What to Cook When You're Stuck Between Winter and Spring
They say January is the most depressing time of year, but for me, it's always been March. Specifically late March, when I'm convinced spring is happening everywhere except New York. It's not just the below-freezing mornings and the vigilante snowstorms; it's the fact that I have no idea what to cook. My yearly cauliflower quota's been hit, winter squash and I need a break, and the thought of braising another meat has me tapping that Seamless app—but I still can’t dive into BA’s best spring recipes because the produce, so far, is a no show.
So what's for dinner when the weather's still chilly and your CSA is months away? My answer, this year, has been cooking warm, mostly-vegetarian dishes with lots of fresh herbs. No, I'm not buying local (until I start that window box, which I keep meaning to do), but I can get by with what's in the produce aisle and these recipes, mostly from Healthyish food editor Andy Baraghani who luckily loves herbs even more than I do.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott2/6Fried Egg on Toast with Salted Herb Butter and Radishes
Our April cover recipe, this fried egg on toast employs herbs in one of my favorite ways: butter. I sub olive oil for half the butter, which not only adds some healthy fat but makes the butter super spreadable, even if it hangs out for a few days in the fridge.
Nicole Franzen3/6Spicy Lamb and Lentils with Herbs
Lentils, to me, are a perfect winter-spring food when freed from the constraints of soup. Take this dish, where cooked lentils get sautéed with a little lamb, then tossed with fresh herbs. That spoonful of Greek yogurt at the end is crucial: it tempers the heat.
Photo by Christopher Testani4/6Herby Barley Salad with Butter-Basted Mushrooms
Have I mentioned I enjoy butter? It's true, but in this recipe, I like to baste the mushrooms in ghee. Two cups of fresh herbs (plus two sprigs of thyme) sounds like overkill, but, trust me, it makes the meal.
Bobbi Lin5/6Persian Herb and Leek Frittata
This frittata is a love letter to herbs: four-and-a-half cups of them, to be exact. And it's one of those dishes that tastes as good for dinner as it does the next morning with a cup of coffee, or on a plate with a pile of arugula for lunch.
Peden & Munk6/6Pomegranate Molasses Chicken with Bulgur Salad
I've got this recipe from London cafe Honey & Co. on my weekend itinerary. The combo of pistachios, parsley, mint, and pomegranate in the bulgar salad looks so good, I'm already thinking about a double batch.
