Fun Ways to Enjoy Spring Fruits and Vegetables

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At last we have escaped (at least hopefully) the long days of winter hibernation and arrived into a new spring season of fresh flowers, buzzing bees, beautiful butterflies and warm weather. With the temperatures finally rising into the 60s and higher, what better way to enjoy the season’s transition than celebrating with spring fruits and vegetables? Soon enough, farmers markets will be busy with fresh ingredients.

The University of Maryland has its own farmers market that many students are not aware of. The market typically runs from April through November and is held on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, at the Tawes Plaza Garden. This year, the market began on April 3.

One thing that kinesiology major Stefanie McBeth wants to do by the end of the semester is to purchase something from the farmers market.

“There are always so many people. I remember stopping by to check it out last semester, but I haven’t bought anything yet, which I want to do sometime,” McBeth said.

Fresh vegetables don’t only have to be prepared as salads, which is a major misconception. Vegetables can also be appetizing in more filling meals like pastas and in sweet or savory desserts. It all depends on the ingredients and the balance of vegetables (and even fruits!) that go into making the dish.

With that, here are four recipes incorporating spring vegetables and fruits to celebrate the beginning of warmer weather:

Asparagus and Watercress Pizza First up is the Asparagus and Watercress Pizza, a tasty vegetarian pizza topped with creamy ricotta, red onion and shredded mozzarella, taken from television personality Martha Stewart’s website.

Asparagus is perhaps one of the most well-known spring vegetables and has numerous health benefits. According to nutritionist Laura Flores, asparagus "provides a wide variety of antioxidant nutrients, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E,” as mentioned in an article on livescience.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed and spears thinly sliced on the diagonal

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 8 ounces ricotta cheese

• 2 cups watercress

• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough

• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Red-pepper flakes (optional)

How to Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss together onion, asparagus, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Brush 2 tablespoons of oil onto a baking sheet. Stretch the dough and place it onto the baking sheet, making sure that it fits the approximate size of the sheet.

3. Brush 2 tablespoons of oil to the dough, then spread it with ricotta, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top it off with the asparagus mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown and asparagus is tender.

5. Top it off with watercress, season with salt and sprinkle with red peppers for a touch of spice if desired.

Artichoke Bruschetta Next up is a recipe based on artichoke dip: Artichoke Bruschetta. This extremely quick and simple recipe, taken from Sunset magazine, is a perfect hors d'oeuvre to serve right before the main course that will leave you and your guests wanting more.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 large trimmed artichokes, sliced thinly

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 5 slices toasted ciabatta bread, cut in half diagonally

• 3/4 cup ricotta

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 6 basil leaves, thinly sliced

How to Prepare:

1. Heat 3 teaspoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook artichoke slices for about four minutes until they’re softened and browned, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt.

2. Spread each toast with ricotta. Sprinkle with pepper and zest. Spoon artichokes onto each slice and top with basil.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Apricot and Candied Fennel

This next recipe from Epicurious called Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Apricot and Candied Fennel is one of my favorites. Apricots are typically in season from late spring through summer. In my family, whenever summertime rolls around, I am always guaranteed to see my mom in the kitchen preparing this sweet dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups heavy cream

• 1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

• 3 cups buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds

• 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

• 3/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

How to Prepare:

1. Pour 1/4 cup cold water in a bowl. Sprinkle gelatin and let it stand for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 1/2 cup cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s warm. Remove from heat, add gelatin and 2/3 cup sugar, and whisk until they are completely dissolved. Gradually stir in remaining 2 1/4 cups cream, then buttermilk. Divide among bowls or ramekins and chill for 4 hours until set.

3. Bring apricots, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan for 20-25 minutes, reduce heat and simmer, and stir occasionally until it’s thick.

4. Bring 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling often for about 4 minutes until thick.

5. Add fennel seeds and reduce heat to medium. Stirring regularly, cook for about 2 minutes, when the sugar will start to become dry and crystallized. Remove from heat and stir until sugar is completely dry and crystallized, for about 1 more minute. Transfer seeds to a bowl.

6. Serve panna cotta topped with compote and fennel seeds.

Pina Colada Cheesecake Lastly, the Piña colada cheesecake from allrecipes.com is a pure rich and savory delight that will transport you to the tropics and make you feel a lot closer to summer.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted

• 1 can pineapple juice

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

• 3 packages cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract

• 2 cups frozen non-dairy whipped topping

• 1/4 cup dark Jamaican rum

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 can crushed pineapple

• Toasted flaked coconut (optional)

How to Prepare:

1. Combine crumbs, coconut and butter in a bowl. Press mixture on bottom and sides of 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Chill.

2. Pour juice into small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over juice and let it stand for five minutes. Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin dissolves. Set aside.

3. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl until smooth. Beat in gelatin mixture until well blended. Beat in coconut extract and rum until smooth and blended.

4. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon mixture into prepared crust. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.

5. Combine undrained pineapple, cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and slightly thickens. Chill.

6. Spoon over top of cheesecake. If desired, top with additional toasted coconut.

With the warm weather finally in season, there’s nothing better than taking time off your plate to relax, and what better way to do this than by preparing a meal or a light snack perfect for the springtime! Invite some of your friends and spend the day together creating a delectable dish, which you can bring outside to enjoy under the sun.