Pat yourselves on the back: You’ve almost made it through winter. And you know what that means? Consuming asparagus by the barrelful, turning every green in sight into pesto, eating strawberries at their juicy peak.
If all of spring’s culinary possibilities thrill you, know that the New York Times Food staff is along for the ride. Here are the recipes we’re most excited to make, including quiches, verdant pastas and more rhubarb dishes than you can shake a stick at.
I can’t wait to make Yewande Komolafe’s mushroom larb! It’s the perfect recipe for transitioning out of winter and into brighter, more vibrant springy flavors, thanks to all the herbs and lettuces. And the mushrooms do most of the heavy lifting, so there’s less work to get to delicious. PRIYA KRISHNA
I got into a bit of a babka-making frenzy around Christmastime, and I’m getting the urge to fill and roll and twist again. Project baking doesn’t have to stop when the temperatures creep past 60 degrees. Melissa Clark’s savory, herb-laden babka, made with a little prosciutto and a lot of ricotta, screams spring to me and is sure to satisfy my itch for another financial quarter. TANYA SICHYNSKY
Spring can be slow to arrive in the Northeast. As soon as crocuses start to push out of the ground in early March, I’m ready for tender lettuces, sweet peas and snappy fiddleheads. But it will be at least another month before I see any of them at my market. I love this Ali Slagle recipe because it tastes like the season — sunny with lemon and grassy with asparagus — even if most spring produce is still just a dream. CRISTA CHAPMAN
This pistachio Bundt cake is the dessert our team cannot stop talking about. Adapted by Priya Krishna and Jesse Szewczyk, it comes from the chef Joshua Pinsky of Claud in the East Village of Manhattan. The flavor is deeply nutty, the texture is delicate and the secret ingredient is — drumroll, please — instant pistachio pudding mix. That may give you pause, but this is a real “trust the process” situation. This cake is so special! BECKY HUGHES
Recipe: Pistachio Bundt Cake
I recently bought my first food processor, so this spring I’m looking forward to blitzing up lots of bright green sauces to toss with my pasta or drizzle over my meals. Florence Fabricant’s classic pesto recipe comes to mind, of course, but I’d also like to branch out and try this arugula pesto from Martha Rose Shulman, as well as the smoked almond pesto that Kay Chun came up with and tosses with spaghetti. KASIA PILAT
Recipes: Basic Pesto | Arugula Pesto | Smoked Almond Pesto Spaghetti
Just like the first tomato salad signals the height of summer, the first batch of chicken salad means that spring is here. This recipe has a nostalgic, there’s-never-too-much-mayonnaise air about it, but the pieces of chicken are substantial and it’s crunchy from the celery and toasted nuts. JULIA MOSKIN
Recipe: Best Chicken Salad
Every spring, I look forward to rhubarb. The search is part of the joy, as grocery stores one by one start carrying it for the fleeting season. I enjoy roasting the ruby stalks with vanilla beans and lemon juice to make a hot-pink syrup for my morning cold brew. But I’m also a sucker for a buttery, oat-studded crisp like this one from Mark Bittman. A giant scoop of ice cream offsets the pleasurable tartness of the vegetable and reminds me, yet again, that sour always goes well with sweet. ERIC KIM
Recipe: Rhubarb Crisp
Springtime in New York is truly magical, signaling the end of my seasonal depression and the beginning of amazing seasonal produce. My go-to for having people over is Alison Roman’s ricotta dumplings with buttered peas and asparagus. It’s lemony and super vegetal, and the dumplings add just a touch of richness without upstaging the springtime delights. (I also use ramps instead of leeks because — ramps!) VAUGHN VREELAND
Every spring I think, “I am going to bake something with rhubarb.” And then, every spring, I don’t. But this time I really mean it, and I’m starting with Melissa Clark’s beloved poundcake. EMILY WEINSTEIN
I’m not one of those people who’s successful at keeping fresh herbs happy in the fridge, so, when I do buy them for recipes, I have to use them up right away. This goat cheese quiche from David Tanis is perfect for that. I once decorated the top with garlic blossoms before baking and was very pleased with the results (and with myself). It’s great for a picnic, and it freezes well, too. MARGAUX LASKEY
