Buck Reed
Ah…spring! There are many things to look forward to with the changing of the season, not the least of which is a farewell to all this cold weather and snow. Of course we will be experiencing more than a bit of rain in the coming days (we hope, anyway), but at least we will not have to shovel it. And the rain coupled with the warmer weather and sunshine will bring us that wonderful spring produce that makes its way into the markets this time of year only to disappear all too soon. The only lesson to be gleaned from this is to enjoy it while you can.
The first thing to look forward to is the green vegetables. Although spinach, broccoli rabe, and bok choy are, for the most part, available all year long, they are at their best this time of year. These vegetables are uplifting for the spirit—as well as the body—and can be a wonderful addition to your meal as a side dish, or can be easily incorporated into any dish. Salads and slaws are an obvious choice; think about adding them into a soup or stir-fry. Even better, sauté any of these vegetables and serve them with your eggs for a quick breakfast or brunch.
Rhubarb is another vegetable we see in abundance this time of year. I say vegetable, because botanically speaking, it is such, but like the tomato, it had its classification changed to a fruit by a New York court for taxation purposes. My grandmother told me when I was younger that you have to cook rhubarb before you eat it or it could kill you. Maybe the thought that it might kill me made it more desirable to me, and so it became one of the vegetables I looked forward to every year. An easy use is in a pie—strawberry is probably your first choice, but apple works extremely well, also. You can also use it to make a chutney or relish to serve on grilled pork or chicken.
If onions had a monarchy, then ramps would be their king. This wild onion looks like a leek and has a unique garlic flavor. Once cleaned, ramps have to be boiled before they are used in a recipe. They can then be used anywhere onions are called for, but I like to make a compound butter with them. Wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer, you can enjoy them long after they are gone from the store.
And, finally, my favorite spring vegetable has to be baby artichokes. You have to really look out for these; maybe even talk to your produce manager regarding when they expect to see them in. I would love to give you a bunch of ideas for this vegetable, but the only way I eat them is roasted. Just trim them up, cut them in half, and place them in a pan just large enough to hold them. Cover about a third of the way with water and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of wine and roast in a hot oven until tender. Serve warm with aioli.
I know you may find it difficult to find some of these items, but they are well worth the effort of not only looking for them, but also talking to your produce manager about them.
If you need any more ideas or a recipe, please feel free to contact me at RguyintheKitchen@aol.com.
