Spring Inspiration – 20 Recipes to Try!

Mar 31, 2021, Updated Oct 06, 2022

Get ready to take on Spring with my favorite recipes including lightened-up options (to help with the COVID-19 added pounds), creative first courses, tempting main courses and must-make desserts that celebrate the current and long awaited new season!

**Spring Grilled Asparagus Salad ~ Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing**

Let’s start here – time to uncover the grill and savor these fat asparagus in this restaurant quality salad!
You’ll love the Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing – simply whisk all ingredients together for a creamy, yet light dressing with a gorgeous pink hue from the deep ruby colored blood orange… yes a zesty flavor!

Spring Asparagus Spears are cooked in Parchment Paper with Lemon Rind, Garlic, Tarragon and Butter ~ an easy method with delicious results! I love adding roasted Jerusalem Artichoke slices and Fresh Peas and serve over Pasta.

Spring Asparagus Soup – Vegan – with Cashew Crema Swirl in a vintage blue & white bowl — **Spring Asparagus Soup – Vegan – with Cashew Crema Swirl**

A bright green velvety-creamy (yet no cream) delicious Spring Asparagus Soup.
Light yet hearty with fresh flavors.

Brown Rice Risotto with Spring Vegetables in wooden bowls — **Brown Rice Risotto with Spring Vegetables**

Short brown rice make a creamy risotto and gets a boost of color from a bounty of Spring Vegetables. The green vegetables I have used are: kale, scallion, leek, asparagus, jalapeños, peas and tarragon.

Gluten-Free Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi on a vintage white platter — **Gluten-Free Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi**

A light an airy super-flavorful gnocchi speckled with Spinach – delectable!
Makes about 150 gnocchi, serves 8 – 12. See notes about how to freeze some.
Adorn with my Brown Butter Sauce and Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto.

Spring Minty Pea Soup with Scallion Kimchee in vintage blue & white bowl — **Spring Minty Pea Soup with Scallion Kimchee**

A quick blender soup with a good handful of mint – Scallion Kimchee adds a hit of mellow heat.
Loads of peas add a gorgeous color along with leeks, scallions, garlic, potatoes, mint, dill and vegetable broth.

Spring Artichokes with Southern Spiced Cornbread Crumbs in a vintage bowl — **Spring Artichokes with Southern Spiced Cornbread Crumbs**

Ah… Spring Artichokes! Steamed in a flavorful broth, then baked with deliciously spiked Cornbread Crumbs. What a simple delicacy – in season, large fresh artichokes, perfectly cooked. What’s not to love? From the leaves to the heart, artichokes are simply delicious.

Artichokes à la Grecque in a white bowl — **Artichokes à la Grecque**

A French version of an antipasto-style vegetable preparation with intense zesty flavors. Learn how to prepare fresh seasonal artichokes! Quartered Artichokes are lightly browned in olive oil and an aromatic court bouillon, then cooled and served lacquered with the broth which is assertive with wine and lemon juice.

Spinach & Frisee Salad with French Baguette topped with Goat Cheese and Strawberry Swirl

It’s Strawberry Season and I’ve created three recipes: 30 Minute Strawberry Jam, Spinach & Frisee Salad with French Baguette topped with Goat Cheese and Strawberry Swirl, and a zesty Strawberry Vinaigrette.
I’ve reinvented a classic french salad where a slice of garlic rubbed baguette slice is topped with goat cheese (baked until warmed through) and sits on top of greens with a vinaigrette dressing.

Summer Strawberry Salad with Walnuts, Feta and Maple-Walnut Vinaigrette in a square bowl — **Summer Strawberry Salad with Walnuts, Feta and Maple-Walnut Vinaigrette**

Seasonal Lettuces and Vegetables team with the Juiciest Strawberries with the perfect Zesty Maple-Walnut Vinaigrette. Delicious flavors and textures – sweet & savory.

Genius Strawberry Lace-Cookie Crisp in individual pie pans — **Genius Strawberry Lace-Cookie Crisp**

These individual crisps are bursting with strawberries and an almond lace cookie top. Totally crunchy! If I do say so myself – these crisps are genius… not loaded with sugar with a top layer that cracks – like Crème Brûlée! See recipe for Coconut Whipped Creme.

Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce ~ Over Chicken & Veggie Kebobs on a vintage platter — **Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce ~ Over Chicken & Veggie Kebobs**

A fabulous Basting and Dipping BBQ Sauce to make During Cherry Season! A gorgeous color with Fresh Cherry Flavor. Wonderful with Chicken & Veggie Kebobs. Homemade barbecue sauce is vibrant, velvety, flavorful and full-bodied.

Fresh Cherry Salsa over layered Nachos in a vintage pan — **Fresh Cherry Salsa ~ Try with my Layered Cheese Nachos!**

These nachos is very satisfying and craveable. Fresh Cherry Salsa adds tart-sweet and spicy notes – addicting!! Fresh Cherry Salsa includes diced Charred Jalapeño, Tomato, Onion and Basil.

My favorite Spring fruit: Rhubarb!!
See all recipes in this category: My Love of Rhubarb
Technically a vegetable, but is legally considered a fruit.

Seasonal Fresh Rhubarb is blended in a tangy & zesty Barbecue Sauce!
An easy Sauce & Glaze – terrific using on the grill and as a side sauce.

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce used as a glaze for chicken — **Rhubarb BBQ Sauce used as a Glaze for Chicken**

**Salmon with Rhubarb Jam Butter Sauce with Spring Vegetables**

My favorite Spring Meal!
Perfectly cooked Salmon with a luscious Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Sauce and a Spring Vegetable Salad. See my Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jam too!!

Three Rhubarb recipes come together in this marvelous, fresh salad with a Savory Bruschetta. Enjoy as is or serve the Rhubarb and Goat Cheese Bruschetta over a salad with Rhubarb & Shallot Vinaigrette – Homemade Rhubarb Vinegar.

**Rhubarb Tart ~ Shortbread Cookie Crust**

As summer fruits are still ripening, taste the marvelous, special flavor of Rhubarb in this easy to make (promise!) fruit tart. Can add a handful of Raspberries too!
The shortbread cookie crust stays firm when cooked, and crumbles like a cookie when cut into… perfection!

**Strawberry Rhubarb Cottage Cheese Cheesecake with an Oat & Almond Press In Crust – Gluten Free**

You’ll fall in love with the lighter texture of this amazing cheesecake. A simple topping with luscious Spring Rhubarb and Strawberries add just the right tart-sweet flavor and gorgeous color! See the fruit topping.

Scooped Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb “Ice Cream” — **Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb “Ice Cream”**

I’m a rhubarb fanatic! Perfectly blended into a fabulous creamy dessert. It’s sweet-tart flavor and gorgeous pinky hue sets off the sweeter strawberries.

Impressive Just Spring Vegetables to look out for are:
Asparagus, Spinach, Artichokes, Carrots (you all know I can not pass up a bunch of colorful Heirloom ones!), Morels, Ramps, Leeks, Radishes, Cabbage, Fiddlehead Ferns, Greens, Herbs, Scallions, Fava Beans, Snow Peas, Garlic Scapes, Broccoli, Baby Lettuce, Fennel, Green Beans, Endive, Vidalia Onions, Chives and Green Garlic.

Spring Fruits: Rhubarb, Strawberries, Apricots and Cherries.

Spring is a season of great promise – more sunshine and crops-a- sprouting!

I’m getting excited ~ because Spring is when nature really loves to show off!

Spring is when many of farmers’ markets open outdoors selling everything from garden plants to just-cut asparagus to garlic scapes. You just can’t beet the flavor! I always enjoy chatting with the farmers and talking about current crops, and what’s going into the soil.
My favorite thing about shopping the farmers market? There’s no choice but to cook (and eat) with the seasons.

Make the most of fresh, seasonal ingredients and try some new recipes – you will learn new techniques too to add to your repertoire.

It’s been a long, cold winter! Yes, spring has sprung, and we get a bounty of new vegetables, fruits and herbs in season to cook with. here’s what to look for at your local store or farmers market

There are many fruits and vegetables now becoming available. In the next weeks I will be exploring the riches of many Spring ingredients and how to use them.