Fresh Ideas for Early Spring Vegetables

After months of dining on stews, braises, roasts, and other rib-sticking meals with potatoes, parsnips, and winter squash, the arrival of spring heralds a whole new crop of fresh vegetables. Here in New England, in addition to the early-spring salad greens, bok choy, and asparagus, our local farmers’ markets also have ramps, wild garlic, fiddleheads, and morels on offer. It’s tempting to load up on these bright spring delights. But then you need to figure out how to serve them when you get home. What’s a cook to do?

Especially with fiddleheads and ramps, many cooks likely don’t have a lot of experience. The first thought might be to simply sauté them in butter and garlic. That’s fine, but you’re left with a side dish that may or may not pair with whatever else you’re serving. How about using these spring treats to surprise those around the table with a new and unusual dish?

Over the coming weeks, you’ll likely be making salads, tarts, stir fries, salads, and pasta dishes. Now is the time to start thinking about how you can incorporate spring vegetables using these same approaches. For fiddleheads, how about using them in a galette, pizza, quiche, or pasta primavera? After all, these ingredients are not likely to be available a few months from now. So why not go for it?

Instead of just serving them as a side dish, why not toss sautéed ramps into a salad with blanched asparagus, leafy greens, and a lemon vinaigrette and topped with seven-minute eggs. Or how about a Cajun veggie pasta that combines some of those roasted spring vegetables with tomatoes and scallions over fettuccine flavored with a creamy, spicy sauce that holds it all together.

Other food traditions take full advantage of the limited availability of these spring offerings. Take this Indian spring pea chaat with lemon raita or this spring vegetable paella. Here’s a pizza with garlic, cream, and nettles. You might try this white asparagus soup with pickled ramps and hazelnuts.

As for me, I prefer using them in stir fries and pastas. I just use a recipe that has similar ingredients and then just substitute spring vegetables, especially bok choy and ramps. I might try a quiche or frittata with some ramps and morels. And I can find innumerable ways to use the local asparagus that is beginning to arrive. I might even be able to take advantage of the asparagus shoots coming up in my own garden. Of course, on those warm days, there’s always a salad with farro, radishes, snap peas, and shaved parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Why pass up this opportunity to enjoy the delicious fruits (and vegetables) of spring? Do you have your own recipe for a spring dish?

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