- 07 Apr, 16
- by Anna Brones
- in Features
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What’s in Season: April
April, the month where everything comes out of its winter slumber and life returns.
Buds and blossoms explode on trees, and every day there seems to be a different plant popping up from the earth. The occasional bee buzzes past. The days get longer. Wild food grows in abundance, all you have to do is take the time to hunt for it. Nettles, fiddleheads, morels; there is plenty to go around. We are graced with enough sun to eat outside. You find yourself sneaking in a coffee break in the sun.
April is a cause for celebration, a time to take advantage of spring at its most robust time.
If you have access to a garden, you’ve been digging in the dirt, planning the summer feasts that will be proof of your early season labor. As Margaret Atwood once wrote, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” And even if you don’t have enough space for a full garden, plant a few balcony pots. There’s nothing quite like picking fresh greens or herbs to add to your plate.
The beautiful illustrations above are by my friend Jessie Kanelos Weiner. They are one of the many amazing illustrations in her book Edible Paradise, an adult coloring book devoted to seasonal food. The perfect ode to seasonal fare.
Wherever you are this month, I hope that you’re exploring the local forests and markets to take advantage of the spring bounty.
What’s in Season: April
Arugula
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli rabe
Fava Beans
Fennel
Fiddleheads
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Mizuna
Morels
Mustard greens
Nettles
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spring onions
Sunchokes
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Some seasonal recipes to try:
Savory Tart with Nettles and Spinach
What’s In Season is a monthly roundup of… wait for it… what’s in season. Now granted, doing a list of what’s in season is a little hard – I don’t have the exact GPS coordinates of every single reader. But I am going to base this off of my own experience and what I’m currently buying and eating, so we’re talking Northern Hemisphere, which accounts for a lot of you readers. You may not find all of the things at the in season list at your local market, but at least it will give you a good idea of what would be good to put on your plate.
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Comments 2
ellen sue jacobson
I’d like to post What’s in Season on my blog, menupause.info. May I with proper credit?
ellensue
Cassie
Arugula salads are amazing in the spring! I love adding some roasted sweet potato and dried cranberries on top!