Welcome Back, Spring Veggies

By Wendy Gordon

If, like our family, you've been trying to eat seasonally, you're probably sick of cabbage and parsnips by now. Luckily, new spring vegetables are poking their way out of the soil and into the marketplace.

In spring we mainly eat the leaf and stalk parts of plants, as fruiting requires warmer weather and full maturity. This basically means a lot of salad greens, though we also enjoy ferns (asparagus and fiddleheads), flower buds (artichokes) and morel mushrooms. Later in the season peas make their appearance: snow peas, sugar snaps and the thicker-podded English variety. Overwintering leeks, scallions and garlic also mature in the spring, as do their wild cousins, the garlic- and onion-flavored ramps. In keeping with the moderate temperatures and pastel tones of the season, spring foods tend to be mild-tasting and best prepared in ways that accentuate their subtle flavors.

Sorrel is a perennial in my garden, growing woody and ratty by the end of summer but reappearing fresh and green every spring. It adds a bright lemony flavor to this soup, but if there's none to be found you can substitute a mixture of spinach and watercress.

Potato-Sorrel Soup

• 4 T extra virgin olive oil
• 3 leeks (white parts only), chopped
• 6 cups sorrel leaves, loosely packed
• 2 pounds red potatoes, thinly sliced and cut in half if large
• 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp tarragon (fresh if possible, but dried works fine)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Greek yogurt (or whole milk) for garnish

1. Warm olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed stockpot. Sauté leeks for 2 minutes, then add sorrel and cook at medium low heat until wilted. Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. At this time purée the soup using a food processor, immersion blender or even the back of a wooden spoon (though I strongly recommend the immersion blender). It is not necessary to fully purée the soupâ€"feel free to leave some chunks of vegetable.
3. Return to low heat and add herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Top each serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

The mushroom growing kit we received for Christmas has supplied us with an abundance of oyster mushrooms for over a month, so naturally I've got oyster mushrooms on the brain and think they work well in this spring version of a bread salad. However, you can use any milder-flavored mushroom, from morels to criminis to plain vanilla white ones. Spinach is a cool season green that flourishes best during early to midspring.

Mushroom Parmesan Salad over Spinach

• 2 cups thick-crusted artisan bread, diced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sun-dried roasted tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, minced
• 4 cups spinach leaves, washed and dried
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced bread on a lightly greased cooking sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until toasted.
2. Sauté mushrooms in 2 T of the olive oil until tender, stirring frequently.
3. Combine bread cubes, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 T of the olive oil in a large, nonreactive bowl.
4. Place spinach leaves on a plate, top with mushroom mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

I've never been a big fan of English peas, so when I write recipe articles I usually concentrate on snow peas or sugar snaps. Now I realize my prejudice largely stems from experience with canned peas and, to a lesser extent, frozen onesâ€"fresh shelled peas are a different experience altogether. This sprightly green dish shows them off to their fullest.

Vivid Parsley and Pea Risotto

(adapted from "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison)

• 2 large bunches parsley (stems removed), minced
• 1 tsp dried tarragon or 1 T fresh tarragon, minced
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 T butter
• 1/3 cup chives, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups fresh shelled peas (frozen if absolutely necessary)
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Blend parsley, 1 1/2 cups of broth, tarragon, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Bring to a boil on the stove, then lower the heat and keep warm.
2. Melt the butter in a wide saucepan. Sauté chives briefly. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently for one minute, then add the wine and simmer until it is absorbed.
3. Add two cups of broth and simmer, stirring occasionally until it is absorbed. Continue adding the remaining broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring constantly until all the broth is absorbed before adding the next.
4. When all the broth has been absorbed and the rice is nearly done, add the parsley sauce. Raise the heat and stir briskly until the rice is done and most of the sauce is absorbed.
5. Add in the peas and goat cheese. Crumble or break up goat cheese before adding or stir in goat cheese first and add peas after cheese is fully incorporated. (Adding all the cheese and peas together could result in smashed peas.)
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.