and Kale Tart

Radishes

Radishes, known for their peppery, crisp, white flesh, can be eaten raw or cooked. Slice thin to add a nice bite to salads, tacos, or pizza. You can also roast, braise, grill or pickle to bring out the more subtle sweet and earthy flavors. Radishes also contain enzymes which aid in digestion!

Lentil Salad with Radishes

Radish and Carrot Kimchi

Rhubarb

Rhubarb has a texture similar to celery, but the flavor is tart and astringent, which is why it’s often cooked down with sugar in sweet preparations. Rhubarb leaves are toxic with no safe culinary application. Rhubarb’s pink stalks are high in vitamin C, B-Complex vitamins, fiber, calcium, and potassium.

Rhubarb, Strawberry, and Sage Empanadas

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

Super Simple Rhubarb Crisp