As you may recall, I was also equally excited back in the fall when temperatures started to drop and foods I had missed cooking and serving really started to sound super appealing – hearty braises, rich meaty stews, and roasted cruciferous and root vegetables of all kinds. I will be doing an equally enthusiastic dance when I bite into my first vine-ripened and still warm summer tomato and the juice is running down my chin.
Although nowadays you can put asparagus on your Christmas menu and buy watercress pretty much year round, traditionally the changing of the seasons really dictated diet and menus. We can do a lot to resurrect this naturally inspired dining by focusing on products that embody the flavors, textures, and colors of spring and other seasons.
Here are some of the items gracing my table right now and a few quick tips on simple ways to prepare them:
Artichokes
These just might be the most overlooked spring vegetable in many households. In fact, they are probably one of my favorite food items of all time. When I was a kid, we always got to pick our birthday dinner and my menu always included steamed whole artichokes. I have fond memories of all of us around the table – picking leaf by leaf, dipping in garlicky lemon butter and scraping the meaty flesh from the base of each petal. Of course that is all just a prelude to the glorious heart, the succulent nugget at the center of each artichoke that is the reward. Scrape the hairy “choke” away with a spoon and dip it stem and all in the lemon butter – food nirvana.
Number one tip for enjoying artichokes this spring: Grilling!
If you have never tried grilling these guys before, you are really missing out. It is an extra step since they do need to be blanched or steamed first, but there is nothing like the smoky flavor and lightly charred crisp edges these get after a few minutes on the fire. Simply blanch or steam them until they are just tender enough to be easily pierced by a paring knife at the base of the stem. Drain and cool by plunging into a bowl of cool water or run briefly under cold water. Split in half and scoop out choke. Drizzle with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, fresh herbs, and salt and black pepper. Grill over medium heat on both sides until lightly charred. Remove from grill and drizzle with a touch more olive oil, lemon juice and coarse salt.
Asparagus
In most people’s eyes, probably the quintessential spring vegetable: there is just something about the vision of these bright green stalks poking out of the sun-drenched cool earth that signals the change of the food season. I absolutely adore asparagus and when the market starts carrying beautiful domestic spears at $.99/ pound versus $4.99/pound bunches from Mexico I will eat them several times a week for dinner.
Many people ask which is better -- big spears as thick as your thumb or ones that are delicately pencil thin. The real question is what do you want to do with them? The big thick ones are awesome roasted, grilled, or wrapped in bacon or prosciutto and broiled till crispy on the outside and drizzled with balsamic reduction.
The thin variety is divine eaten raw in a salad drizzled with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, torn fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves and shaved pecorino (I love anchovies draped over this, but not for everyone... ) Or lightly blanch them and serve topped with a poached egg, crispy bacon, and plenty of black pepper for the best breakfast ever. The absolute best accompaniment to this is grilled or toasted Great Harvest Dakota bread to sop up all of that glorious runny yolk.
Radishes
In the cold northern environs of Montana, the first edible things to poke their way out of my garden last season were gorgeous multicolored radishes that I had planted as soon as the ground was thawed.
After eating a few dozen just simply rinsed of soil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt, I found myself trying to figure out ways to eat them before they went south. They were amazing as a side dish simply cut in half and sautéed in brown butter with some garlic, shallot, and fresh herbs.
In a skillet set over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of butter until foamy and just starting to turn a nutty brown. Add 1 large bunch of your favorite halved radishes, 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic, and 1 minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until radishes are slightly softened and beginning to brown on the edges. Deglaze with just a touch of sherry, red, or white wine vinegar. Remove from heat and toss with chopped fresh tarragon, basil, or thyme.
One of the hottest cuisines in the world right now is Scandinavian and they have a healthy tradition of open face sandwiches slathered with all manners of spreads, smoked fish, and vegetables. Honestly one of the greatest uses of the sturdier of Great Harvest breads like Nine Grain, Dakota, and Sunflower is as absolutely the perfect vehicle for these. A classic combo I love for breakfast in the springtime is lightly toasted Dakota bread slathered in good quality butter (if you have not tried the KerryGold grass-fed pure Irish variety you have not really had butter), thinly sliced radish, red onion and, of course, sprinkled with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper.
Are you ready for spring fare? What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy spring vegetables?
Photo credits
Spring field: ~jjjohn~ via photopin cc
Artichokes: The Boreka Diary via photopin cc
Asparagus:: thebittenword.com via photopin cc
Radishes: sea turtle via photopin cc
