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7 Recipes for Springtime Vegetables

Spring is back and, with it, seasonal vegetables. Asparagus and fiddleheads, then rhubarb—oh, yeah, it’s a veggie too!—are starting to appear on the shelves in grocery stores. It’s the best time of the year to cook them. Here are seven recipes that put them centre stage.

ASPARAGUS

Asparagus usually ripens around mid-May, but the time can vary from year to year depending on the weather. The spears are long, bright green and nicely crunchy. They can be prepared in 1,001 ways, starting with these three recipes.

1. Asparagus Carbonara

We never grow tired of carbonara, which we’ve revisited here in a fresh version with asparagus rather than pasta. Prepare the creamy sauce with egg yolks and Parmesan cheese, which will serve as the topping on your crisp, al dente-cooked asparagus. Don’t forget to sprinkle it with crumbled bacon and grated Parmesan for a tasty starter.

2. Grilled Pork Chops and Quinoa with Broccoli and Asparagus

Crunchy and delicious, asparagus is the perfect companion to meat dishes. In this recipe, the pieces are cooked quickly in the same pot with quinoa and broccoli. Their strong flavour is well matched with grilled pork. Plus, they add a welcome touch of green to this easy peasy weeknight meal.

3. Herb and Asparagus Omelette

Here’s an ideal recipe for a sunny springtime brunch. Fold the omelette and insert a generous amount of fresh herbs and asparagus. Finish it off with a few shavings of a good hard cheese. It’s the perfect hearty lunch and a satisfying way to begin your day.

FIDDLEHEADS

Asparagus may be synonymous with spring, but so are fiddleheads! This vegetable, which is actually the furled fronds of young ferns, comes to farmers’ markets throughout Quebec around mid-May. Fiddleheads, also known as fiddlehead greens, are interesting to incorporate into many dishes. Their taste is similar to that of asparagus, but woodier. 

4. Chorizo and Fiddlehead Pasta Salad

The classic pasta salad embraces springtime with the addition of fiddleheads. Blanch them, then mix them with English cucumber, gemelli pasta, chorizo and sun-dried tomato mayonnaise. A creamy mix, with spicy notes, perfect for lunchtime.

5. Fiddlehead Frittata

This is a great dish for both brunch and supper. The recipe combines twice-blanched fiddleheads with beaten eggs, bacon, onion and chives. An omelet that puts spring flavours forward. All it takes to make a great impression is a single glance.

RHUBARB

Because of its fleshy stalks, rhubarb is a vegetable! Who knew? It’s one of the first local crops in spring and you can find it at the grocery store and market from around the end of May through the end of August. Stock it and freeze it so you can enjoy it for the rest of the year. Cook it in desserts and compotes, but also in savoury dishes to serve with fish or chicken, for example.

6. Rhubarb and Pistachio Cake

We can never have too many dessert bread recipes! They’re great for breakfast, in lunchboxes, as an afternoon snack or even dessert. This one is poised to become one of your new favourites, thanks to the cake’s ultra moist texture and the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours. And the crunch of roasted pistachios punctuates each bite.

7. Yogurt with Rhubarb Compote and Pumpkin Seed Crumble

Among the food pairings that make us happiest, yogurt with rhubarb compote can’t be beat. And with added texture from a crumble made with pumpkin seeds, almonds, oats and brown sugar, it becomes a dream breakfast.