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Katie at the Kitchen Door

Globally-inspired, seasonal recipes

0 March 21, 2014 Food

13 Recipes for Looking Forward to Spring

Happy spring, everyone! We’ve just arrived back in Boston from Ecuador, and I was really hoping that upon stepping off the plane, spring would have firmly arrived. Perhaps that was a bit foolish (although I did see a few daffodil sprouts and an encouraging amount of sunshine on my run yesterday), but after this seemingly eternal winter, maybe we all need to delude ourselves a little about how close the days of flowy skirts, white wine on the patio, and sun-kissed evenings really are. After months of heavy winter foods (which, admittedly, are deliciously comforting and indulgent), the fresh green salads, local strawberries, and tangy rhubarb desserts of April, May, and June are a welcome change. To switch my recipe-planning gears into spring mode, I’ve been going through my archives to look for favorites from past years, and thought maybe you needed a little inspiration, too. Below are 13 of my favorite spring recipes, featuring an abundance of strawberries, rhubarb, English peas, and asparagus. So here’s to looking forward to springtime!

Drinks

13 Spring Recipes - Rhubarb Prosecco Spritzer {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Rhubarb Prosecco Spritzer

Rhubarb is one of the first plants to poke out of the ground, and its small pink buds are certainly a welcome sight. This cocktail celebrates the return of color to the earth with a simple rhubarb syrup and a splash of bubbly, a pretty pink drink for early spring.

13 Recipes for Spring - Green Pea Rum Cooler {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Green Pea Rum Cooler

A mix of fresh peas, cucumber, and tarragon muddled together with rum, this vibrant green cocktail is an unexpected departure from typical spring drinks. It’s vegetal yet still sweet, and great for mixing things up a little.

13 Recipes for Spring - Strawberry Lime Agua Fresca {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Strawberry-Lime Agua Fresca

This non-acoholic drink is the ultimate refreshing drink for a hot day. When you see perfectly red, juicy sweet strawberries at the market, this is the thing to make with them. Sweet and citrusy, you’ll never go back to lemonade.

Salads and Mains

13 Recipes for Spring - Cacio e Pepe with English Peas {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Cacio e Pepe with English Peas

This recipe was inspired by our trip to Italy last spring, where we had a wonderfully creative version of Cacio e Pepe served on a black bean puree at Il Santo Bevitore in Florence. Instead of black beans, we used fresh English peas to recreate the recipe and celebrate spring.

13 Recipes for Spring - Green Pea and Wasabi Soup {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Green Pea and Wasabi Soup

A head-clearing recipe for early spring, this soup plays on the concept of wasabi peas, using fresh peas and wasabi to make the base and then topping the soup with the classic crunchy snack.

13 Recipes for Spring - Strawberry Balsamic Salad with Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Strawberry Balsamic Salad with Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese

This salad should almost be in the dessert section, with its super-sweet strawberries, crunchy sugared pecans, and creamy soft goat cheese. But, if you promise to eat all the spinach, too, I’ll let you count it as a healthy meal instead.

13 Recipes for Spring - Smashed Pea, Dill, and Feta Crostini {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Smashed Pea, Dill, and Feta Crostini

These bright little appetizers are a little sweet, a little salty, a little lemony, and a little herbal. On a warm spring evening, you might find that these crostini and a glass of white wine make a perfect dinner all on their own.

13 Recipes for Spring - Pea, Fava, and Asparagus Risotto {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Pea, Fava Bean, and Asparagus Risotto

Come April and May, I start throwing English peas, fava beans, and asparagus into pretty much every recipe I make. So why not risotto too? The fresh bite of the green vegetables is a perfect counterpoint to the creamy richness of the mascarpone-laced rice.

13 Recipes for Spring - Snap Pea and Radish Salad {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Fresh Snap Pea and Radish Salad

This salad uses three quintessential spring ingredients – snap peas, radishes, and mint – to create a nutritious and light dish that’s packed with freshness and flavor.

13 Recipes for Spring - Asparagus and Arugula Pasta with Almond Parmesan Crumble {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Asparagus and Arugula Pasta with Almond Parmesan Crumble

You should be warned – if you make this recipe, you’ll become addicted to the almond parmesan crumble that goes on top. It’s the most delicious. The buttery sauteed asparagus and wilted arugula don’t hurt either.

Desserts

13 Recipes for Spring - Rhubarb-Ginger Bars {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Rhubarb-Ginger Bars

These tangy bars are a favorite of mine – with a peppery, gingery shortbread crust topped with tart pink custard, they’re basically dressed up lemon squares. I think these might be first on my list for rhubarb season this year.

13 Recipes for Spring - Lilac and Blackberry Pavlova {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Lilac and Blackberry Pavlovas

Did you know that lilacs are edible? While a bit painstaking to clean, infusing desserts with their delicate color and scent is totally worth it. These super light pavlovas with lilac blackberry syrup are a very elegant addition to the spring dessert table.

13 Recipes for Spring - Strawberry Almond Cream Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Strawberry Almond Cream Tart

A very traditional pastry, strawberry cream tarts are always sure to please a crowd. They’re at their prettiest when made with those perfect market strawberries, the ones that don’t need any sugaring, mashing, or macerating to be tasty.

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Categories: Food Tags: asparagus, english pea, fava bean, list, rhubarb, round-up, spring, strawberry

Previous Post: « Another Garden Season // Parmesan Beans with Kale and Sausage
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ahmed says

    March 21, 2014 at 7:08 am

    Yummy :) thanks for sharing

    Reply
  2. Maral Arslanian says

    March 21, 2014 at 7:21 am

    Great, now I need a napkin to wipe down my desk…

    Reply
  3. adanelz6 says

    March 21, 2014 at 7:43 am

    I love peas and how they are featured in so many of these dishes :) I made a spring risotto the other week that has a lot of fresh vegetables – http://milesforthought.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/spring-risotto/

    Reply
  4. Barbie says

    March 21, 2014 at 9:17 am

    yum!!

    Reply
  5. cooking with audrey says

    March 21, 2014 at 9:22 am

    OH MY GOODNESS!!! each and every one looks so scrumptious and amazing!!!! i look forward to many things like this, including spring itself!! :D

    Reply
  6. trixpin says

    March 21, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    Wonderful ideas and beautiful pictures! Thank you so much for the inspiration :)

    Reply
  7. MB Manion Morell says

    March 22, 2014 at 10:33 pm

    What a fantastic collection of spring ideas… And your photography is brilliant… I’m officially inspired :)

    Reply
  8. serendiipitously says

    March 23, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    The strawberry balsamic salad looks….so….nice!!!!!! :p

    Reply
  9. cookingonfleetstreet says

    March 24, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    They ALL look delicious! Can’t wait for better weather.

    Reply
  10. Salty Sweet Life says

    March 26, 2014 at 12:29 am

    Each and every one of these looks amazing! The strawberry-lime ague fresca and the pea crostini caught my eye a year or so ago when I first came across your blog! Beautiful!

    Reply
  11. Thomas says

    March 21, 2016 at 9:28 am

    Hi Katie, it all looks delicious! We just made the Easter Spring cocktail “Daffodill Sprout” that I think would compliment this list nicely. Find it here: http://cocktailsofcopenhagen.dk/daffodill-sprout/

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      March 22, 2016 at 6:56 pm

      Thanks Thomas. Love your blog – such beautiful photos!!

      Reply

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