Spring Produce: Recipes, Tips, and Tricks

Happy Spring! Take advantage of in-season produce with this week's newsletter. [Log In]( [America's Test Kitchen]( [FIND RECIPES]( [START FREE WEB TRIAL]( Notes from the Test Kitchen [Celebrating Spring Vegetables]( March 23, 2018 Celebrating Spring Vegetables Happy spring from the test kitchen! After making it through winter, we’re celebrating the arrival of in-season produce. Look out for fresh asparagus, peas, radishes, fennel, garlic scapes, and greens. This week we’re bringing you recipes full of this spring bounty. Our Cook’s Illustrated science editors created a vibrantly green-colored [Spring Vegetable Soup with Charred Croutons](. The Cook’s Country team redefines pasta primavera in [Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables](. And because the warmer weather will take a little more time to arrive, we’ve included [Hearty Chicken Soup with Orzo and Spring Vegetables]( from the Cook’s Illustrated team. Find more recipes for spring from all of our teams [on our websites]( and check out [The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook]( for an in-depth guide to these vegetables and more. [Spring Vegetable Soup with Charred Croutons]( [Spring Vegetable Soup with Charred Croutons]( Pureed vegetable soups can be great, but we wanted a recipe that shows off both the bright flavors and the crisp textures of the season’s bounty. We based this soup on French barigoule, a vegetable broth fortified with white wine and lots of olive oil. What makes this soup a showstopper, though, is [its incredibly vibrant green color](. We blanch leek tops and fennel fronds with fresh parsley in boiling water spiked with a little baking soda. The soda raises the pH of the water, so the greens soften faster and less bright-green chlorophyll is destroyed. We then blend the greens and stir the puree into the pot right before serving. The soup is finished with charred croutons that soak up the brothy goodness and provide delicious carb crunch. [View Recipe]( [Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables]( [Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables]( We [streamlined this Italian American favorite]( by using fewer dishes and paring down the number of vegetables called for. Overcooking zucchini allowed us to create a sauce with a silky texture that nicely coated some of our favorite spring vegetables (asparagus and peas). Spaghetti proved itself the most worthy choice in our recipe development, and cherry tomatoes that we marinated briefly (a tip we picked up from a legendary old-school New York City chef) provided a lively finish to our dish. [View Recipe]( [Hearty Chicken Soup with Orzo and Spring Vegetables]( [Hearty Chicken Soup with Orzo and Spring Vegetables]( For [a full-flavored chicken soup that can be made in less than 90 minutes]( we borrowed an idea from an Edna Lewis recipe, beginning by sautéing a chicken separated into parts rather than simmering a whole chicken for hours. We cover the pot and cook the chicken and onion over low heat until they release their rich, flavorful juices. Only at that point is water added, and the broth simmers just 20 minutes longer. [View Recipe]( [Cook's Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country]( All access digital membership. Cook's Illustrated magazine. One low price. Your FREE TRIAL membership includes all access to: ✔ CooksIllustrated.com 25 years of innovative and science based cooking. ✔ AmericasTestKitchen.com All 18 seasons of the hit tv show. ✔ CooksCountry.com Regional favorites and meals for busy weeknights. ✔ Cook's Illustrated Magazine All-new recipes, ratings and tips in your mailbox. [Become an Exclusive Member →]( Recommended Equipment for These Recipes [Breville The Hemisphere Control]( Noise: ★★★   Smoothie: ★★½   Mayonnaise: ★★★   Crushed Ice: ★★★   Ease of Use: ★★½   Almond Butter: ★★½   If you’re looking for a reliable, affordable blender, we highly recommend this model from Breville. It produced acceptable results in every test when the other models couldn’t. Its jar is comparatively narrow, so it requires relatively few scrape-downs, and it combined foods more efficiently than the other blenders in our lineup. Plus, its lid loop makes the lid easy to remove. [Learn More →]( [BUY NOW]( [Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 8-inch Chef’s Knife]( Handle: ★★★   Blade Design: ★★★   Kitchen Tasks: ★★★   Edge Retention: ★★★   A sharp chef’s knife will help you chop spring vegetables cleanly and efficiently. We’ve stocked our kitchen with this supersharp Victorinox knife for the past 20 years. It smoothly cuts through even the toughest squash, and it retained its edge after weeks of testing. Its textured grip felt secure for a wide range of hand sizes during our tests as well. [Learn More →]( [BUY NOW]( [Lamson Products 7.25-inch Walnut Handle Meat Cleaver]( Blade: ★★★   Handle: ★★   Durability: ★½   Ease of Use: ★★★   Performance: ★★★   Break apart a whole chicken for your soup with this well-balanced, medium-weight meat cleaver that moves fluidly. Its long, tall, very sharp blade makes it particularly easy to maneuver. [Learn More →]( [BUY NOW]( News and Events [Enter our Farm-Fresh Cooking Sweepstakes]( Eat Fresh, Eat Clean & Win Prizes! 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