Springtime Fruits and Vegetables

By Chef Olivier Quinn

Spring is a great season for those who love to cook.  There are a myriad of wonderful fruits and vegetables that start to show up in markets this time of the year.

My favorite, are the incredible variety of baby vegetables that are harvested early by local growers.  Carrots, various types of squash and beets, turnips, brussel sprouts, leeks, potatoes, artichokes, and many others.

I like to pick up a good selection of these baby vegetables during my weekly farmer’s market visit.  After cleaning and prepping them, I  blanch the vegetables to set their color.  I then divide them into several portions and store them in airtight containers for use throughout the week.  

The vegetables are extremely versatile.  They can be roasted or just reheated with a little butter and served as a side dish.  They can be used to make spring vegetable risotto or to make a vegetable pizza.  You can toss them with pasta and a little homemade pesto to make a great pasta dish.  The possibilities are endless.

I like to make a very simple goat cheese puff pastry tart using the vegetables.  Place your puff pastry on a baking sheet and prick in several places with a fork.  Bake in a 375?F oven until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and brush with an egg wash.  Return to the oven and bake for another five minutes.  Remove and let the crust cool completely. 

Begin to assemble the tart by placing a small amount of pesto on the crust.  Arrange your various vegetables, some oven dried tomatoes, and some fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and thyme.  Add the goat cheese and serve the tart at room temperature with a salad of peppery greens such as arugula tossed with a basic vinaigrette.