freshly-picked spring
plus: chicken salad for celery enthusiasts
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Good morning!
Spargelzeit! [Food & Wine]
Garlic that’s totally fine to eat [Cook’s Illustrated]
I find spring’s progress to be haphazard, nonlinear, like attempting to walk down a street with toddler, or watching a Roomba meander anywhere but where you were hoping it would clean. I fall for Spring of Deception at least five times before a heat wave sets in and then, just when I think we’re going to get to pack up the car for a weekend at the beach, rainy November weather descends on us and we’re wearing tall boots and wool sweaters again. Which is it say that I glitched and almost missed the arrival of the asparagus, ramps, rhubarb, strawberries, and now sugar snaps and now I’m scrambling to catch up before they vanish. I think we all should. Below, several unmissable (I’m biased… but I suspect I’m correct) spring recipes, perfect to make with all of that still-here-for-now spring produce.
Plus, a new, highly opinionated recipe for chicken salad. I can’t wait for you to try it.
Cheers,
Deb
I’ve written three cookbooks and one audiobook and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. Not sure which one to check out first? Take a look at the recipe index and see which collection jumps out at you most.
chicken salad for celery enthusiasts
New: Strong opinions on the very best way to make chicken salad (crunchy and scallion-ed) and how to serve it, from hinged butter-toasted slider rolls to the correct texture of potato chips (ruffled, naturally) on the side of the plate. This has easy summer lunch/dinner vibes all over it.
snacky asparagus
Asparagus, the easy way: Perfectly cooked, crisp-tender, bright green asparagus doused in olive oil, lemon juice, crunchy salt, pepper flakes, and swooped through mayo (but you can use any dressing you like) is my favorite way to accidentally inhale a pound of spears. I can’t stop making it, so I have to pass it on.
blistered peas-in-the-pod with lemon and salt
Have you ever grilled fresh peas in their pod until blistered, finished them with some salt and lemon, and eaten them like edamame? If not, you’re in for a treat, one you’re going to want to make again and again as long as the season lasts. This is the easiest summer recipe since... a slice of watermelon on a plate. Good thing they go perfectly together. [Video below!]
shaved asparagus frittata
Ribboned asparagus (requires no trimming or parcooking), crumbled goat cheese (requires no grating) and optional crisped (in the final skillet) prosciutto make a quick spring frittata so easy, you’ll want it again tomorrow.
bowties with sugar snaps, lemon and ricotta
This pasta is always a massive hit for something so seemingly simple. Ricotta is dolloped in near the end but not stirred or cooked (because we love finding the unmixed pockets later) and then the whole dish is finished with olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan, mint, and seasoning.
ramp pizza
This simple pizza hits all the best notes: not too heavy, abundantly flavorful, and it celebrates one of my favorite spring vegetables, equal parts spring onion and delicate greens in flavor. We make it every May.
spring asparagus pancetta hash
Breakfast for dinner? This potato hash has bits of pancetta and crisp-tender segments of asparagus, yielding a ton of flavor from only four (!) ingredients, making it a weeknight hero. Add an egg or two, then repeat again tomorrow.
asparagus with chorizo and croutons
Did you know that Jacques Pépin has a recipe for a 6-minute one-pan sauté that makes a spring weeknight meal so gorgeous, I kind of want to paint it? Crunchy, spicy and colorful, this is my kind of fast food.
rhubarb upside-down spice cake
I have just the cake for a gorgeous spring day: lemony, pink on top, spiced and cozy underneath. Trust me, we want our kitchens to smell like this.
strawberry-rhubarb crumble
At the bright pink intersection of rhubarb and strawberry seasons (that is, exactly now) is this, one of those Why Do I Even Bother Making Other Desserts desserts, a generous balance of rubbly, buttery, lemony crumbs and perfectly cooked berries and rhubarb. It wants to be your favorite, too.
rhubarb cordial
The rhubarb is here! Here’s an old-fashioned but wonderfully refreshing use for it from David Lebovitz so you can be all ready for a summer of rhubarb gin-and-tonics (with a squeeze of lemon, please).
blistered peas-in-the-pod with lemon and salt
The Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser is a lower-walled enameled cast-iron Dutch oven that works as well as a deep sauté pan as it does a soup pot, roasting pan, or even casserole dish that perfectly fits a pasta bake. It’s the ideal size and usability (dishwasher safe!) for everyday cooking. Not a week has gone by in the 14 years I’ve had mine when I don’t cook in it at least three times, so when it was no longer sold in U.S. stores, I asked Staub — a French cast-iron manufacturer originally from Alsace; you can watch me tour the forge/factory here! — if they would partner with me to bring it back, because I knew you’ll fall in love with the pan too. We launched the Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser in spring 2024. The Braiser is now sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma and available in eight gorgeous new colors! The newest two — a classy off-white (pardon, French Crème) and a soft pink (Pink Peony, which you know I sing to the tune of Pink Peony Club) — launched just last month.
Cranberry (bright red)
Grenadine (deep red)
Sage (light green)
Basil (dark green)
La Mer (dark blue-green)
Sapphire (dark blue)
(New!) French Crème (off-white) ✨
(New!) Pink Peony (soft pink) ✨
The Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser Recipe Starter Pack: Oh, you did get a new braiser? I’m so happy for you. Here are a few recipes you can kick off your cooking with!
Braiser: An entire category of recipes on smittenkitchen.com
My “I Dream Of Paris” Menu for the French Crème launch: Dijon Roast Chicken, French Onion Soup for a Crowd, and a Perfect Apple Tarte Tatin
Baked Ziti with Meatballs and Ricotta (Williams-Sonoma, Video)
Apple Butterscotch Crisp (Zwilling, Video)
Braised Chickpeas with Kale and Burrata (Zwilling)
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more that you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most. This isn’t just an Amazon storefront. For each item, I attempt to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
See you next week!
