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April Spring Greens Calendar

April Spring Greens Calendar

By Food & Wine

Updated April 05, 2017

Credit: © PAUL COSTELLO

Spring is the time to celebrate all things verdant and vibrant, so we put together a guide to help you eat something green every day in April.

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April 1: Mixed Greens with Poached Eggs, Hazelnuts and Spices

Credit: © Con Poulos

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Kick off your month of green with this delicious salad. It’s packed with flavor from fennel pollen, ground cumin, cinnamon and licorice powder.

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April 2: Asparagus and Bok-Choy Frittata

Credit: © KAREN MORDECHAI

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Get your weekend greens in at brunch. Cook the eggs on the stove or in the oven—but be sure to use moderate heat so they stay jiggly and delicious.

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April 3: Asparagus & Aged Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Credit: © CHRISTINA HOLMES

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Green your lunch with these terrific sandwiches that call for asparagus both raw (shaved into long, thin strips) and roasted. Aged goat cheese adds richness.

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April 4: Green Pea Samosas

Credit: © Marcus Nilsson

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To make these brightly-flavored, vegetarian samosas, mash the peas, but not too finely; you want little pieces, for texture. You can make your own buttery dough, but frozen empanada wrappers, widely available in supermarkets, are an excellent substitute.

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April 5: Farfalle with Spring Vegetables

Credit: Stephanie Foley

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This hyper-seasonal pasta salad is lemony and fresh. We love it as a picnic side dish.

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April 6: Arugula Salad with Mandarin Vinaigrette

Credit: © CHRISTINA HOLMES

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This fresh, sweet and tangy salad from Diane Cu and Todd Porter gets its pleasant crunch from sliced almonds and bean sprouts.

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April 7: Chilled Watercress Soup with Crème Fraiche and Za’atar

Credit: © Con Poulos

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Chef Jenn Louis gives this creamy and refreshing chilled watercress soup a modern spin by topping it with za’atar, the fragrant Middle Eastern spice blend.

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April 8: Pea Tortilla with Mint and Yogurt

Credit: © John Kernick

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A Spanish tortilla is like a frittata. Francis Mallmann makes a lovely spring version with yogurt, fresh mint and sweet peas, baked until just set. It's delicious served warm or at room temperature.

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April 9: Grilled Asparagus Subs with Smoky French Dressing

Credit: © JOHNNY VALIANT

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This smoky asparagus sandwich gets its flavor from chipotles and smoked salt. It’s a perfect way to have a tasty, green lunch.

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April 10: Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Leeks and Peas

Credit: © JONNY VALIANT

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Pump up your Passover Seder with this elegant, seasonal chicken dish filled with leeks and peas.

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April 11: Veal Roast with Green Mashed Potatoes

Credit: © Eva Kolenko

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You can squeeze in some green with these special mashed potatoes. Cook, cool and rice your potatoes. Then, stir them into the hot butter and cream until thickened. This springy version is then finished with a puree of bright green peas, mint and lemon zest.

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April 12: Spinach and Smoked Salmon Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing

Credit: CHRISTINA HOLMES

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This refreshingly crunchy salad makes for an excellent spring lunch or super-quick dinner.

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April 13: Radishes with Seaweed-Matcha Butter

Credit: © Con Poulos

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No one ever said your green had to be in vegetable form. It’s worth finding cultured butter to make this riff on a classic French appetizer; it’s slightly tangy and high in butterfat.

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April 14: Whole-Wheat Pappardelle with Arugula Pesto and Corn

Credit: © JONNY VALIANT

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Friday calls for pasta. Pancetta and an almond-arugula pesto make this whole-wheat pasta dish especially luscious.

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April 15: Spinach Shakshuka

Credit: © Con Poulos

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Instead of making shakshuka with red tomatoes, this version uses a mix of Malabar spinach and tomatillos along with jalapeños, cilantro and spices. The result is a bright, tangy and spicy brunch dish that’s ideal with slabs of rich, toasty challah.

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April 16: Grilled Asparagus Salad with Fried Eggs

Credit: © Tina Rupp

Go green at Easter brunch with an upgraded arugula salad. This lemony version is topped with grilled asparagus, butter-fried eggs—duck eggs, if available—and freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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April 17: Grilled Hanger Steak with Spring Vegetables and Hazelnuts

Credit: © David Malosh

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The salad that accompanies this grilled marinated steak has a surprise ingredient: rhubarb. It adds a delicious tartness to the watercress, asparagus and peas.

