What’s in Season? March Produce

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Finally, spring is near! I’m camped out on my parents’ couch, recovering from a cold and planning spring recipes in between episodes of House of Cards. Could be worse. It’s hard to believe with all the snow on the ground, but asparagus will be here soon. Yes! I need all the green things after overindulging in Austin all last month.

Thanks again to Becky for letting me base this resource on her “Eat Seasonal” monthly seasonal produce lists. You can download her free screensaver for March produce over here. For more seasonal inspiration, follow me on Pinterest and Instagram, too!

Asparagus

Asparagus is really only worth eating in the springtime. It’s lovely with lemon and mint. Shaved asparagus is great in salads and roasted asparagus makes a perfect springtime side dish. Asparagus elsewhere:

Asparagus and Sweet Potato Hash with Chimichurri by House in the Hills
Grilled Asparagus Plate with Cilantro Pepita Pesto by Sprouted Kitchen
Pistachio Crusted Asparagus with Feta by Joy the Baker
Sesame and Almond Asparagus Salad by Love and Lemons

View more C+K asparagus recipes ↣

Perfect Roasted Asparagus

Extra Vegetable Fried Rice

Spring Veggie Stir-Fry

Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto

Avocado

Good gracious, how I love avocado. Avocado on toast is almost impossible to beat, but it’s also a fantastic addition Mexican meals and fresh green recipes of any kind, really. Avocado elsewhere:

Avocado Cilantro Hummus by What’s Gaby Cooking
Avocado, Mozzarella, and Jalapeño Chimichurri Grilled Cheese by Naturally Ella
Black Bean and Avocado Breakfast Burritos by Gimme Some Oven
Garlicky Avocado Grilled Cheese with Tomato Pesto by Foodie Crush

View more C+K avocado recipes ↣

Tortilla Soup

Buffalo Brussels Sprouts

Erin’s Peach & Avocado Green Salad

Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl

broccoli

As it turns out, broccoli is totally irresistible once roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Like all brassicas, broccoli goes great with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and other bold flavors. Select small, tightly packed florets with minimal brown spots. Broccoli elsewhere:

Asian Quinoa Broccoli Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks
Ginger Broccoli with Forbidden Rice by A House in the Hills
Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese by Two Peas and Their Pod
Simple, Salty, Sweet + Nutty Broccoli Soba by The First Mess

View more C+K broccoli recipes ↣

Broccoli Pesto Pasta with Green Olives

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Perfect Roasted Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

My beloved Brussels sprouts are still in season! These poor baby cabbages have been maligned for years because someone decided to boil them to soggy, sulfurous deaths. I absolutely love roasted, caramelized Brussels and super crispy fried sprouts that I order at restaurants every chance I can get. I like to shred sprouts in my food processor and use them in slaws—they’re more fine and less watery than their full-sized cabbage cousins. Brussels Sprouts elsewhere:

Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts Pasta with Hazelnuts by Two Peas and Their Pod
Brussels Sprouts Potato Gratin by Cafe Johnsonia
Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts by Love and Lemons
Super Food Bowls by Vintage Mixer

View more C+K Brussels sprout recipes ↣

Buffalo Brussels Sprouts

Perfect Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw

Lemony Roasted Broccoli, Arugula & Lentil Salad

cabbage

I just learned that cabbage is in season all year long! Cousin to broccoli, this potent anti-cancerous cruciferous vegetable is great raw, in slaws, roasted in pieces, or chopped and sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Select cabbages with compact heads that feel heavy for the their size. Cabbage generally keeps for a pretty long time in the vegetable crisper, so it’s a good ingredient to keep on hand. Cabbage elsewhere:

Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds by Foodie Crush
Pasilla Chile and Lime Cabbage Slaw by Sprouted Kitchen
Sesame-Crusted Avocado and Cabbage Spring Rolls by Naturally Ella
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks

View more C+K cabbage recipes ↣

Colorful Veggie Sesame Noodles

Easy Black Bean Tacos

Crispy Bean Tostadas with Smashed Avocado and Jicama-Cilantro Slaw

Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

cauliflower

Cauliflower: Trendy since 2012, good for you since forever! Roasting cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt transforms the cruciferous vegetable from bland to French fry irresistible. You can also pulse raw cauliflower in the food processor to give it a rice- or couscous-like texture. I was skeptical about cauliflower crust pizza, but it can actually be pretty good! Cauliflower elsewhere:

Cauliflower and Roasted Garbanzo “Rice and Peas” by The First Mess
Raw Cauliflower “Couscous” Greek Salad by Vintage Mixer
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos by Two Peas and Their Pod
Shaved Cauliflower Salad by Happyolks

View more C+K cauliflower recipes ↣

How to Make Cauliflower Rice

Roasted Cauliflower (Four Ways!)

