Nourish
7 FRESH AND DELICIOUS REASONS TO HIT UP YOUR FARMER’S MARKET THIS WEEKEND
There are so many reasons to be excited about spring, but one of our favorites is that the season ushers in a special crop of produce. Packed with bright flavor, these fleeting green vegetables are a perfect way to transition into a new season in your kitchen—and reason enough to hit the farmer’s market this weekend. Here are some of our favorites, plus tips on what to do once you buy them.
FIDDLEHEAD FERNS
Tightly wound circles of tenderness, fiddlehead ferns make a brief but impactful appearance at the farmer’s market each spring. Buy a bag and use them anywhere you’d use green beans or asparagus—sautéed with garlic, stir-fried, cooked into risotto, or skewered and grilled.
NETTLES
Stinging nettles might intimidate you both for their name and because they resemble a weed. But with a peppery flavor and wide availability (check your yard!), they are a delicious substitution for any cooking green or for basil in pesto. In their raw form, they can irritate your skin, so be sure to handle them with tongs or gloves and blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water before cooking to ensure they’re safe to eat.
RAMPS
Foraged in shady, woodsy areas, ramps are wild leeks that pop up in early spring (they’re season is brief—blink and you’ll miss them at your farmer’s market!). Since ramps are labor-intensive to harvest, they can cost upwards of $20 per pound, but luckily a little goes a long way. (And if you have woods nearby, feel free to go for a hike to seek them out yourself!) They taste like a cross between an onion and garlic, so let that guide how you use them. You can grill them, add them (blanched first) to pesto, or even pickle them.
ASPARAGUS
Sure, you can get asparagus year-round at the grocery store, but there’s nothing like the taste of fresh, local asparagus in the spring. Since quantities of local asparagus might be limited, buy a bunch whenever you see it and find a way to incorporate it into your meal. Some of our favorite uses: shave it into salads, lightly grill it with olive oil and coarse salt, or sauté it and add it to a simple pasta dish with fresh peas.
GARLIC SCAPES
Depending on where you live, you may not see these at your farmer’s market until early summer—but grab a curly bunch whenever you do. Garlic scapes are the stalks that grow off of the hardneck variety of garlic, which means that they pack a similar, but much more mellow garlic flavor that’s incredibly versatile. We like them chopped and scrambled into eggs, substituted for basil in pesto, and added to stir-fries in place of regular garlic.
ARTICHOKES
California artichokes are at their peak in spring, so check your market to see if a fresh batch has come in—and bring a few home. Artichokes are somewhat labor-intensive to eat, but since they’re a rare treat, we like to savor the experience. We like them steamed with a pesto or lemon-butter dipping sauce.
BABY SPINACH
In some colder climates, spring greens are one of the most welcomed signs of spring. While some varieties of spinach are hardy enough for the outdoor temperature fluctuations of April and May, you’ll see these more from farmers who grow in high tunnels where the soil and air temperatures are warmer. Spring greens, like baby spinach, are typically more tender and flavorful than what you get later in the season, so enjoy them lightly tossed with a simple vinaigrette to taste bite after bite of spring.
What’s your favorite early-spring treat at the farmer’s market? Tell us in the comments below!
There are so many reasons to be excited about spring, but one of our favorites is that the season ushers in a special crop of produce. Packed with bright flavor, these fleeting green vegetables are a perfect way to transition into a new season in your kitchen—and reason enough to hit the farmer’s market this weekend. Here are some of our favorites, plus tips on what to do once you buy them.
FIDDLEHEAD FERNS
Tightly wound circles of tenderness, fiddlehead ferns make a brief but impactful appearance at the farmer’s market each spring. Buy a bag and use them anywhere you’d use green beans or asparagus—sautéed with garlic, stir-fried, cooked into risotto, or skewered and grilled.
NETTLES
Stinging nettles might intimidate you both for their name and because they resemble a weed. But with a peppery flavor and wide availability (check your yard!), they are a delicious substitution for any cooking green or for basil in pesto. In their raw form, they can irritate your skin, so be sure to handle them with tongs or gloves and blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water before cooking to ensure they’re safe to eat.
RAMPS
Foraged in shady, woodsy areas, ramps are wild leeks that pop up in early spring (they’re season is brief—blink and you’ll miss them at your farmer’s market!). Since ramps are labor-intensive to harvest, they can cost upwards of $20 per pound, but luckily a little goes a long way. (And if you have woods nearby, feel free to go for a hike to seek them out yourself!) They taste like a cross between an onion and garlic, so let that guide how you use them. You can grill them, add them (blanched first) to pesto, or even pickle them.
ASPARAGUS
Sure, you can get asparagus year-round at the grocery store, but there’s nothing like the taste of fresh, local asparagus in the spring. Since quantities of local asparagus might be limited, buy a bunch whenever you see it and find a way to incorporate it into your meal. Some of our favorite uses: shave it into salads, lightly grill it with olive oil and coarse salt, or sauté it and add it to a simple pasta dish with fresh peas.
GARLIC SCAPES
Depending on where you live, you may not see these at your farmer’s market until early summer—but grab a curly bunch whenever you do. Garlic scapes are the stalks that grow off of the hardneck variety of garlic, which means that they pack a similar, but much more mellow garlic flavor that’s incredibly versatile. We like them chopped and scrambled into eggs, substituted for basil in pesto, and added to stir-fries in place of regular garlic.
ARTICHOKES
California artichokes are at their peak in spring, so check your market to see if a fresh batch has come in—and bring a few home. Artichokes are somewhat labor-intensive to eat, but since they’re a rare treat, we like to savor the experience. We like them steamed with a pesto or lemon-butter dipping sauce.
BABY SPINACH
In some colder climates, spring greens are one of the most welcomed signs of spring. While some varieties of spinach are hardy enough for the outdoor temperature fluctuations of April and May, you’ll see these more from farmers who grow in high tunnels where the soil and air temperatures are warmer. Spring greens, like baby spinach, are typically more tender and flavorful than what you get later in the season, so enjoy them lightly tossed with a simple vinaigrette to taste bite after bite of spring.
What’s your favorite early-spring treat at the farmer’s market? Tell us in the comments below!
