Spring is a surprisingly tricky time to eat locally. Even in the depths of winter, storage crops like squash and root vegetables are easy to source. But come spring those stores are often rundown and we’re craving something fresh, so we rely on the first signs of spring to bring local sustenance.

At The Farmer’s Kitchen, spring eating is all about the overwintered and perennial alliums like chives, leeks, and green garlic, the flowering shoots of kale and other brassicas, fresh greens like mint and nettle, and crunchy radish for a bit of bite and contrast. It all comes down to what’s good to eat right now. We’re over butternut. Give us the first shoots of spring!

Green garlic is one of our favourite spring crops. It’s delicious and versatile, and is one of the first things in our gardens that isn’tjust a leaf. Not to be confused with garlic scapes, this coveted crop isn’t available in grocery stores, and even its availability at theFarmers’ Market is limited. Butit’s certainly worth seeking out.

For the home gardener with a bit of extra space in the winter, planting a few small cloves of garlic in the fallto harvest mild, juicy garlic shootsin the spring is a very fine returnon investment. Turning those green garlic shoots into crispy arancini will make you even more of a winner.