Video: Spring's Top Market Ingredients

Earlier this week, I appeared on New's Channel 8's Let's Talk Live to talk up the bounty of spring vegetables coming into the markets. (Note to self: no chewing pickled ramps while talking on live TV.)

Here are the spring goods I'm hunting down at the farmers markets and some tasty ideas for how best to use them:

• Asparagus
Some of the earliest spears are coming from Garner's Produce, now at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market. (Get there early this afternoon to grab some!)
Make: Shaved asparagus salad, Asparagus with creamy dijon dressing and egg, or simply grill it

• Ramps
Stinky, musky goodness is how I think of these wild onions.
Make: Ramp pickles, Buttermilk ramp biscuits

• Micro mustard greens
Endless Summer Harvest specializes in these adorable baby greens with a spicy kick.
Make: Pile them on a BLT in place of lettuce, or toss into a salad for extra flavor.

• Stinging nettles
Don't touch them raw or you'll understand where the name comes from, but dunk them in boiling water and they turn into perfectly edible, nutritious greens.
Make: Spring lasagna with asparagus, peas and stinging nettles, Nettle soup

• Rhubarb
Every spring I look forward to making tangy jam and a simple rhubarb crostata.
Make: Rhubarb quick jam, Strawberry and rhubarb crostata

• Morels
One of spring's more elusive finds, these mushrooms with a super short season demand high prices but can be worth the splurge.
Make: Quiche with morels and scallions