Seasonal Eating: The Best Spring Ingredients

Spring is the season that makes even experienced cooks giddy. After months of root vegetables and braised meats, the first asparagus and tender peas of the season arrive with a lightness and sweetness that is almost startling. Asparagus has one of the shortest natural seasons of any vegetable -- roughly six weeks in temperate climates -- and the difference between asparagus harvested and eaten the same day versus refrigerated for a week is extraordinary. The sugars begin converting to starch within hours of cutting.

Wild garlic (ramsons) is one of spring's greatest gifts and almost unknown outside of foraging circles. It carpets woodland floors and riverbanks in April, with broad, vivid green leaves and a gentle garlicky fragrance. Unlike bulb garlic, the leaves wilt like spinach when briefly cooked, making them perfect for risottos, pasta, pesto (blend the leaves with olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan for a vibrant green sauce), and soups. The flowers are also edible and beautiful as a garnish. Use both within a day or two as the aroma fades quickly.

Fresh peas -- not frozen -- are a revelation to anyone who has only known the supermarket bag. Sweet, starchy, and slightly nutty, they need minimal cooking: 90 seconds of blanching is enough to set their color and begin softening the starch. A simple preparation of blanched fresh peas with good butter, mint leaves, and a squeeze of lemon is one of the finest side dishes of the year. Combined with broad beans (also spring), ricotta, and lemon on bruschetta, they make an ideal seasonal brunch dish that takes 15 minutes to prepare.