Food for Thaw: Three Spring Ingredients to Look for Now

Once the doldrums of mud season lift, I’ll be scouring the local diningscape for these sprightly ingredients.

spring-dug parsnips

Illustration by The Ellaphant in the Room

Spring-Dug Parsnips

Trapped underground all winter, these well-rested tubers emerge post-thaw redolent of honey, white truffle, and hazelnut.

Find them at: Dante, Cambridge; Strip-T’s, Watertown.

spruce tips

Illustration by The Ellaphant in the Room

Spruce Tips

The piney, hand-foraged shoots add a citrusy yet earthy zing to everything from ricotta to pickles to buttery shortbread.

Find them at: Zebra’s Bistro and Wine Bar, Medfield.

green garlic

Illustration by The Ellaphant in the Room

Green Garlic

Once you experience the water-chestnut-like snap of bulbs still sporting their verdant scapes, you’ll swear off the wan pre-peeled stuff forever.

Find them at: Siena Farms, South End.