While it may not feel like it right now, it’s officially spring! And with that comes much to celebrate, especially in the vegetable department.

We’ve all heard about the importance of supporting local farmers and eating seasonally—doing so cuts down on waste, benefits the local economy, is healthier for you, and pretty well guarantees tastier veggies. So we consulted Cara Mangini’s James Beard Award nominated The Vegetable Butcher to compile a list of the vegetables that are at their peak at this time of year. Happy cooking!

Spring Vegetables

• artichokes
• arugula
• asparagus
• hass avocados
• bok choy
• broccoli rabe
• cardoons
• carrots
• chicories and endives
• fava and cranberry beans
• fennel
• fiddlehead ferns
• jicama
• lettuce
• mushrooms
• nettles
• onions
• peas
• radishes
• rhubarb
• spinach
• turnips
• sorrel
• watercress

About Cara’s Book

The skills of butchery meet the world of fresh produce in this essential, inspiring guide that demystifies the world of vegetables.

In step-by-step photographs, “vegetable butcher” Cara Mangini shows how to break down a butternut squash, cut a cauliflower into steaks, peel a tomato properly, chiffonade kale, turn carrots into coins and parsnips into matchsticks, and find the meaty heart of an artichoke.

Additionally, more than 150 original, simple recipes put vegetables front and center, from a Kohlrabi Carpaccio to Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Basil Penne, to a Parsnip-Ginger Layer Cake to sweeten a winter meal. It’s everything you need to know to get the best out of modern, sexy, and extraordinarily delicious vegetables.

Buy the Book
Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Workman