Spring Baker's Notes
and a recipe for Carrot Blueberry Muffins.
Hi Bakers!
When the weather is giving you whiplash, nourishing food is there to help through tough transitions. For Spring, this means a reintroduction to life-giving salads, jazzed-up soups, and fresh, seasonal bakes.
Soup and salad are season-less, but after a long winter, it’s the perfect time to hit refresh on cozy stews and wilted greens.
Build a Better Salad:
As new produce hits the market each week, let’s talk about building a great salad. A not-boring salad is all about layers and textures. Starting with the base, think about both soft and crisp greens: butter lettuce leaves, fresh romaine, delicate arugula, and hearty kale. Toss in something crunchy like shaved Brussels sprouts, cabbage, or fennel or sliced cucumbers.
Salad always feels more like a meal than a side when it includes something cooked - roasted potatoes, pan-seared cauliflower, or blanched green beans. Even more so, salad turns into the main dish with added grains/legumes: cooked lentils, farro, a tin of beans, or torn bread - panzanella style.
Juicy citrus always adds sweetness and acidity to the party. Toss in mandarin wedges or segments of grapefruit - any extra juice saved for the dressing.
I love a simple vinaigrette, but blended dressings might take you out of a sad salad rut this season. Blitz together seasoned yogurt with soft herbs or avocado, cottage cheese, and jalapeños with lime juice.
Soup-er Toppers:
To balance soups and give them a flavor boost, I always finish them with something tangy, creamy, salty, or spicy. This looks like a drizzle of olive oil, splash of vinegar, squeeze of lemon, or dollop of cream. It could also be a handful of Parmesan cheese, sprinkle of red pepper flakes, or a shower of soft herbs. Best if it’s a few of these things combined.
Spring Bakes
Fruits and Vegetables to Look For:
Rhubarb, naval oranges, mangoes, kiwis, limes, grapefruit, lemons, kumquats, pineapple, passion fruit, tangerines, blood oranges, early strawberries.
Radishes, artichokes, asparagus, arugula, snap peas, leeks, spinach, turnips, carrots, fava beans, spring onions, cabbage, parsnips, beets, herbs, kale, watercress, fennel.
And How to Use Them:
Carrot Cake with brown butter frosting; sweet and salty grapefruit cream pie; rhubarb crumble; tropical pineapple coconut bread; orange olive oil cake; lemon sugar crepes; strawberry scones with white chocolate; minty lime chiffon cake; coconut mango cake; berry ricotta cake; glazed pistachio lemon cookies; classic lemon tart; fresh strawberries and cold sweet cream, banana pineapple hummingbird cake; honey panna cotta with strawberries; sparkling strawberry Prosecco cake.
Carrot Blueberry Muffins
Did we need to add plump blueberries into already moist and tender carrot muffins? No, but they sure make them even more delicious. And just look at that glaze! A full celebration of spring packed in each bite. I definitely recommend making these for Easter brunch.
I baked these muffins in extra large liners but with a standard muffin tin. I wanted beautifully tall and round tops, and by baking them at a high temperature for the first 5 minutes, it helps them rise quickly before reducing back to a standard 350°F. Just don’t forget to turn the temperature down! If you don’t have extra large liners, regular muffins would be equally tasty - just reduce the overall bake time.
