I remember playing the alphabet game with my family on the long summer car trips we used to take. Someone would name a category (Ice cream flavors! World capitals! Tropical reptiles!) and we’d be off, a-to-z. At the market this week, I realized it might just be possible to play the same game with salad greens. Arugula, bok choi and chard, oh my!

Market season is now officially in full swing, with virtually every D.C.-area farmers’ market open as of this weekend. The diversity of produce appearing on vendors’ tables is expanding every week, with carrots, strawberries, and tomatoes starting to pop up among all the greenery.

Inspired by this bounty and the herbs growing in pots along a windowsill in my office, I set out to create a recipe that would reflect the crisp freshness of these early May flavors. Mix and match the filling ingredients based on your own preferences and the ingredients you have on hand. The sesame spread provides a creamy, rich and slightly spicy backdrop to the vegetables it enfolds.

I’ve been enjoying these wraps with sparkling lemon-limeade: just juice a lemon or lime (or half of each) into a glass, stir in a couple of teaspoons of sugar or honey (or more, if you prefer: this makes a tart drink), add ice and pour seltzer water to the top.

Spring Vegetable Wraps with Sesame Spread

Spread:
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
½ tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice frome half a lime
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Black and red pepper to taste

Wraps:
Large wraps (any flavor)
Lettuce, arugula, spinach, tatsoi or any other salad green (ripped into bite-size pieces)
Cucumber (sliced into thin strips)
Carrots (grated or sliced into thin matchsticks)
Radishes or hakurei turnips (chopped in half and sliced very thin)
Green onions (green parts only, sliced into two-inch pieces)
Sprouts (bean, alfalfa, broccoli or clover)
Mint, cilantro, basil or flat-leaf parsley

Blend spread ingredients together into a smooth paste in a food processor. Adjust proportions to suit your taste. The spread keeps well in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for several months.

For each sandwich, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of sesame spread on a wrap. Layer in the greens, cucumbers, radishes, turnips, green onions, sprouts and herbs in a row in the center of the wrap in whatever combination and proportions you like. Fold the bottom end over the filling, then fold one side over, squeezing the wrap tightly around the filling. Roll tightly into a full wrap. To serve, place seam side down on a plate, cut in half and garnish with fresh mint leaves.