Even though the weather is still being weird across the country, spring is officially here, and with that comes the abundance of spring produce. After months of lackluster supermarket fruit and winter’s mealiest tomatoes, we’re positively salivating at the prospect of getting our hands on the season’s freshest veggies.
In the coming weeks, we’ll all be stalking our local farmer’s markets in search of the finest tomatoes, the plumpest berries, and verdant green garlic. Here’s the spring produce each of the Ravenous founders is the most excited about — and how we’re planning to spend the next several weeks eating as much spring-y fare as we can get our hands on.
Jaya: Every year in mid April, I start frantically refreshing FreshDirect and taking trips out to Patel Brothers in anticipation of the arrival of kesar mangoes, which I then buy weekly by the case for their short lifespan. Alphonsos are good too, but kesars are what makes my heart sing. I know there are a million things to do with mangoes, but the only way I ever consume them is cubed in a bowl for breakfast with no adornment. And of course I save myself the pit to gnaw on over the sink.
Amy: I am generally not someone who looks forward to summer. I’m a Texan, so summer pretty much only means months of unrelentingly hot temperatures, and I hate those. But now that May is here, I am positively giddy at the prospect of the good tomatoes starting to come in at the farmer’s market. It’s been months since I’ve had a decent tomato, and I’m getting a real hankering for a great one. You know the ones I’m talking about — those lumpy, multicolored heirlooms that look nice on Instagram and even sexier when sprinkled with salt and layered into a tomato pie. I’m already dreaming about all the pan con tomate I’m going to eat, even if I’m not trying to think about how much money I’m going to spend on tomatoes.
Courtney: During COVID, I went on a quest to figure out how to make the best cobbler crust. I tried dozens of different recipes, hoping to figure out which one I like best. That also meant trying loads of different fruits. Was I an autumnal crisp lover who wants stone fruit and oats in the crust? A mixed berry with a light, puffy crust girly? It turns out that what I liked in childhood is still my favorite: a dewberry cobbler with a flat white crust that’s got a hint of salt in all the sugar, just like my grandmother used to make.
Dewberries are closely related to blackberries, and every bit as juicy. They’ll stain your fingers, but watch out for the thorns all over their tangled vines. I love the nostalgia of it, and remembering how she’d only make them after my cousins and I went out and collected enough of the wild dewberries that grow across Texas in the spring for a cobbler. They also make stellar jam. As an adult, I’ve also grown a strong appreciation for rhubarb, and I love mixing that into a berry cobbler for some tartness. So, I’m looking forward to a dewberry cobbler and a rhubarb and strawberry crisp.
Ashok: Spring is always a bigger deal in the Midwest; we just appreciate it more than other regions as we endure harsh winters. Right now, we’re in a sea of ramp pesto, but I’m actually more of a fan of another allium: Green garlic. Of late, the garlic discourse has been mind-numbing. We’ve seen that Anthony Bourdain quote (“Too lazy to peel fresh? You don't deserve to eat garlic.") pop up on social media. We’ve seen recipe testers rebel, saying that Americans overpower their food by adding too much garlic. There are so many hot takes that vampires don’t know whether to rise up or stay asleep. Green garlic is the delicate compromise to power-up salad dressings, marinades, burgers, pasta, dips — anything. As spring also ushers in allergy season, food can serve as medicine. Have a scratchy throat? Throw in some extra green garlic in your soup. You’ll be feeling fine in no time, and folks with good taste will want to make-out with you more. It’s scientifically proven.
Frances: I’ve been waiting for daikon radishes to finally come into season since I got my copy of In The Kusina: My Seasonal Filipino Cooking cookbook late last year. The cover features thin slices of purple daikon topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro leaves layered on coconut labneh smeared over sourdough toast. The daikon has a pinkish-magenta hue, projecting the joy of surviving the long Michigan winter and the arrival of spring. It’s almost too pretty to eat, but I’ll be the judge of that when I finally make it. This could be an impressive snack to share on a group picnic, too. Will report back.
On Ravenous this week:
— For last week’s Sunday newsletter, Ashok Selvam headed to Gary, Indiana, inspired by the surprise drop of a prequel episode of The Bear named for the very same city. There, Ashok visited local institution Koney King and chatted with a local reporter about what he hopes the show gets right about his hometown.
— Jaya Saxena explains the cultural phenomenon that is Gastronauts, the Dropout Comedy series that turns the concept of a food cooking show totally on its head. In this profile of comedian Jordan Myrick, Saxena digs into why we love watching other people cook so much, especially when there’s a bunch of silly challenges thrown into the mix, and why all gay children of a certain generation fell in love with the Food Network.
— It’s a big week for Jaya fans, because our second story this week is also by her, and this time she’s paying tribute to one of her favorite culinary inventions: the sip-and-snack cup. Whether or not I agree with her that this is actually a compelling innovation that needed to exist, there’s no denying that she makes one hell of a case for the ability to eat and sip from the same cup.
What we’re reading/listening to/eating elsewhere:
— Our very own Courtney E. Smith has an essay in Steak Zine, telling the story of her family’s generations-old chicken-fried steak and the restaurant where they’ve been serving this Texas classic for decades. You’ll also find pieces from Superiority Burger chef Brooks Headley, Vogue writer Emma Specter, and more geniuses. Order your copy here.
— This week, our friends at Gourmet shared this incredible interview with an American caper importer by Cale Guthrie Weissman.
— Thanks to Maggie Hennessey, who mentions Ravenous as part of a cohort of great new indie food sites coming up in her Slate piece.
