Wake Up Your Menu
Are you ready for spring? As the weather warms up, there will be plenty of fresh produce for your table, meaning a shift in your menus—you can trade your hearty winter meals for light spring dishes. Eating locally and in season has several benefits: not only are fruits and vegetables more flavorful, but they’re cheaper as well, without the additional costs of shipping. Take advantage and check out your grocery store or local farmers market for the best deals.
As for what to buy, asparagus and rhubarb are spring foods that might be hard to find at other times of the year. Artichokes also hit their peak season, and you can sweeten the pot with sugar snap peas. Salad greens like spinach, arugula, butter lettuce, and watercress are a great way to wake up your menu after a cold hibernation. And for the final garnish, dill, chives, parsley, and tarragon are fresh herbs full of flavor. Yes, it’s a bit of a list, and the spring foods in season are going to be a little different depending on where you live. Luckily, resources like this handy Seasonal Food Guide can help you sort through what produce is available based on location and time of year.
Once you have an idea of the ingredients you’ll be using, it’s time to take a look at some spring food ideas and recipes to use them in.
- With so much produce on the table, is it any surprise we’re starting with salads? Bright and crisp, they’re also packed with nutrients, the perfect healthy recipes for spring. Bon Appétit has a spring salad roundup that really showcases some of these seasonal ingredients. For maximum nutrition, pick something with darker salad greens and a variety of other colors—like this confetti salad, perhaps.
- A one-pot spring stew is absolutely filled with seasonal produce, cooked down to tenderness for a gentle transition out of winter soups. It’s also great for vegetarians, as is the refreshingly sweet contrast of this blackberry fennel pizza. For the omnivores, lighter proteins complement the season’s milder flavors, so trout with asparagus and dill sauce is a great choice of meals for spring.
- As much as we love a decadent dessert, spring is the season for lighter textures and fresher flavors. So let’s take a look at sweet treats like honey lime fruit salad (yes, more salad), a simple rhubarb compote (goes great on yogurt, ice cream, and more!), and everything in Saveur’s spring dessert collection (which has plenty of spring baking ideas if you’re craving something a little more substantial).
- And finally, you can add a colorful garnish to your glass with infused ice cubes—they’re a simple way to give your drinks a little more style. Or, if you’re looking for spring drinks with a little more kick, a raspberry mint mojito is perfect for relaxing at any spring soiree.
Of course, with so many different recipes for spring to savor, you’ll definitely want to clear off some space on your cutting board. Our Confetti bowls are perfect for holding chopped vegetables before they go in the pot, or for measuring out all your spring baking ingredients—their bright and colorful appearance will help you celebrate the season and cheer up the kitchen as you cook. The Confetti collection is also ideal for salads, which can be mixed and served right from the same spring dish. Check it out now!
