Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Spring goodies
Take advantage of farmers markets
Spring always feels full of promise. By early June, those promises come to fruition. Green shoots from last year’s herbs sneak up in the garden, the rhubarb grows sturdy and the new lettuces taste sweet and tender. In most of our country, farmers markets and roadside produce stands make their return to our routine. It’s CSA box bonanza time. The word “local” crops up in the supermarket produce aisle.
More than anything, I love the treasure-hunt quality of the first market of the season: small bundles of skinny asparagus, bouquets of fresh herbs, sweet-tender lettuces, wooden quarts of thinskinned potatoes, pints of peas in the shell and out, crisp green onions, aromatic green garlic, tiny radishes. My heart beats faster with every purchase. I carry the goods to my kitchen counter to marvel at the freshness. The promise delivered.
To capture the best of these treasures, I opt out of strong added flavors such as dried spices or hot chile powders. It’s no accident that the flavors of this early summer garden taste great together. The new potatoes with the sweet peas. The asparagus with the mint.
I love our jampacked herb garden most in the spring and early summer, when the mint is small-leafed and mildly flavored. Same for the skinny chives and sweet tendrils of fresh cilantro, fennel and dill.
Speaking of sweet and tender, the season’s first asparagus delivers in spades. I’ve recently altered my asparagus cooking habits and now skip peeling the stalks. I also don’t break the bottoms off the asparagus; instead, I cut the bottoms with a sharp knife so the spears are uniform in length. I find it speedy and efficient to cook the asparagus in a large nonstick skillet rather than a saucepan.
Little new potatoes sport a creamy interior that makes them irresistible. Either steam or boil the potatoes to enhance the creaminess. After cooking, I crisp them in butter and oil and top the goodness with a shower of fresh herbs.