Spring Food: Ramps, Asparagus and Crawfish

Spring food arrives in a hurry and leaves just as fast. A wild leek that grows in a hillside forest for a few weeks, an asparagus spear cut at dawn and a crab that has shed its shell and can be eaten whole are seasonal foods that cooks wait all year to serve. Ramps and asparagus lead the list.

What counts as spring food?

Ingredients that appear in the cool, wet months after winter and before summer: young greens, wild plants, early vegetables, shellfish and baby animals. The season starts at different times across the country, with the South and the West Coast weeks ahead of the Northeast and the Mountain states.

Cooks treat spring food gently. A spear of asparagus needs only butter and salt. A fresh pea does not need a sauce. The goal is to taste the plant, not to hide it. Spring also brings rhubarb, peas, fava beans, morel mushrooms, new potatoes, radishes and the first strawberries, each with a window of only a few weeks. Menus change often at this time of year, and a dish that was on last week may already be gone, which is part of the pleasure.

When is ramps season?

Ramps season runs for a few weeks in the spring in the Appalachian Mountains and across the Northeast and Midwest. Ramps are wild leeks with broad leaves and a garlicky, onion flavor, and they grow in damp woods. Cooks sauté them, pickle them, blend them into butter and fold them into eggs and pasta.

Ramps are slow growing, and overharvesting is a worry, so look for sellers who cut only the leaves or who harvest in small amounts. Festivals in West Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio have celebrated them for generations. Ask your market when they arrive, because the window is short.

What is asparagus season?

Asparagus season usually runs from April into June, depending on where you are. California, Washington and Michigan are major growers, and local farms across the country sell it at roadside stands. Fresh asparagus has tight tips and firm, bright stalks.

Thin spears cook fast and suit grilling or a quick sauté. Thick ones suit roasting. Peel the base of a thick stalk if it feels woody. Serve it with eggs, lemon, a hard cheese or hollandaise. In Michigan and Washington, towns hold asparagus festivals, and in the Midwest a plate of asparagus and ham is a common Easter dish. Ask the grower how long ago the spears were cut, since sweetness fades quickly after harvest.

When is soft shell crab season?

Soft shell crab season arrives in late spring and early summer on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, when blue crabs molt and can be eaten shell and all. Maryland and Virginia cooks fry or sauté them and serve them in a sandwich or on a plate with lemon and tartar sauce.

Ask the kitchen when the crabs were delivered. A fresh soft shell has a sweet, briny flavor and a crisp coating. Order them while they are on the menu, because in a few weeks they will be gone. The fourth of July food guide lists the coastal dishes that come next.

What about crawfish in spring?

Crawfish season in Louisiana and the Gulf South peaks in the spring, when boils are held in backyards, parking lots and restaurants. A boil is a pot of crawfish cooked with corn, potatoes, sausage and a seasoning mix, poured on newspaper-covered tables. You pinch the tail, suck the head if you dare and peel the rest.

Plan on three to five pounds per person if crawfish are the meal. Wear clothes you do not mind staining. Ask your host how hot the seasoning is. Restaurants outside Louisiana often sell crawfish by the pound in season, and the price and size change from week to week. Early-season crawfish tend to be smaller, and the biggest ones show up as the season goes on.

Where do spring farmers markets fit in?

Spring farmers markets reopen in many cities as the weather warms, and the first stalls sell greens, radishes, herbs, eggs, honey, early strawberries and plants for the garden. Go early for the best selection and bring bags.

Talk to the farmers. They know what is ready this week and what is coming next, and they will tell you how to cook it. Buy small amounts so nothing wilts before you use it. The US guides hub lists more regional pages if you are traveling for a season.

How do you catch a season before it ends?

Keep a short list of the foods you look forward to each spring and note when they first appear. Check market and restaurant social pages, which usually announce the first batch. Eat the food in its first week, when it is most special, and again in its last, when it is cheapest.

A note taken now makes next spring easier. Write the date, the place and the dish, and you will know when to start looking. The Mother's Day brunch guide shows how spring menus appear on the table.

How can Mosey help with spring eating?

After a meal, open the Mosey app while you remember it: rate the dish, pick a tag and add a line. Ten seconds of notes on a first-of-spring radish or a crawfish boil beat trying to recall the name of a plate a month later.

As the season turns, get the Mosey app, rate the spring dishes you waited all year for and build a list of the kitchens that cook the season well.