Photo by James0806.

This week DCist is getting sprung for spring. All week long we’ll be spotlighting ways to eat and cook the bounty of fruits and vegetables that are finally peeking their little green heads out of the soil.

By DCist Contributor Elizabeth Packer

Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, cherry blossoms are peaking, Nationals Stadium is once again abuzz with fans … spring has officially arrived in D.C. To welcome the new season, chefs around the city have been doing a spring cleaning of sorts, updating their menus to reflect the arrival and availability of new produce. It’s time to say goodbye to the root veggies and hearty greens of winter, and welcome spring’s bounty. Just as gardeners delight in their first blooms, the arrival of spring heralds a new chapter in kitchens across the city. It’s worth venturing out in the coming weeks to sample the best of spring at one of the city’s many restaurants debuting spring menus full of dishes showcasing local, seasonal produce.

The first step to embracing spring eating is getting on the ramps train. Of the twelve chefs I spoke with, the only ones who didn’t mention their excitement over the arrival of the much-adored, hard-to get darling of the season were a baker and a pastry chef. Ramps are coveted for their limited availability—a truly seasonal prize—and their versatility in the kitchen.

As Chef Ethan McKee, of Urbana (2121 P Street NW) said, “Ramps are the most fun to work with. They have such a short window, so I try to buy as many as possible.” McKee plans to pickle ramps and freeze the pureed greens, allowing for their use throughout the season.

While ramps may hog the spotlight, there’s plenty of other fruits and vegetables to get excited about. Chef David Fritsche of Café Dupont (1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW) sums up the joy the new season brings: “After winter with all its roots and grains, it’s awesome to see how spring is lighting up the colors, textures and flavors.” Fresh peas, morel mushrooms, asparagus, artichokes, mixed lettuces, rhubarb, and a variety of fresh herbs are all now emerging after a long winter.

For chefs, it’s a relief to have access to such a bounty—George Rodrigues, chef at Tico (1926 14th Street NW), said spring is the most exciting time of the year for a chef. Chef Kyoo Eom of Poste (700 F Street NW) sees spring produce as imbued with a special meaning.

“They fought the whole winter season and then they wait until the weather is just right,” Eom writes in an email. “They are more than just spring produce, they’re new life.”

Since cooking with the seasons means limiting yourself to what’s locally available, the winter months can be daunting. Baker Mark Furstenburg of Bread Furst (4434 Connecticut Avenue NW) is certainly ready to welcome spring staples like peas, asparagus and spring greens into his kitchen. “I’m so tired of butternut squash. I bought 500 pounds of it and had to invent ways to use it.” When the farmer cooperatives Furstenburg sources from recently offered jerusalem artichokes, he jumped at the new produce and will soon feature a jerusalem artichoke and arugula salad on his menu.

On the sweeter side of things, chef Meredith Tomason of Rare Sweets (963 Palmer Alley NW) welcomes back rhubarb and herbs like lemon verbena and black mint, allowing her to freshen up her menu of cakes and ice creams with offerings like rhubarb lemon cake and lemon verbena sorbet.

To showcase the area’s best, chefs cultivate relationships with local farmers in the Md.-Va.-Pa. region and visit city farmers’ markets to find inspiration and to seek out the freshest ingredients. Chef Michael Bonk of The Pig (1320 14th Street NW) changes his menu daily based on what’s available from EatWell Natural Farm, the main produce supplier for The Pig and other restaurants in the EatWell restaurant group.

“I try to always let the produce speak for itself,” Bonk said. “No matter what I do, it’s important to not overcook, to keep it simple and let the beauty of the ingredients shine through.”

At Arcuri (2400 Wisconsin Avenue NW), chef Richard Jones does a Saturday “Georgetown Farmer Market” special: “I’ll literally just go down to the market and pick up whatever is freshest and at its peak, and make a special out of it. It’s fun to do, and keeps the creative juices flowing.”

Some take the local, seasonal trend a step further by growing their own produce on site. Urbana has a rooftop garden planted with heirloom varieties of Italian greens, lettuces, squashes, and tomatoes. Chef McKee sought out lesser known varieties that not many other people in the area are growing, and this year hopes to do specials throughout the season made fully from ingredients grown in the garden.

At Bidwell (1309 5th Street NE) in Union Market, chef John Mooney serves “roof-to-table” cuisine, taking advantage of an aeroponic rooftop garden that provides about 60 percent of his produce needs, with closer to 100 percent in the summer. Bidwell’s mixed greens and baby arugula will be ready for harvest in the next few weeks, and Mooney will incorporate the garden’s herbs and greens across the menu.

In addition to sampling spring produce at city restaurants, here are some of the chefs’ recommendations for recipes to try at home:

Pickled Ramps from Chef Kyoo Eom of Poste

• Fresh ramps
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups Sprite
• Salt

Blanch the ramps in boiling water and cool them down in a bowl of ice water. Let them dry. Combine all remaining ingredients to make the pickling liquid, and bring to a boil. Pour over the ramps and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit overnight, and then store in refrigerator.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon from Chef Richard Jones of Arcuri

“The easiest thing to prepare is roasted asparagus with lemon and butter,” says Chef Jones. “It’s heaven in your mouth!”

Preheat your oven to 500. Peel the tough, outer skin of the asparagus. Toss asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put in oven and roast until browned, but still firm. Top with butter and a squeeze of lemon.

Butter Glazed Peas from Chef Michael Bonk of The Pig

“My favorite way to serve peas is with a simple butter glaze. Melt some butter with lemon juice, it will emulsify and become creamy. Add in fresh peas, some mint and tarragon, a little salt.”

For a more detailed approach, check out this recipe for buttered peas with tarragon.

Rhubarb Compote from Chef Meredith Tomason of Rare Sweets

“Find some rhubarb, and cook it down a bit with lemon zest, vanilla bean and sugar to make a compote.” She recommends serving the compote with pancakes and waffles for a Sunday morning treat.

Try this basic compote recipe and modify to you tastes.