Strawberries, berries, asparagus, leeks, chive, and peas can add color, flavor, and variety to everything from salads to main dishes.
By Eve Victory
There’s something about the budding trees and colorful flower blooms that immediately have us thinking of freshness and lightness. Take a break from those heavy winter dishes (though delicious!) and indulge in gorgeous spring produce.
Use Those Berries – Now is the time to buy berries of all kinds and use them liberally. They add tangy, sweet freshness to just about any dish. What is better than a chicken, spinach, goat cheese, and strawberry salad? Hmmm, maybe following it up with blackberry cobbler!
Stalks and Pods Liven Things Ups – Few things make me happier than low prices on asparagus. You will see it everywhere and in abundance, along with pea pods, shelled peas, and even fava beans. Add these lovely green veggies to your quinoa salads and sautés. Then add leftovers to your food processor with a little bit of chicken broth, cream, and some herbs, and poof, you have lovely sauce for your pasta.
All onions are not created equal – If you have only used what we commercially recognize as an onion – white, yellow or red – you are definitely missing out. This weather makes beautiful chives and leeks, both of which have a delicate onion flavor. Chives add a nice little mellow bite to any savory dish, and are a definite go to for garnishing. Leeks are an often-overlooked decadence. They caramelize beautifully and have a bit of a creamy, lovely texture.
Bring on the tropics – Though pineapples and mangos are available year-round, they are now at their peak of flavor. Both fruits are incredibly versatile so don’t be afraid to add them to meat dishes or relishes; and certainly, include them in your dessert experiments.
Adding color to our lives often brightens up our day. Do it on your plate with the bright flavors and colors of spring produce when it is at its best!
A native New Yorker, Eve Victory has called Hot Springs home since 2003. Working for years as an event and tradeshow planner and personal chef, Eve is currently the Hospitality and Tourism Instructor at National Park College. For information on how to turn your education into a career in the second largest industry in Hot Springs, contact Eve at evictory@np.edu.
