Longer days, blooming hillsides, and yummy new seasonal produce hitting the shelves: spring is officially in full swing! And what better way to ring it in than with cooking fresh meals using seasonal produce?
Eating seasonally not only has its health benefits, but its environmental perks, too. Typically, you can find most anything that’s not in season year-round at your local grocery store, but that food had to travel potentially thousands of miles to land on those shelves. Transportation of food contributes to 5% of the food sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, but eating locally and seasonally reduces the need to transport food so widely and, therefore, cuts down on emissions.
These ten recipes all highlight delicious seasonal ingredients, ranging from salads to entrees to desserts and more. Bon appétit!
1. Artichoke Hearts and Spinach Grilled Cheese
Creamy, crunchy, and nutrient-packed, this delicious grilled cheese stars artichoke, which makes its seasonal debut come springtime.
A seasonal twist on an old classic, arugula pesto is the perfect seasonal spread for pastas and sandwiches.
3. Grapefruit-Gremolata Salmon
Seems super fancy, but it’s actually a really simple recipe (whose color palette looks great photographed for the ‘gram, might we add). Also, if you’re wondering what the heck gremolata is, we got you covered: it’s a seasoning mixture made usually with grated lemon zest, minced garlic, and minced parsley. Better yet, both lemons and grapefruits are in season during springtime!
Photo by Taste of Home
4. Authentic Southern Collard Greens
Reminiscent of home-cooked Southern meal, this recipe features seasonal collard greens and plenty of fresh onions, garlic, and delicious spices.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a baker, this lemon olive oil cake is both very easy and very rewarding. It’s moist, not too sweet, and extremely flavorful, great for either a light dessert or a sweet breakfast treat.
6. Creamy One-Pot Pasta with Peas and Mint
Who doesn’t love a good one-pot pasta dish? Peas are officially in season and they pair excellently with the mint, lemon, and parmesan in this recipe.
Photo by CLAIRE SAFFITZ
This delicious broccoli dish hails from Northern India and makes for a perfect light lunch. You can get broccoli fresh or frozen pretty much any time of the year, but fresh in springtime is when it really packs a punch!
8. Watercress and Avocado Salad
Watercress is typically used as a garnish, but we think that it deserves to be the main event sometimes, too. This salad is a wonderfully light springtime dish — but the real superstar of the recipe is the grated apple, which adds a crisp yet subtle flair to the dressing.
9. Chickpeas and Chard with Poached Eggs
Swiss chard is the seasonal ingredient here, but really, the wonderful blend of Middle Eastern spices is what gets this recipe a five-star rating from us!
Photo by PEDEN + MUNK
Enough said: roasted asparagus is a must-have springtime side dish. This recipe has some great suggestions for seasoning it, like:
• Lemon zest and/or lemon wedges
• Sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Small handful of fresh mint or parsley, finely chopped
• Light sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• Pat or two of butter
• Light drizzle of balsamic reduction or thick balsamic vinegar
• Toasted sliced almonds
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