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April 18: Spinach and Fennel Salad with Candied Bacon

Credit: © John Kernick

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Chef Alex Guarnaschelli puts her spin on spinach salad by adding sweet candied bacon, salty feta cheese and sautéed fennel.

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April 19: Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citronette

Credit: © Beatriz da Costa

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For Mario Batali's riff on the traditional antipasto of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, he wraps spears in pancetta (which, unlike prosciutto, becomes nicely crispy when cooked) and grills them.

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April 20: Niçoise Salad with Baby Artichokes

Credit: © Con Poulos

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Thinly shaved local baby artichokes add refreshing crunch to the classic niçoise salad.

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April 21: Salmon with Mashed Peas and Tarragon Butter

Credit: © Christina Holmes

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Vibrant peas bring the green to this grilled salmon dish. It’s perfect for weeknight dinner.

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April 22: Russian-Style Spring Dumplings

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These dumplings are crafted with a lace-like pinch around the edges, characteristic to Russian-style dumplings called vareniki. The green, tender filling includes seasonal spring ingredients like asparagus, peas and basil.

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April 23: Pan-Fried Shrimp with Lemony Pea Pesto

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This fast shrimp dish's bright pea, pine nut and Parmesan pesto would also make a great dip for crudités.

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April 24: Broccoli Stem Spring Veggie Risotto

Chopped broccoli stems take the place of rice in this creamy spring risotto, making it a healthier and lighter version than the traditional kind. When shopping for broccoli, choose broccoli stalks with thick, long stems—the thicker they are, the less peeling you'll have to do.

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April 25: Stir-Fried Snow Peas and Romaine

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Everyday ingredients—snow peas, romaine, capers and egg—come together brilliantly in this flavorful stir-fry.

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April 26: Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing

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This fresh asparagus dish is super-simple—it has just six ingredients.

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April 27: Spring Pasta with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

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Star chef Mario Batali’s outstanding vegetable pasta boasts juicy roasted tomatoes with asparagus, Broccolini and shavings of ricotta salata cheese.

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April 28: Spring Ham Steaks with Sweet Pea-Leek Pan Sauce

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Ham steaks make a quick and easy dinner; dressing them with a simple sauce of peas, leek and tarragon finishes them perfectly.

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April 29: Blistered Snap Peas with Mint

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Get a skillet really, really hot before adding the snap peas; they make a fun popping sound when they hit the pan. Then put the skillet straight into a hot oven, tossing the peas every few minutes so they don’t burn.

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April 30: Sautéed Haricots Verts and Morels with Scallions

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Perfect for springtime, this delicious side dish features haricots verts sautéed in olive oil and butter with fresh morels.

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April Spring Greens Calendar

1 of 30

April 1: Mixed Greens with Poached Eggs, Hazelnuts and Spices

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April 2: Asparagus and Bok-Choy Frittata

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April 3: Asparagus & Aged Goat Cheese Sandwiches

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April 4: Green Pea Samosas

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April 5: Farfalle with Spring Vegetables

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April 6: Arugula Salad with Mandarin Vinaigrette

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April 7: Chilled Watercress Soup with Crème Fraiche and Za’atar

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April 8: Pea Tortilla with Mint and Yogurt

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April 9: Grilled Asparagus Subs with Smoky French Dressing

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April 10: Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Leeks and Peas

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April 11: Veal Roast with Green Mashed Potatoes

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April 12: Spinach and Smoked Salmon Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing

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April 13: Radishes with Seaweed-Matcha Butter

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April 14: Whole-Wheat Pappardelle with Arugula Pesto and Corn

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April 15: Spinach Shakshuka

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April 16: Grilled Asparagus Salad with Fried Eggs

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April 17: Grilled Hanger Steak with Spring Vegetables and Hazelnuts

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April 18: Spinach and Fennel Salad with Candied Bacon

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April 19: Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citronette

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April 20: Niçoise Salad with Baby Artichokes

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April 21: Salmon with Mashed Peas and Tarragon Butter

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April 22: Russian-Style Spring Dumplings

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April 23: Pan-Fried Shrimp with Lemony Pea Pesto

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April 24: Broccoli Stem Spring Veggie Risotto

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April 25: Stir-Fried Snow Peas and Romaine

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April 26: Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing

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