Spring Foods Bling
Bright, fresh, and vibrant foods to celebrate the springtime season
by Clara Kye
There’s no denying that the fall season calls for pumpkin spice lattes, crisp apples, and cinnamon-flavored everything. As the spring season approaches, it got me wondering, what foods would universally represent spring?
It could be argued that the spring season reminds us of blooming flowers and the nice weather. The spring season is typically followed by vibrant produce and harvest such as berries, leafy greens, potatoes, and herbs. These ingredients work together to make the perfect spring salad, a light and fresh food that compliments any meal during the springtime.
Restaurants tend to incorporate seasonal salads in their menus such as Harvest, an American restaurant located in Cambridge that uses local ingredients to create the Spring Greens Salad which includes radishes, herbs, and a light vinaigrette. Oleana is another restaurant located in Cambridge that serves Mediterranean-inspired foods. Their Spring Vegetable Salad has a light dressing and seasonal herbs that pair perfectly together.
Sure, the spring season could call for fresh, light foods that incorporate newly grown produce, but what about foods specific to Boston’s weather in the spring? Unfortunately, Boston’s spring season consists of cold to mild weather with sharp winds and rain. In that case, foods served hot from the kitchen paired with fresh harvest perfectly complement the Boston weather.
Pasta primavera is the perfect light, fresh, and simple dish. This pasta’s primary ingredient is colorful vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and red onion, all of which are the quintessential vegetables for the spring season. Flavored with either a cream sauce or butter and parmesan cheese, the dish is easy to make yet delectable for springtime.
A common pattern I’ve noticed is how easy it is for spring vegetables to go well with other ingredients. Another simple way to make use of the spring produce is to grill them along with a protein like salmon, lamb, or chicken, for an easy meal that can’t go wrong.
As spring draws near, don't forget to continue to dress warm, and consider giving one of these meals a try!
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