May means warmer weather, tempered by a few chilly nights. We like to acknowledge that balance by using asparagus, ramps, strawberries, rhubarb, fennel, and radishes in everything from crisp salads to hearty pastas and rich desserts. Here are 31 recipes — one for each day of the month — that you can try throughout the next four weeks, from dinners like Spaghetti with Ramps, Chicken Piccata, and Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi to a light and creamy Asparagus Soup, a tart and tangy Strawberry-Rhubarb Chaat, and a Spiced Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting destined to be your dessert. Read on for everything else we're planning to make this month.
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Chicken Piccata with Radishes
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Chefs Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook of Animal restaurant in Los Angeles created an easy version of this Italian-American staple perfect for the home cook. Classic chicken piccata features chicken breasts that are pounded thin and dredged in seasoned flour before they are quickly sautéed.
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02of 31
Strawberry-Rhubarb Cornmeal Skillet Cake
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Juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb stud the golden brown top of this simple skillet cake. The mix of all-purpose flour and fine cornmeal gives this dessert a pound-cake-like density, while goat cheese and buttermilk keep the crumb nicely tender and moist. A dollop of rosemary-infused whipped cream ties the sweet and savory flavors together.
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03of 31
Spring Pea Chaat with Lemon Raita
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This fresh and crunchy chaat stars a trio of spring peas punched up with a tempered mixture of whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chiles, and ginger. The tart lemon raita brings a welcome cooling element; spoon the extra over rice, naan, or fresh fruit.
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04of 31
Creamy Vegan Pasta Primavera
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A few smart swaps transform your favorite creamy spring pasta into a vegan-friendly masterpiece. Umami-rich nutrional yeast shoulders the duties of Parmesan, while buttery macadamia nut milk stands in for heavy cream.
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05of 31
Strawberry Burrata Salad
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We all love a tomato salad paired with rich, creamy burrata, but the wait for tomatoes to come into season can be frustrating. This spring version features strawberries, whose tart-sweet flavors are amplified by a quick soak in a vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. The marinated strawberries pair nicely with the peppery arugula and fresh basil. Toasted pine nuts add a little nutty crunch to the salad.
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06of 31
Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi
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Zoe Schor, chef and owner of Chicago’s Split-Rail restaurant, takes potato gnocchi to the next level with this recipe, dressing it with crispy bacon, crème fraîche, scallions, and shredded Cheddar cheese for a fancy take on a loaded baked potato.
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07of 31
Smashed Fava Beans on Toast with Pecorino and Mint
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"Fava beans are one of spring's most coveted ingredients, and my favorite way of preparing them is to smash them with mint and pecorino into a chunky spread for topping toast," Andrea Slonecker says. "Once the favas are blanched and shelled, the spread comes together in mere minutes. It makes a fine snack to start a party, but perch a poached egg on top and you've got breakfast or lunch."
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08of 31
Sour Cherry Negroni
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Just when you thought the Negroni couldn’t get any better, sour cherry enters the equation. The Sour Cherry Negroni is an icon on the co*cktail menu at Hawksmoor in New York City, the New York City outpost of the UK-based restaurant group. It is the perfect mix of sweet, sour, and bitter with a lovely deep red hue and the most delicious garnish — a co*cktail pick skewered with cherries, of course.
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09of 31
Quiche Lorraine
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The secret to the super-silky texture of Julia Child's quiche is simple: it's the heavy cream whisked into the eggs for the filling. A flaky tart dough gives it a buttery flavor base that marries with the tender bacon egg custard.
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10of 31
Spring Herbs Soup with Fregola and Pancetta
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Inspired by s'erbuzzu, a classic Sardinian soup packed with more than a dozen varieties of herbs and spring greens, this recipe delivers big flavor with fresh parsley, tarragon, and chives. White beans, crispy bits of pancetta, and fregola sarda — tiny balls of dried semolina pasta — add heft; orzo or Israeli couscous are delicious substitutes. Stirring in a handful of tarragon, parsley, and chives just before serving this soup preserves the color and flavor of the delicate herbs.
