Creating a Playful Springtime Menu

In the spirit of springtime playfulness, create a seasonal menu for any of your special holidays or personal occasions. Springtime ingredients are exciting when, once again, we find them in season and available from local producers. These ingredients can create the basis for a fun, springtime meal. This is the kind of meal where it's acceptable to eat with your fingers, dip ingredients into sauces, and play with your food as you did as a child. Happy Spring!

Appetizer:

Line an attractive basket with colorful cabbage leaves. Fill the basket with par-boiled springtime vegetables such as asparagus, english snap peas, and new potatoes. Sprinkle with a bunch of (uncooked) baby radishes. Serve with roasted-garlic aioli dipping sauce for an easy finger food appetizer.

First course:

Artichokes Stuffed with Mint -

Main Course:

Baby Lamb Chops with Cucumber Mint Relish - Lamb and mint are both classic springtime ingredients. Put them together in this savory recipe and you have finger food that sings the season.

Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic - I remember making tunnels for gravy or towers for toppling when I was served mashed potatoes as a kid. How about you?

Peas with Pancetta - The more playful adults may recall hiding their peas in mashed potatoes when they were children.

Dessert:

Fill a beautiful serving bowl with strawberries. Serve big, fluffy bowls of whipped cream with the berries for a different type of dipping fun. Just don't fall for the old trick where someone asks you to sniff the cream to see if it's still fresh!

Lemon Poke Cake - The bright flavors of lemon are perfect for the mood of the season.