The transition from winter to spring is an extra special one. The stores fill with bright colors and floral prints, and farmers markets transform from jarred jams and hearty crops to vibrant fresh produce. Seasonal sniffles may arrive, but that just means beautiful blooms are coming.
A quick note on timing: the South’s spring produce season has two gears. Early spring (March through mid-April) still belongs to the cold-weather crops—leafy greens, radishes, peas. But once things warm up, roughly mid-April through May, that’s when the excitement begins. Strawberries. New potatoes. Vidalia onions, all the best Southern seasonal produce sprouts to life and takes over our tables just as the days grow longer.
If you’re like me, cooking with seasonal produce is a new skill that we’re here to help with. Here’s what’s coming to farm stands near you this season, how to pick the best, and a few recipe ideas to add to your repertoire.
Check out these Southern farmers markets worth traveling for.
Strawberries
Southern strawberry season is one of the best things about living here. The window varies—parts of the Deep South are already picking in March while Middle Tennessee doesn’t hit peak until late April—but when it’s on, it’s on.
Look for deep red coloring all the way to the stem with no white or green shoulder (that means it was pulled early). Produce picking involves all the senses, so channel your inner blood hound and get to sniffin’. You should be able to smell strawberries before you even pick up the basket. Also, ignore the perfect-looking ones; the slightly funky, almost too-soft berries are usually the sweetest. That being said, a soft one is fine, but a mushy one should go straight to jam.
We may have just left chocolate-covered strawberry season, but springtime welcomes a new wave of fun berry-forward eats. Enjoy a handful plain with a little flaky salt. Macerate some in sugar for about 20 minutes, and you’ve got a sauce for shortcake, pound cake, yogurt, pancakes, or (and) ice cream. For a savory application, blend some with olive oil, a shallot, and a splash of white balsamic for a pretty pink salad dressing.
Hosting an event this spring? These Deviled Strawberries are our favorite dainty appetizer.
Asparagus
Fresh-cut asparagus from a farm stand and asparagus from the grocery store in January are not the same. Word to the wise: get these at your local farmers market.
To pick the best, the tips should be tightly closed, and the cut end should look moist as opposed to dried out. The thickness, however, is a matter of personal preference—thinner cooks faster and tends to be more tender, thicker has more bite, but both are great in their own regard.
Roasting at 425°F for about 12 to 15 minutes with olive oil and salt is an easy, foolproof side for just about any dish. But shaving it raw with a vegetable peeler into long ribbons and tossing it with lemon, good olive oil, and parmesan makes an impressive seasonal salad. If you’ve already got the grill going, pop them on there for a few minutes to char the edges.
Snap Peas and English Peas
One of my very favorite snacks, snap peas and their buddy, English peas, peak in March through May. Snap peas are eaten whole (pod and all), they taste sweet and crunchy, and have little to no prep required. English peas need shelling; you pop them out of the pods and get a pile of small, sweet, delightful peas.
For snap peas: a good one bends and snaps… a bad one just bends. Look for bright green, firm pods with no wrinkles. For English peas, tap into those senses again. Hold the pod up to a light or the sun, and it should reveal peas silhouetted inside. Avoid pods that are flat or sparse.
Snap peas eaten raw, dipped in ranch or your dip of choice, are, again, one of my favorite snacks. English peas need a few minutes in well-salted boiling water, then finished off with butter and some mint if you have it growing out of control somewhere. They’re also excellent in spring pasta, paired with some ricotta and lemon zest.
Radishes
Farmers markets in early spring are often overrun with radishes, and they go for almost nothing, making this a win-win for taste and budget. Firmness is the most important criterion; if they’re soft, they’re past their prime. If the greens are still attached and perky, that’s a good sign the radish was pulled recently. It’s best to avoid any with noticeable cracks.
They’re delicious sliced thin and layered on top of good butter and a baguette. But, as with most other veggies on the list, don’t forget to try them roasted on high heat for about 20 minutes. Finish them with a little butter and honey for a surprisingly delicious side dish. And don’t forget, the greens are edible too. Sauté them like spinach or throw them in a salad.
Spring Lettuces and Greens
Once summer heat arrives, these are harder to come by, so enjoy them now. Arugula should smell peppery when you inhale. Butter lettuce leaves should be crisp, not floppy. Baby spinach should be small and very dark green—larger leaves mean it’s older.
For spring greens, keep it simple with a little olive oil, acid, and salt. Pair arugula with shaved Parmesan and lemon; douse spinach in a warm bacon dressing; pile chicken salad on top of butter lettuce cups.
Vidalia Onions
Georgia’s sweetest export, technically. Vidalias can only be grown in a specific 20-county region of the state to legally carry the name, and their season runs from late April through the warm months. The low-sulfur soil found in this region is why they’re mild enough to eat raw without making your eyes water. This is how Courtney Cook does it.
Look for firm bulbs, dry papery skin, and a mild smell. The flatter the onion, the sweeter it tends to be, and if there are any soft spots, pass on that one.
Use Vidalias raw on burgers, in slaw, or on your favorite sandwich, or go the other direction: caramelize them low and slow, give it a full 45 minutes over medium-low heat, and add them to pizza, pasta, grilled cheese, steak, or scrambled eggs. Or, consider making my grandma’s signature dip with Vidalias as the star.
Ramps
Ramps are wild-harvested, part of Appalachian tradition, and available for maybe four weeks a year in early spring, so you’re lucky if you find them. They’re a little funky, a cross between garlic and onion which offers a delightful flavor to most any dish. They’re best treated as simply as possible: sautéed in butter, pickled to keep them on hand longer, or folded into grits.
New Potatoes
Showing up at Southern markets from late April through early summer, new potatoes are just young potatoes harvested before the skin sets. They’re still thin and papery, but creamy enough to star in salads and on their own. They’re easy to pick out, too, just keep your eyes peeled for any with a green tinge and toss those.
Southern potato salad is divisive and personal, so we’ll leave it up to you on how you want to prepare it. Just know that new potatoes are the perfect base. Alternatively, halve them and roast them cut-side down at 425°F until they’re golden for a crispy side dish option.
What are you cooking with this spring? Tag us on Instagram at @modernsouth.co—we want to see your hauls!