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11of 31
Deep-Dish Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
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Grace Parisi's strawberry rhubarb pie recipe is classic and perfectly tart-sweet. The dough can be made with just butter, but swapping in some lard yields an even flakier crust. As for the filling, she has experimented with several thickeners, but cornstarch is her favorite for juicy fruit pies.
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12of 31
Stir-Fried Garlicky Snow Pea Shoots
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This recipe from cookbook author Grace Young is a delicious example of a "clear" stir-fry that uses very few ingredients, focusing on a pure translation of simple flavors. Sweet, tender snow pea shoots shine through mellow garlic, while white pepper perfumes the dish with its mild heat and fragrant floral notes. If using a skillet, cook the pea shoots in two batches to avoid crowding the pan.
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13of 31
Ropa Vieja
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Chicago chef Cory Morris’ Ropa Vieja recipe features slow-braised meat, meltingly tender vegetables, and a deeply flavorful tangy, velvety braising liquid. He tops the stew with whipped goat cheese which melts into and smooths out the sauce. Grilled focaccia bread is served alongside to sop it all up.
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Caribbean-Style Fish Stew
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Red snapper is treated to bright, tangy flavors from the herbs and lime juice in this stew, while Scotch bonnet chiles lend it a little heat. The stewing liquid is made with tomatoes and fish stock, and is garlicky and full of thyme.
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15of 31
Crêpe Monsieur
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Drawing inspiration from a Croque Monsieur and an egg-topped Croque Madame, Milwaukee chef Joe Muench’s playful crêpes are stuffed with savory slices of ham and a nutty Alpine-style cheese. He pays homage to Wisconsin by sourcing local ingredients, such as Saxon Creamery cheese for this popular brunch offering at his restaurant, Story Hill BKC. The crêpe is garnished with a drizzling of a zippy Dijonnaise sauce and chopped dill pickles for a balancing, tangy bite.
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16of 31
No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream
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Roasting strawberries with a vanilla bean, sugar, lemon zest, and salt until they are jammy is the secret to this rich ice cream you can make without an ice cream maker. This is a great way to use strawberries that are overripe, old, or about to go bad — roasting them brings out the richness of the sugars and the deepens the flavor in the berries, which goes a long way in ice cream (and as a bonus, the roasting strawberries make your kitchen smell amazing).
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17of 31
Spring Puttanesca Pasta
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Justin Chapple adds a fresh, seasonal twist to traditional puttanesca pasta sauce without sacrificing its characteristic fragrant aroma and powerful flavors in this recipe. He uses vegetables like arugula, parsley, fresh spring onions, spicy Calabrian chiles and olives to create an exceptionally vibrant dish.
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18of 31
Almond and Strawberry Tart
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Juicy ripe strawberries make a refreshing topping for this rich, buttery tart from London's The River Café. At the restaurant, the pastry dough is chilled and coarsely grated into the tart pan, then patted into the base and sides. It's a useful technique for anyone who hates to roll out pastry. You can also slice the pastry and press the pieces into the tart pan, or simply roll it out.
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19of 31
Crispy Salt-and-Pepper Air Fryer Tofu with Asparagus
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This quick meal features tofu that's crispy around the edges and tender on the inside, coated in a sweet and salty marinade including soy sauce, light brown sugar, and ground Szechuan peppercorns. The perfect partner? Garlicky asparagus, which also gets flavor from Chinese five spice and toasted sesame oil. Shaking the tofu in a resealable container with the soy sauce mixture is the best way to ensure that it's evenly coated; reserving some of the mixture for drizzling on the finished dish adds a double-dose of flavor. Any leftover asparagus and tofu can be reheated in the air fryer.
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20of 31
Spring Panzanella with Asparagus
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Recipes for panzanella (a Florentine bread salad popular in the summer) typically call for tomatoes, but in the spring, Charleston chef Mike Lata prefers using seasonal ingredients like asparagus and radishes.
