Spring Harvests Are Coming

In two days it will be Spring and with it comes not only new life but  also a new crop of veggies. It's a time for home chefs and foodies to rejoice. A new harvest means new dishes made with a variety of different vegetables.

Famed New York Times food writer Mark Bittman, wrote about them in today's issue of The New York Times Food section.. He is lucky to live in Berkeley, California where the weather is much warmer than the rest of the US. spring has sprung there and with it  a plethora of greens,Already they have green peas and asparagus along with more exotic ones such as red carrots. Chickpeas and that Spring classic asparagus are also out in full force on the West Coast The last is just starting to be seen here on the still frosty East Coast.It's also a times for herbs to appear as well and fresh chervil is being grown and sold . Citrus trees are also blooming out west and Mr Bittman boasts about having his Meyer lemon tree in full bloom with it being heavy with fruit. These lemons also come in handy when creating Spring dishes., thanks to their distinctive flavor.

Mr. Bittman also includes some recipe for the new harvest. He gives us one of his favorites, deep fried Spring onions.It's originally from the famed Chez Panisse and it a take on tempura.It would just be a  fun dish to make for a crowd  and it can also be tried with  asparagus too.He has a recipe for the last in the form of a frittata. Parsley and chervil are also added to color and flavor.Although one of the best recipes for asparagus is simply boiling the stalks for ten minutes  and then serving then  with melted butter and a good sprinkle of fresh Parmesan. Since peas are also going to be in full force soon, there is a recipe for oil and water boiled English peas with tasty grilled Little Gems lettuce, a sweeter tasting head , that's solely from the San Francisco area.(although some supermarkets here do have it.}Mint and garlic are also added for flavor as well.


In two days we'll be heading into Spring.It'll be bursting with fresh harvests and fresh flavors. It's a time to rejoice and try these harvests with new and exciting recipes.