Veggies You Should be Buying Right Now – Spring Produce Guide Bleecker April 20, 2015 Essential Guides, Featured, Health, Lifestyle There are a few veggies that I wait all year for and Spring brings 3 of my all time favorites! Head to your local Greenmarket and look out for these three veggies in the coming weeks. Ramps What is it? Often called Wild Leeks, ramps grow in moist soil usually along riverbanks. They are only available for a few months a year. They have a small white bulb, a red stem and 2 green leaves. They are fairly mild, tasting like a cross between a scallion and garlic. But unlike scallions you should and can eat the entire ramp. How do I eat it? You can grill these up and serve them alongside fish or steak. But my favorite way to make them is in mashed potatoes. Chop the stem and bulb finely and rough chop the leaves. Sauté the bulb and stems in a little butter and after about 2 minutes add in the leaves. Sauté until the leaves are wilted. Add the cooked ramps into your favorite plain mashed potato recipe! This would be perfect to bring to a BBQ or potluck. Garlic Scapes What is it? The scape is actually a part of the garlic plant. When you grow garlic a large stem comes up from the ground and the top curls with a little bulb on the end this curly top is the garlic scape. When you buy garlic scapes make sure they are still flexible and the bulb is not too large. If they are stiff with a large bulb those garlic scapes are past their prime and will be too woody. They have mild garlic flavor and unlike garlic, they are not overwhelming when raw, in fact that is how I prefer them. How do I eat it? It’s very popular to make garlic scape pesto, which would be great on sandwiches and pastas. My two favorite uses for garlic scape are to add it to fried rice, instead of adding garlic to the stir-fry, or chopped on top of my favorite simple white wine lemon pasta. Asparagus What is it? Okay you probably know what asparagus is, but unlike what you’ll find year round in the grocery store fresh asparagus will be much less woody and taste way better. Did you know that asparagus is just the shoot and bud of a plant that if not cut will grow and flower. I actually love the way the asparagus plant grows, it is not only one of my favorite foods but also one of my favorite plants in general! How do I eat it? When asparagus is fresh don’t mess with it too much! I like to sauté it will a little butter and lemon. If you’re looking to try asparagus a new way though, try making a raw asparagus salad. You’ll have to look for the fat asparagus for this recipe. Using a peeler shave the asparagus into ribbons. Toss the ribbons with lemon, olive oil, lots of black pepper and top with fresh grated Parmesan. What veggies are on your Spring Produce Guide? Let me know – Would love to hear about them.
