Strange as it may sound, some people make a habit of establishing monthly menus with seasonal ingredients, because this allows them to enjoy foods otherwise unavailable during other times of the year. After all, not all food is found year-round.
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People who eat by monthly ingredients also know which foods are going out of season, which means they can make the most of these before they run out.
Below are some of April’s seasonal ingredients to help you make the most of this month’s food. The title tells you of what you can cook with them.
Hearty soups and broths
Watercress, peas, asparagus are three spring vegetables to cook into flavorful soups and broths, perfect for coldish spring days.
Soups can be enriched with natural yogurt or sour cream and are best when garnished with fresh ingredients, such as pea shoots, croutons, flat-leaf parsley, fresh coriander, and drizzled with olive oil and flavored to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
- Tip: use butter to sauté ingredients for a nutty, rich flavor.
Foods to get you started
Called starters or nibbles, these foods are meant to set the tone for serious eating. April recipes should include seasonal vegetables and fish.
Some fish is in the highest stock in April, meaning prices will be lower now and there will be a greater variety of fresh fish in stores.
Different fish will be available depending on where you live and seasonal vegetables such as asparagus, spring onions, and watercress are delightful seafood accompaniments so make sure you savor them before their season ends.
Best meats for main courses
Beef is a staple ingredient in many holiday recipes and a wonderful ingredient for cooking a main course dish.
Make your own recipe of the month and know that beef goes very well with noodles as beef stir-fry where you need to use ingredients such as spring onions, carrots, pak choi, rice wine, bean sauce and lean beef fillet, cut into thin slices.
Other meats to consider for this month’s menu include turkey and goose.
Salads, of course, are great and healthy sides that you can make using this month’s vegetables.
A combination of peas, asparagus and feta cheese will make a tasty spring flavored salad while for a more tender choice, you can use tomato, bulgar wheat and parsley, spring onions and mint seasoned with allspice.
Complimenting desserts
Rhubarb is the king ingredient in April’s dessert recipes with rhubarb being a seasonal darling now and although a vegetable, is treated as fruit and perfect for preparing spring desserts.
Rhubarb stalks are thick and fleshy and their flavor is sour-y, so complimenting recipes include key ingredients such as mascarpone cream, crème fraîche, and white chocolate that are going to balance the sharp taste of rhubarb.
Don’t forget about strawberries. This is the perfect time of the year to make your own preserves. Serve strawberry jam with butter on scone still warm from the oven and for a real British treat, indulge in a little teatime.
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Remember to keep yourself feeling fuller with seasonal hearty ingredients that pack a nutritional punch and enjoy these before they’re gone.