Farm Fresh: 4 Recipes to Celebrate Seasonal Local Produce
Spring is the perfect time to create a meal from local produce.
By Gretchen Roberts
March/April 2007
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A hearty quiche made with sweet onions, farm-fresh eggs and locally produced cheese is a delicious entree for a relaxed Sunday brunch.
Photo By Joe Coca
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Among the season’s many other tantalizing attributes, spring is a herald to long-awaited fresh produce—from fragrant herbs to tender greens—and nowhere is spring produce fresher than at your local farmer’s market. Look for stalls that sell organic produce, but don’t eschew fresh, local food for imported organics from the grocery store. Those juicy, ripe strawberries (grown by the farmer whose name you know) make a much better pie than the organic strawberries picked early and shipped in from another country.
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Our recipes showcase the best of early- spring produce. Delicate, sweet onions are caramelized into a quiche. Tender greens are tossed lightly with a shallot dressing, and new potatoes dusted with spring herbs are at once a light and hearty side dish. A creamy, tart rhubarb cake crowns the meal.
Sweet Onion Quiche
Even the hungriest of men will find this hearty quiche with bacon and sweet, caramelized onions up to par. This dish involves several steps, but you can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature if you wish. Use a fresh cheese from your farmer’s market if you can find it.
Spring Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
This simple salad complements and offsets the richness of the quiche. Look for fresh greens such as spinach, lettuces, dandelion, watercress and arugula. Use a gentle hand when drizzling the vinaigrette; a light coating allows the taste of the fresh greens to shine through.
Herbed New Potatoes
The combination of new potatoes and fresh-picked herbs is irresistible in spring. Use any herb you find at your local farmer’s market and feel free to mix and match. Because this dish is so simple, the freshest ingredients are essential for the best taste.
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
The combination of tangy rhubarb and creamy cake creates a sensational ending for a spring brunch. Though it's fine leftover, this cake tastes best fresh out of the oven wil the rhubarb is still warm.