Early Risers: 6 Recipes With Spring Ingredients
The appearance of the first fruit and vegetable crops of the year are welcome harbingers of warmer temperatures, longer days and alfresco dinners. It’s hard not to be inspired by the earthy goodness of in-season produce bursting with flavour.
Early-Spring Ingredients: April and May
New-Style Rhubarb Crisp
Don’t ruin spring’s calling-card ingredient with a baked crisp! Poaching long pieces of rhubarb allows them to keep their shape and deliciously sour edge.
Get this rhubarb crisp recipe
WHAT TO SERVE
Such a delightfully tart dessert begs for the perfect pairing. Look no further than D’Ont Poke the Bear Berry Cider. Its tangy-sweet apple notes resonate with the dish’s flavours.
Creamy Chicken Galette With Ramps & Morels
Ramps (a.k.a wild leeks) are a springtime treasure—popping up only for a short time each year—and should be treated as such. They grow wild, so be sure to purchase them from a forager who knows their stuff.
Get this savoury galette recipe
WHAT TO SERVE
Malivoire Ladybug Rosé VQA is a customer favourite. Its acidity and red fruit will counter the crust and sauce, as well as the ramps’ savoury notes.
Mango-Ginger Crispy Beef
In Canada, you can usually get mangoes all year round. Featuring mango in this spring-ingredient roundup may be unexpected, but it’s a time when different varieties of these delicious imports are in season where they’re grown.
Get this mango beef recipe
WHAT TO SERVE
Pelee Island Lola Gewürztraminer VQA is fruit-forward and exceptionally versatile. Its weight stands up to the beef’s richness, while its exotic fruitiness embraces the ginger and mango.
Late-Spring Ingredients: May and June
Fiddlehead & Prosciutto Pinwheels
Curled and almost like filigree, fiddlehead ferns are a sight for sore eyes when you catch that first glance at the farmers’ market. Let them take centre stage by simply serving over toasts.
Get this appetizer recipe
WHAT TO SERVE
Flat Rock Pinot Noir VQA Vintages' fruity and earthy beetroot notes find harmony with this appetizer. Its palate-cleansing acidity completes the match.
Grilled Radish & Shrimp Tacos
Radishes are a classic in tacos, so why not make them the star? Springtime radishes make the perfect partners for sweet and delicate shrimp.
Get this shrimp taco recipe
WHAT TO SERVE
Hockley Amber Ale is a great match. Its grain, nut and caramel flavours will complement the dish’s earthy notes, and the carbonation refreshes the palate.
Garlic Scape & Lardon Carbonara
Delicately garlicky and slightly sweet, scapes bring loads of fresh spring flavour to pleasingly rich carbonara.
Get this carbonara recipe
WHAT TO SERVE
Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi is a great pairing for pasta carbonara. This
wine’s acidity and fruity tones provide a foil to the bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano’s density and saltiness.
