There are not many things growing in the garden at this time of year since we do not have a greenhouse (yet), so in the spring, I focus on wild foods while the seeds germinate and the soil starts to warm up.
My all time favourite (and my daughter’s as well) are Nettle-Kopita. These are spanakopita made with wild stinging nettles. I usually make a very large quantity in the spring because my daughter and I can easily devour a whole cookie sheet full of these delicious savoury pastries.
I am not very good at following recipes or writing any down so I found this recipe online. The main difference between the recipe by chef Heidi Fink and the one I make is nuts. I usually roasted some sunflower seeds or chopped almonds to add some crunch to the savoury experience.
http://www.chefheidifink.com/blog/seasonal/wild-nettle-kopita/
Nettles have now become a common item and can even be found at the grocery store. The first time I saw a bag of nettles at the store, I laughed so hard! Almost as much as when I found dandelion leaf packaged up with a nice little colourful label and a price tag. (I should have thought of that!)
Dandelions. You can either despise them or you can admire them for their resiliency. I admire them for growing every where and because of their amazing medicinal properties. I cannot, however, say that I enjoy the taste of dandelion greens straight up, all alone on my plate. I do enjoy roasted dandelion root “coffee” and dandelion flower fritters. All the fritters I have ever made were savoury but some people prefer sweet fritters.
The trick to good dandelion fritters is to pick the flowers first thing in the morning (before they start to form white seed fluff) and to use them the same day to prevent fuzzy fritters.
Here is a simple dandelion flower fritter recipe that looks a lot like mine.
http://www.ediblewildfood.com/dandelion-fritters.aspx
Last but not least, spring is the time for the return of the soft, young kale. This is when the kale plants that survived through the winter get new succulent little shoots. I love just walking around the garden and eating kale straight off the plants of lightly steamed with some oil, butter or vinegar. Just plain with nothing on is my favourite of all times.
What are some recipes that remind you of spring or that make you happy that the good weather and change of season is on its way?
Thanks for sharing!