It’s finally spring! The weather is improving, you can put your winter coat optimistically out of rotation, and farmers markets all over the city are beginning to sprout up. Farms have different offerings in the spring than they do in the summer, so here’s a brief list of fresh produce that’s available in the spring:

• Asparagus: The tender, pencil sized spears of asparagus offered early in the growing season are a joy. Try baked asparagus with balsamic butter sauce or quinoa salad with roasted asparagus and white beans!

• Lettuce: Fresh, crisp lettuce makes for an excellent spring salad. Make a pear, lettuce, and feta salad for lunch this week!

• Fiddlehead ferns: They look a little weird, but fiddleheads are a springtime delicacy. They’re foraged, not farmed, and only available for a few weeks in April and May. Have a hankering for Asian food? Give sautéed Korean fiddleheads a try!

• Green beans: One of the few beans that can be eaten raw, their peak season is in the late spring. Try shallot-thyme peas and green beans.

• Peas: Gregor Mendel was well aware of the versatility of the pea, and you should be, too! While peas are in season this spring, try corn pancakes with spicy peas or spring pea tortellini.

• Mustard greens: Looking to add some zest to your springtime meal? Add some mustard greens. Grilled pork medallion with preserved lemon, mustard greens and bulger wheat is a good place to start.

• Spinach: Did you know that a serving of spinach has more iron than a hamburger? Maybe that is why medieval peasants anxiously awaited the spinach crop each spring after a long winter. Try sautéed spinach with garlic and lemon for a delicious appetizer.

Here is a comprehensive list of the farmers markets in Chicago this season, along with another list focusing on those opening during May—one, Green City Market, even opens today! Happy eating!

Photo courtesy of:http://ohmygoache.wordpress.com/; accessed 4 May 2011