Seasonal Foods - Fun with Spring Produce

Choose Recipes that Utilize Local Seasonal Produce to Ensure Optimal Flavor and Freshness in your Cuisine

Apricots - May and June are the best times to eat apricots. Look for bright colored ones with a red blush; they will not continue to ripen after picking, so avoid greenish or hard apricots. 

Artichokes - Actually edible buds from a prehistoric looking bush. Baby Artichokes are actually buds that grow lower on the bush, therefore smaller. Whereas the larger chokes have three distinct parts, the smaller ones can be braised or sauteed and eaten in their entirety. 

Asparagus - Which are better? Fat ones or skinny ones? Jumbo are meatier and usually juicier, while the skinnier are more delicate in flavor and texture. It depends how you are preparing them, and of course, personal preference.

Cherries - Southern California grows only sweet varieties, sour cherries dominate markets east of the rockies. Eat fresh, or use in sauces, compotes, and desserts. *Try simmering dried cherries in port and balsamic vinegar for an hour, serve over baked brie. 

Fava Beans - A great snack- raw or blanched. *Puree blanched ones with olive oil, salt, pepper, and your chosen herb for an interesting dip or spread. Add to pasta sauces, salads, or stir-fry. 

New Potatoes - Dug from a live plant that still has green leaves attached above ground. Avoid ones with discoloration or sprouts, and keep them no longer than 2 weeks. Some stores market red potatoes as “new potatoes”- they are actually not the same product. 

Peas - Fresh peas are a real treat, especially when the peas we typically encounter are frozen or canned. They begin to lose their flavor shortly after they’re picked, so use them soon after purchasing, and store in the fridge. The less you do with peas, the better; cook them quick to avoid turning them to the mush you associate peas with from childhood! 

Rhubarb - Though actually a vegetable, it is treated more as a fruit in American kitchens. It should be bright red and crisp when bought. Be careful not to add too much sugar to it, or cook it too much it gets sweeter as it cooks but is less appetizing if mushy. Try in a compote. Combine with strawberries, lime, ginger, and cardamom for an enticing flavor combination. *(See recipe following). 

Strawberries - There are so many varieties of strawberries, locally grown and widely available in southern California. My favorites are the French variety from Chino Farms, or the large juicy ones at the stand on the corner of El Camino Real and San Diguito Road near Fairbanks Ranch. 

Sugar Snap Peas - Irresistibly crunchy and sweet; use as a healthy snack or topping to salads, or quickly blanch or sautee.