Tag: Spring

Nettle Soup (Ciorbă de Urzici)

Springs are often rainy in Romania, and this warm soup makes quite a delightful companion when the skies are gray. Although not as common as nettle purée, the soup is still a Lent favorite in many households. Again, recipe variations aren’t uncommon across Romania. Non-vegans or people who aren’t fasting serve it with a dollop…


Mediterranean Inspiration for Picnic Season

As the days become warmer and longer, I can’t wait to dust off my picnic basket. Picnicking is the perfect way to relax and socialize with your loved ones, while enjoying good food in the great outdoors. Picnics have soared in popularity since the pandemic hit. With restaurant closings and dining inside being deemed “unsafe,”…


Ask a Chef: Harbingers of Spring

As the days get longer and the trees begin to blossom, we welcome spring with open arms. To celebrate this season of new beginnings, and all the fresh produce and bright, refreshing flavors it brings, we asked a few chefs for inspiration. Here, they share the recipes that, for them, mark the arrival of the season. Among them…


Put a Little Primavera in Your Step

Spring is here, and it’s time to celebrate by adding a little freshness and lightness to your favorite year-round dishes, such as risottos and pasta. Primavera means springtime in Italian, but pasta primavera, while Italian in name, has American roots. It was created in the 1970s in the famous New York restaurant Le Cirque, and…


3 Ways to Get to the Heart of the Artichoke

The mighty artichoke! Varying in size from enormous to mini, artichokes are easily steamed, boiled, sautéed, broiled, stuffed, fried, and yes, even blended, to make delicate-tasting recipes to celebrate the arrival of spring. There’s a lot more to this seasonal star than that ubiquitous spinach artichoke dip. These prehistoric-looking green globes are actually the buds…


Steamed Artichokes With Garlic Butter or Lemon Mayo

Steamed artichokes are perhaps the easiest and simplest way to prepare this vegetable. I love serving them as a first course at informal gatherings, as they are a great ice breaker: They must be eaten with your fingers! To eat them, you pull away the leaves, dipping them in the accompanying sauce and nibbling on…


Wine-Braised Artichokes With Jamón Serrano

Artichokes braised in white wine with jamón serrano is quintessential spring fare, as suitable for a family-style meal as it is for a mid-week supper. I serve it with a toasted baguette, to mop up all the juices, and a chilled glass of wine. If you can’t find jamón serrano, prosciutto is a great alternative;…


A Not-So-Classic Crème Brûlée

Rhubarb and rosemary are surprising bedfellows in this crème brûlée. Upright stalks of brilliantly hued rhubarb are always the first to arrive in the spring produce parade. Rhubarb’s natural astringency may overwhelm at first bite, but with a little sugar and fruit, its tartness is successfully tamed. For this dessert, however, I chose not to…


Rainbows Start to Show as Spring’s Potential Grows

A solar term is a period of about two weeks and is based on the sun’s position in the zodiac. Solar terms form the traditional Chinese calendar system. The calendar follows the ancient Chinese belief that living in accordance with nature will enable one to live a harmonious life. This article series explores each of…


2-Tone Cream of Asparagus Soup

Whenever white asparagus appears in the market, I always grab a bunch to make this two-tone vichyssoise-esque soup. I make half the batch with green asparagus and the other half with white, then swirl the two together for an easy yet impressive presentation. This would be a perfect first course for an elegant dinner party….