Baby Lettuces
baby greens, baby lettuce, spring market, farmers market
baby lettuces
Unlike other vegetables and greens, baby lettuces have just as much flavor as their full grown counterparts. In fact, they are usually tastier and sweeter since any bitterness at the lettuces\' core has not yet developed. Look for whole leaves that are unbroken with no signs of wilting or browning. Avoid loose leaf lettuces as their exposed shoots can cause them to wilt faster. Store them unwashed in an open plastic bag in your crisper and use as soon as possible (within two days at the most). Pesticide residue can be a problem with leafy greens, so choose organic lettuce whenever possible.
\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nAvocado and Papaya Salad with Lime Dressing
\r\nShrimp Spring Rolls
\r\nSalad with Roasted Shallot Vinaigrettes
\r\nGreens with Pink Grapefruit and Red Onions
Fiddlehead Ferns
fiddlehead ferns, spring market, farmers market
fiddlehead ferns farmers market
Despite their sci-fi looks, fiddlehead ferns are the young, unfurled shoot of an actual fern, and are inedible once they mature. Only available for three weeks in May, they are foraged in the wild (not farmed) and taste of asparagus and artichoke. Look for bright, tightly coiled ferns and remove any dirt by swishing them in a bowl with cold water and rubbing off excess dirt with your fingers. Cook them immediately (they\'ll only keep for two days in the fridge) and use them like asparagus in pesto, risotto, tossed with buttered linguine or sautéed with other spring goodies like morels.
Try these Recipes Substituting Fiddlehead Ferns for Asparagus:
\r\nSpring Frittata
\r\nSpicy Tofu and Asparagus Stir‑Fry
\r\nWarm Asparagus and Citrus Salad
Artichokes
artichoke, vegetables, spring market
artichokes farmers market
Hailed as a cure-all by the ancient Greeks, this scaly vegetable is actually a flower bud in the thistle family. Typically best from April to May, artichokes are high in fiber and should be a deep green color with tightly packed leaves and clean stems showing no signs of blackening or bruising. Nearly all artichokes in North America come from Castroville, Calif., where in 1947, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first ever Artichoke Queen. Store yours unwashed, in a reusable plastic bag in the crisper of your fridge for up to a week.
\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nRoman-Style Artichokes
\r\nBow-tie Pasta with Baby Artichokes and Basil
\r\nArtichoke Pizza
\r\nBraised Baby Artichokes with Olives
\r\n
Cherries
cherries, farmers market, spring market
cherries
Usually best between May and June, cherries are the first stone fruit of the warm weather season. Unlike their stone fruit brethren, cherries do not ripen after they\'ve been picked, so only buy those that are plump, have a deep, uniform color, and are ready to be eaten. Store them unwashed in a bowl or open canvas bag in your fridge. They can be frozen for future use, but make sure to remove the pit, and do not defrost them if you\'ll be cooking with them (you\'ll lose some of their juices along with the ice). Pesticide residue can be a problem with cherries, so choose organic cherries whenever possible.
\r\n\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nCherry Pie
\r\nBarley, Nectarine and Cherry Salad
\r\nCherry Vanilla Ice Cream
\r\nQuail with Golden-Cherry Barbecue Sauce
Ramps
ramps, spring market, farmers market
ramps
Also known as wild leeks, ramps grow wild along the east coast from South Carolina all the way up to Canada and resemble scallions with leafy green tops. They have a distinctive onion and garlic flavor and a notoriously strong smell, and are only available in early spring. Because they are wild and not cultivated, they have an extremely short shelf life after they\'re picked and should be stored in an open plastic bag with a damp paper towel wrapped around the ends and used immediately. Use them instead of scallions in your favorite recipes.
\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nAlice Waters\'s Lentil Salad
\r\nBroiled Chicken Panzanella
\r\nCorn Cakes with Spicy Peas
\r\nRamps with Shiitake Mushrooms and Fresh Fava Beans
New Potatoes
new potato, potato, farmers market, spring market
new potatoes at the farmers market
Sometimes called creamers or fingerlings, these diminutive tubers are immature versions of various larger potato varieties, giving them a thin, undeveloped and edible skin. Fresh potatoes have more potassium than bananas, spinach or broccoli and are full of fiber and Vitamin C.They stand up well to roasting and boiling whole with the skin on and should not be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in a paper bag (never plastic) in a cool dark place like your pantry or basement for up to 4 days. Before cooking, make sure they\'re well scrubbed, have smooth skin and no visible sprouts or green spots.
\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nSunshine Potato Salad
\r\nPortobellos with Potato and Swiss Chard
\r\nMashed Potatoes with Celariac
\r\nBlue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon
Radishes
radishes, breakfast radishes, spring market, farmers market
radishes farmers market
Once thought to cure everything from whooping cough to gallstones, radishes are a root vegetable\r\n in the mustard family, which explains their somewhat spicy flavor. Most abundant from May to July, they\'re most commonly eaten raw, but can also be sauteed. Or, take a tip from the French and have them thinly sliced for breakfast with rich butter on a toasted baguette, topped with sea salt. They can last up to two weeks when refrigerated in a loosely closed plastic bag.
\r\n\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nSauteed Radishes
\r\nWarm Potato, Radish and Fennel Salad
\r\nChilled Cucumber-Melon Soup with Radish Salsa
\r\nLinguine with Shrimp
Strawberries
strawberries, spring market, farmers market
strawberries farmers market
These false fruits (they\'re technically not a fruit, or even a real berry) are more than just a romantic cliche. Just 1 cup of them provides 140% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C (that\'s even more than oranges). They\'re the first \"fruit\" of the season and extremely fragile. In fact, any moldy or blackened strawberries should be discarded immediately to avoid ruining other berries nearby. They should be stored unwashed in a loose, open plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel, and never in the plastic containers in which they\'re often sold, which promote moisture and cause bruising and mold. Pesticide residue can be a problem with strawberries, so choose organic strawberries whenever possible.
\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nFresh Strawberry Pie
\r\nStrawberry Cake
\r\nCitrus Yogurt Mousse with Strawberry and Raspberry Sauce
\r\nFior di Latte Ice Cream with Crunchy Bran Crust, Strawberries and Pinot Noir Sauce
Rhubarb
rhubarb, farmers market, spring market
rhubarb farmers market
Originally used for medicinal purposes, rhubarb is actually a vegetable commonly treated as fruit. It is rarely eaten raw because of its pucker-inducing tartness, and is generally referred to as the \"pie plant\" because of its common use in pies. Stems should always be firm and have a deep red color, and leaves (if still attached) should be large and a bright green. Store rhubarb in a loose plastic bag in your vegetable drawer for up to a week, until the stalks become soft.
\r\nRecipes to Try:
\r\nRhubarb Chutney
\r\nRhubarb and Strawberry Fool
\r\nStrawberry Rhubarb Sparkler
\r\nRhubarb Whipped Cream
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