Spring Recipes Featuring Seasonal Ingredients

Although some people complain about not having four seasons in Louisiana, I still look forward to spring. I’m not talking about little birds tweeting and the breakthrough of crocuses in the melting snow. For me, it is about the food. There are some foods and dishes that I miss during the winter. For example, eating frozen crawfish is no substitute for the real thing.  And by the real thing, I mean freshly boiled or freshly made into an étouffée or something else delicious. By April, we can even be eating early planted local tomatoes. I am always ready for the first tastes of spring on the table.

In the very early clearing of spring weather, some foods are not always available, depending on the weather in the winter.  Rainfall, temperature and storms all affect how early food is actually available. When I am tired of winter, because it has just dragged on, I have been known to make myself feel better by cooking spring recipes with frozen ingredients. I am sympathetic to the impulse to not wait for fresh because sometimes the yearning for the tastes of spring just has to be satisfied.

Corn and strawberries definitely taste better fresh. And yellow squash and zucchini are indisputably better fresh. But butternut squash can make a fine pasta sauce when fresh tomatoes are just not ready.

For any celebrating that you might do during spring, think about the memories that you are making over food. Use your good dishes. Remember to serve the food with aplomb and lovely napkins. Those first dishes of fresh things from Louisiana deserve to be eaten at a table with friends and family. This is no time for meals at your desk or in your car, eaten without the time for savoring the flavor. It is a time to pay attention to the food.

These dishes are not merely the harbingers of spring. When these dishes are made with fresh ingredients, they are proof that spring is here. From fresh pickles for your sandwiches, soup, sides and main courses, these dishes will confirm that Louisiana spring is here and that we are very fortunate to be here to eat them.

Stuffed Yellow Squash

2 large yellow squashes, cut into halves
Salt and pepper
2 cups cornbread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 F.

With a melon baller scoop out the inside of the squash, making sure to leave enough flesh to make a sturdy boat. Season both sides of each squash boat with salt and pepper. Set aside the meat of the squash and chop it finely.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped squash, the cornbread crumbs, thyme, cayenne and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly. Add half the olive oil to moisten the mixture.

Pack a quarter of the mixture into each of the 4 squash boats. Allow the bread crumbs to mound on top of the boat. With the remaining olive oil, oil a baking pan with sides. Add the boats to the pan and sprinkle the cheese on top of each boat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan in the hot oven.

Cook for 30 minutes and remove the foil. Cook another 15 minutes to brown the cheese and finish the squash. Place the boats on a serving platter and bring them to the table. Serves 4

Tomato Salad

4 large tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons capers
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Slice 4 tomatoes and array them on a platter. Place in refrigerator.

Place the cilantro, olive oil, capers, garlic and lemon juice in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until a smooth paste is formed. If the mixture is not pourable, add olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time while the processor is running until the mixture is loose enough to pour.

Drizzle the sauce over the sliced tomatoes and serve. Serve additional sauce in a pitcher on the table. Serve with a good finishing salt with a pepper mill on the table. Serves 4

No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream

2 pounds fresh Louisiana strawberries, de-stemmed and cut in half
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 125 F.

Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar. Place the strawberries on a cookie sheet and cook for 2 hours in the oven to concentrate the flavors. Allow to cool. While they are cooking, whip the whipping cream until it makes soft peaks. Set it aside in the refrigerator.

Place the cooled strawberries in the work bowl of a food processor with the condensed milk. Whip the strawberries and milk together until smooth. Carefully and gently fold the strawberry mixture into the whipped cream. Do not deflate the cream.

Place in a quart container and allow it to freeze in the freezer for at least 12 hours. Serve. Makes 1 quart

Corn and Crawfish Soup

This recipe doesn’t have cream because the creamy taste of the fresh corn and the potatoes would be lost with cream. The buttermilk sets off the flavors.

1 stick unsalted butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 pounds peeled Louisiana crawfish tails
2 quarts buttermilk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups, freshly shucked corn kernels
1 pound new potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed
1½ cups chopped parsley
½ cup scallion (green and white parts)
2 teaspoons your favorite Creole or Cajun seasoning without salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter in your soup pot until it begins to foam. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook another 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Add the crawfish, buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, corn and potatoes. Stir with a whisk to distribute the potato through the soup. This is a hearty rustic soup, so it can be a bit lumpy. If it remains too thick, add 1 cup of white wine or chicken broth. Cook on low for at least 20 minutes. Add the parsley, scallions and seasoning.  Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. Taste to correct the seasoning, salt and pepper. Serve. Serves 8