.png)
Hit up the farmer’s market for the next month, and you’re going to run into what’s arguably the best produce of the year. Right this moment, a handful of fruits and vegetables are either at their most tender and green, or they’re making a brief showing before they disappear until the following spring. If you want to enjoy it while you have the chance, here’s what to look for and how to prepare it.
Fava Beans
What you need to know: Fava beans (shown above) have a buttery texture and a sweet, almost pea-like flavor. They’re at their peak from April to July, and are most young and tender at the beginning of the season. They’re most commonly shucked out of their pods, blanched, and then peeled to reveal tender, bright-green beans, but if favas are young enough, they can be eaten whole, too. When shopping for favas, select firm, heavy pods that aren’t too bumpy and don’t have many markings; store them in your refrigerator’s crisper for up to a week.
How to enjoy them: Shuck beans out of their pods, blanch, peel them, then toss them with a light dressing of lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, and pecorino cheese. If your fava beans feel firm, young, and tender, go for an even easier preparation that utilizes the whole vegetable. Grill the pods with chile and lemon, or, if you love intentionally overcooked vegetables like I do, braise them low and slow in lemon juice and oil.
English Peas
What you need to know: Frozen peas sure do come in handy, but there’s nothing quite like the toothsome snap and the sweet juiciness of a freshly-shelled English pea. They’re at their best during the month of May, and you can eat them raw, blanched, stir-fried, or sautéed. Look out for shiny, firm, vivid-hued pods that are heavy for their size, and store them, covered, for up to three days in the coldest part of your fridge.
When shopping for peas, remember that one pound of peas in their pods will only yield one cup of shelled peas (the pods, while inedible, can be saved to flavor stock). When shelling peas, resist the urge to do them ahead of time, and shell them immediately before you’re ready to cook or use them for the freshest results. Shell peas by breaking off the stem of the vegetable and pulling the string down the length of the pod, then pressing each pod between your fingers to open it, revealing individual peas.
How to enjoy them: The very easiest way to eat freshly-shelled peas is to toss them with mint, onion, and a light vinaigrette. (Hey, if you’re going to spend all that time shelling, you deserve to make up for it with a simple preparation!) Another easy way to get your pea fix is with this easy vegan pea soup, which tastes decent with the frozen variety but even sweeter when made with fresh peas. You can’t go wrong with a buttery pea and onion preparation, either.
Strawberries
What you need to know: Strawberries are so popular today that they’re available almost everywhere year-round. But if you don’t savor them right now, you’ll miss out. April through August is when they’re at their very sweetest and most aromatic. When buying them, look out for firm, plump, and shiny specimens that have their stems attached and are free of mold; most importantly, keep your eyes peeled for a saturated red color, as they won’t ripen further once they’ve been picked. They’ll keep for at least three days, but you can also give berries a hot bath to prolong their life.
How to enjoy them: You probably don’t need to be told how delicious strawberries are on their own. But if you want to enjoy them in other ways, you could always make a batch of chocolate-covered strawberries as a gift or make a strawberry shortcake for dessert. For something less predictable, I like to use strawberries in savory applications, swapping them out in any recipe that would normally call for a fresh tomato (like in the strawberry Caprese salad pictured above).
Ramps
What you need to know: The arrival of the scallion-like greens known as ramps are a sure sign that spring has arrived. Ramps have a six-week season beginning in April, and because they only grow in the wild, they must be foraged, so you’re unlikely to find them at supermarkets. These greens can be scarce and pricey, but they’re prized for their flavor, which is robustly garlicky and pungent when eaten raw, and mellow and onion-like when grilled or sautéed. When shopping for ramps, look for perky green leaves and a firm purple stem and white bulb; the roots should be intact as well. Ramps have a very brief shelf life, so they should be consumed within a day or two of purchasing.
How to enjoy them: Because they have such an assertive personality, ramps are often best prepared in simple ways. Pickle them whole, or tear the leaves into a salad. They’re also fantastic fried with eggs, as I can attest to the other day, when I sautéed them in bacon and served them alongside levain bread. You can also grill them until they develop a nice char.
Asparagus
What you need to know: Springtime is the best time to enjoy asparagus in its grassy, vegetal, crisp glory. It’s at its peak from April to July, and tastes delicious both raw and cooked. Look for odorless stalks that are firm yet tender; woody stems will mean a tougher, more fibrous experience. Keep an eye out for compact tips, and avoid any fernlike growth at the tops of the plant. Store asparagus upright in the refrigerator in an inch of water, and it should keep for at least three to four days.
How to enjoy it: If you buy fat varieties of asparagus, they’re great for shaving into noodles and tossed with grated lemon zest and parmesan; I also like to steam them and serve them lightly dressed with a bit of grated egg (you can also freeze steamed asparagus to consume later). Skinny versions are particularly fantastic when tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and thrown on the grill (or in the oven for roasting).
Photos by H. Alexander Talbot, Nick Harris, Fried Dough, and liz west.
Skillet is a new blog from Lifehacker all about being awesome in the kitchen.
Follow us on Twitter here.
from Lifehacker http://ift.tt/1Q2qVEg
0 comments:
Post a Comment