"spring produce" news and stories

It's been a brutal winter across much of the country, but spring is finally peeking its head out from under those snow drifts. Want to celebrate? YumSugar has tips on cooking up five of springtime's most iconic foods. We all love those first sweet strawberries, but this year, instead of shortcake, why not use them to make a rich ice cream bursting with fruit flavor? More of a rhubarb fan? Harness its captivating sweet-tart flavor in a delicate salad. They've given you the ideas, now it's up to you. So hit up your local farmer's market and get cooking -- these recipes will make any meal just a little bit brighter.

Get the full list -- and the recipes -- at YumSugar.com.

If you're at a farm-to-table restaurant or farmer's market these days, you may see a curious item of produce on offer: fiddlehead ferns. Here's the scoop on these curly green delicacies.

Towards the middle of spring, fava beans or as the English call them -- broad beans -- can be found at farmer's markets across the country. Their rich buttery texture and heavenly nutty taste not only complement meats, fish and other fruits and vegetables, but also make them standouts on their own.

Fava beans are eaten around the world as a snack and as a full meal. They're used as essential ingredients in meals ranging from salad to pork shoulder to bean paste. In the Middle East, fava beans are crushed in a sauce and eaten for breakfast in a dish called "ful medames."

In Iran, fava beans are conserved in metal cans and eaten throughout the winter with salt and pepper. They can also be fried and eaten as a delicious crunchy snack, as done in Mexico, Peru, China and Thailand.

Below are eight recipes for fava beans:

1. Grilled Fava Beans with Chile and Lemon
2. Sizzling Halloumi Cheese with Fava Beans and Mint
3. Fava Bean Salad with Roasted-Garlic Vinaigrette
4. Fava Bean Soup
5. Halibut on Mashed Fava Beans with Mint
6. Garlic-Rubbed Pork Shoulder with Spring Vegetables
   
7. Ravioli Stuffed with Fava Beans, Ricotta and Mint with Brown-Butter Sauce
8. Lemon- and Garlic-Roasted Chicken with Fava Beans, Radishes and Pecorino