Sweet Spring! Your Guide to Seasonal Spring Foods

Finally, spring has arrived! It’s about time to bust out the sandals and tuck away those winter jackets. Along with the new season comes the excitement of choosing and chowing down on delicious, organic fruits and vegetables that are in season.

The best way to consume produce is to eat those that are in season. The taste, aroma, and nutritional content is highest when the produce is harvested at peak season and, preferably, grown locally. Spring lasts from late March until late June, so get these produce items while they’re in season.

Fruits

Fruits to enjoy in the springtime include strawberries, pineapple, lychee, lime, honeydew, jackfruit, oranges, and mango. For breakfast, try making Strawberry Pecan Stuffed French Toast or Sugar and Oil Free Mango Lime Pancakes with Ginger and Coconut [Vegan]. Other recipes that feature in-season fruit include Strawberry Kale Smoothie. Of course, spring fruit also means creating mouth-watering desserts! Use in-season fruit for  Vegan Pineapple and Strawberry Bread/Cake, Orange Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake, Orange Mango Mini Cheesecake, and Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes.

Vegetables

Asparagus is a spring vegetable that you can buy in season between May and mid- to late- June. Nutritionally speaking, fresh asparagus stalks are good sources of  fiber; protein; vitamins A, C, E and K; as well as folic acid, iron, and selenium. They are the vegetable stars in this Lemon Terragon Asparagus and Raw Asparagus Soup. Other vegetables in season include artichokes, broccoli, green beans, rhubarb, and vidalia onions. Try this Spinach Artichoke Dip and Broccoli ‘Cheese’ Pasta Dip. Also go for fresh lettuce. Lettuce is best when it’s crisp, and you can find several varieties at their peak in the spring, including swiss chard, watercress, collard greens, mustard greens, manoa lettuce, butter lettuce, and Belgian endive. Spring and summer are great times for making a fresh salad. Try making a New Potato Salad with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette and Zesty Green Salad. Or, for a cooked, green meal, try Swiss Chard and Onions, Currants and Pine Nuts or Indian Cashew Swiss Chard.

Legumes

Spring is the season for fava beans, which are large, unique in taste, and a favorite staple in Mediterranean countries. They thrive best in cool, wet weather. Try them in this Barley Risotto with Fava Beans, Corn and Mushrooms. Peas are another legume to get in the springtime, since they are in season for only two weeks in early spring, when they have a high sugar (low starch) content, and are full of flavor and nutritional value. While out-of-season, peas will have a low sugar and high starch content, little flavor, and no nutritional value unless you buy them frozen. Try them in this Raw Green Pea Soup or Sweet Pea Hummus.

Your local farmer’s market is one of the best places to purchase locally grown, fresh produce harvested at peak times throughout the season. So, take a reusable bag, buy amazing, organic fresh produce, and try your hand at one of the above recipes.

Image source: Liz West / Flickr