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21of 31
Kentucky Hot Brown Macaroni and Cheese
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The Kentucky Hot Brown is a classic open-faced sandwich beloved in Kentucky. It was created by Fred Schmidt in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville and features thick Texas toast topped with slices of roast turkey, tomato and bacon and doused with Mornay sauce. Here, we took the essential components of a Hot Brown and combined them for an untraditional macaroni and cheese with the soul of the original. The halved cherry tomatoes add pops of brightness to each bite of pasta coated in the rich, creamy sauce, while a crunchy bacon and bread topping nod to the dish's origins.
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22of 31
Roasted Carrots with Beet Puree, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnuts
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Suzanne Goin, the chef at the famed Lucques in Los Angeles, marked 20 years of business in 2018 with a dinner that celebrated her now-classic blend of French cuisine and California produce. These carrots, roasted and topped with a tangy beet puree, goat cheese, and toasted hazelnuts, are a celebration of produce and flavor. If Spanish Monte Enebro is not available, substitute French Ovalie Cendrée or fresh chèvre.
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23of 31
Spaghetti with Ramps, Chiles & Two Cheeses
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Ramps, the ephemeral wild onions that chefs love and which appear only in the spring, give this pasta a lovely garlic flavor. When ramps aren't in season, Justin Smillie uses elephant garlic—the bulb, stem and flowers. Scallions also make a good substitute.
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24of 31
Spiced Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
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Hetal Vasavada's tender, moist spiced carrot cake studded with golden raisins and crunchy pistachios. Brown butter ghee does double duty in this recipe: It enriches and flavors the cake batter, and the caramelized milk fat left over from making it adds a nutty flavor to the cream cheese frosting.
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25of 31
Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Shortbread Coins
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Carla Hall's creamy asparagus soup gets additional flavor from the tarragon, parsley. lemon zest, and peas in the mix, but she likes to serve it with Parmesan shortbread to make it a heartier meal.
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26of 31
Radish Tartines with Green Butter
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These radish and turnip-topped tartines are a great way to use up radishes and turnips with their greens attached. The radish and turnip greens whipped with sweet butter, garlic, and lemon zest create a delicious, silky spread for the tartines, while the spicy, paper-thin radishes and turnips make the perfect topping. Finished with crunchy sea salt, these make a great appetizer or light lunch.
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27of 31
Old-Fashioned Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
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This strawberry-rhubarb crisp sings the sweet song of springtime. It's a classic dessert marriage, first between the ruby red duo of tart rhubarb and juicy strawberries, then of the tender, yielding fruit and the crumbly, buttery oat topping. Serve it warm with ice cream.
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28of 31
Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad with Pickled Grapes
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The earthiness and sweetness from the grapes and their pickling liquid round out the brightness in the celery salad. The dressing immediately pools over the goat cheese, making for a perfectly sweet, salty, and tangy bite.
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29of 31
Buttery Shrimp with Peas and Potatoes
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Unlike their larger, late-season siblings, baby veggies are supremely quick to cook. Creamy new potatoes add substance to this quick one-pan skillet dinner of tender shrimp, fresh shelling peas, and dill, which come together in a sweet and buttery broth laced with cream.
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30of 31
Banana Almond Butter Smoothie
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Medjool dates are the sweetening secret to these nutty, thick smoothies. They add a subtle natural sweetness to the smoothie, and the small pieces of dried fruit scattered throughout are little surprises of chewy, caramelly goodness. It almost makes you feel like you’re enjoying a milkshake. The rich nut butter creates a more decadent smoothie base while contributing some protein.
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31of 31
Strawberry-Rhubarb Chaat
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Maneet Chauhan's spring fruit chaat is a riot of textures and flavors. Here, tart rhubarb plays off the sweetness of strawberries; puffed chickpea cereal (boondi) delivers that essential crunch.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Chaat