Turmeric-Spiced Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

Citrus fruits

Citrus shows up every year when the sky goes gray and we’re in desperate need of some bright color. You can find some great grapefruit, lemon, orange, clementine and tangerine in stores right now. I use lemon in my favorite salad dressing, it tastes so fresh! Citrus fruits elsewhere:

Beet, Kale, and Kohlrabi Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette by A Couple Cooks
Kale Citrus Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing by Edible Perspective
Preserved Lemon Quinoa with Shaved Brussels and Toasted Walnuts by Simple Bites
Sparkling Grapefruit Sangria by How Sweet Eats

View more C+K lemon recipes ↣

Avocado & Citrus “Ceviche”

Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas

Serrano-Spiced Paloma Cocktail

Ruby Red and Rosemary Honey Cocktail

Greens

Thank goodness for spring greens. Arugula, spinach, lettuce and Swiss chard will start to sprout up soon. I love them every which way: in salads, as pesto, tossed in pasta and sautéed with garlic. Greens elsewhere:

Garlicky Swiss Chard and Chickpeas by Foodie Crush
Skinny Spinach Lasagna by Pinch of Yum
Spicy Cashew Lettuce Wraps by A Couple Cooks
Spring Salad and Arugula Hummus by Love and Lemons

View more C+K arugula recipes ↣

Caprese Sandwich

Super Simple Arugula Salad

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios

Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate and Arugula Salad

Leeks

I’ve cooked with leeks before, but they haven’t made it to the blog yet. Leeks are related to onions and garlic and have a mild, oniony flavor. They grow in bundled “leaf sheaths” that look similar to celery stalks. You probably won’t want to cook with the dark green parts, which are pretty tough. They’re pretty difficult to clean because dirt gets in between the sheaths. Here’s how to clean them. Leeks elsewhere:

Braised Leeks and Muscovado Lentils by Sprouted Kitchen
Lemony Leeks with Chickpeas and Feta by My New Roots
Quinoa with Leeks and Herbs by A Couple Cooks
Roasted Cauliflower and Leek Soup by Love and Lemons

mushrooms

Mushrooms are weird. They’re fungi! Edible, earthy mushrooms can be eaten raw, cooked, and so forth. They pair well with garlic, shallots, olive oil, pepper, dry red wine and herbs like flat-leaf parsley, chives, rosemary, tarragon and thyme Mushrooms elsewhere:

Creamy Poblano Mushrooms with Polenta by Pinch of Yum
Mushroom, Farro and Fontina Salad by What’s Gaby Cooking
Mushroom and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps by Love and Lemons
Pizza Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms by Foodie Crush

View more C+K mushroom recipes ↣

Best Vegan Lasagna

Roasted Mushrooms with Herbed Quinoa

Vegetarian Pho

Almost Homemade Green Bean Casserole

parsnips

Parsnips are root vegetables that look like off-white carrots with parsley-like, leafy tops. Unsurprisingly, they’re related to both carrots and parsley. Parsnips are usually served roasted or cooked, but can also be eaten raw. They’re particularly high in potassium. I don’t have any parsnip recipes (yet), but I’ll work on that! Parsnips elsewhere:

Root Vegetable Salad with Pearl Couscous and Lemon-Tahini Dressing by Naturally Ella (shown above!)
Paprika Parsnip Fries with Preserved Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce by A House in the Hills
Parsnip Cake with Cardamom Cream by The Vanilla Bean Blog
Parsnip Parmesan Truffle Fries by Climbing Grier Mountain

Peas

I’m so glad I gave peas a chance. Peas get sweeter with a little heat, but they don’t need much more than that. They go great with a little butter and salt, maybe with some garlic or mint, too. Peas elsewhere:

A Real Mess of Peas by The First Mess
Green Pea Soup by Green Kitchen Stories
Pesto Pea Pizza by What’s Gaby Cooking
Spinach and Pea Fried Rice by Naturally Ella

Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta

Vegetable Paella

Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto

Erin’s Spring Panzanella with Fresh Peas and Fennel

radishes

How I love radishes! Raw, chopped radishes lend a spicy crunch to salads and makes a great garnish for fresh Mexican meals. I often prefer radishes to raw red onion, which can easily overwhelm other raw ingredients. Whole, raw, spicy radishes served with butter and flaky salt are an incredibly simple and delicious appetizer. I also love pickled radishes, but the verdict is still out on roasted radishes. Radishes elsewhere:

Breakfast Tacos with Avocado Radish Salsa by The Year in Food
Charred Corn Tacos With Zucchini-Radish Slaw by Smitten Kitchen
Radish and Egg Salad Sandwiches by A Couple Cooks
Super Simple Radish Salad with Crème Fraiche by Yummy Supper

View more C+K radish recipes ↣

Tortilla Soup

Chilaquiles Rojos

Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing

Fresh Herbed Avocado Salad

Sweet Potatoes

I used to hate sweet potatoes! Then I tried a savory sweet potato fry and changed my tune. I still don’t enjoy sweetened sweet potatoes (marshmallow sweet potato casserole, no thank you), but I could live off of salted, caramelized, roasted sweet potato. I especially love Mexican-style sweet potatoes with black beans, salsa verde and hot sauce! Sweet potatoes elsewhere: