If spring means one thing, it’s change. As days get longer, birds get a little louder and green emerges at every turn, even the way we approach cooking changes. The heavy, slow-simmered meals of winter feel out of place. Our cravings bending toward colour, lightness and spontaneity. At this time, spring dinner party menus, whether celebrating Easter, Passover or simply the changing of the season, follow that same rhythm. Recipes move away from the oven and heavy roasts, toward dishes that celebrate what’s to come.
This is the time for tender greens, vibrant herbs, crisp radishes, bright citrus and the first fruits of the season. Menus celebrate contrast with fresh ingredients taking a starring role alongside the weight of the roast. Simple preparations let the ingredients shine. It’s about easing into the new season.
We gathered the recipes that follow with that transition in mind. They offer you a way to pick and choose to create a holiday meal that feels celebratory but not heavy and is deeply rooted in the flavours of spring. Also designed to bring a sense of ease to your table for every celebration.
Main dishes
Naramata Inn’s Perfect Roast Turkey
A golden, gleaming roast turkey is standard at many holiday tables. The culinary team from B.C.’s Naramata Inn share their secrets to the best roast turkey ever. Here’s a little hint, an herbaceous, apple cider vinegar brine, a very large pot and sage butter tucked under the skin is absolutely part of the equation.
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The Ultimate Beef Wellington
Traditional English Beef Wellington is made easy thanks to the use of frozen store-bought puff pastry.
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Roast Leg of Lamb
A paste of coriander, rosemary and orange forms the base of flavour in this classic spring lamb roast. Honey, olives and potatoes slow-roasted on the same sheet pan make easy work of a meal fit for any holiday.
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Oven Roasted Ham With Maple Glaze
Pure Canadian maple syrup and flecks of vanilla bean form the sweet, sticky glaze on this beautifully caramelized holiday classic. A bone-in ham stays tender without drying out.
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Side dishes
Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
This artful side dish celebrates the humble potato by combining scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin. Thinly sliced potatoes are coated in a creamy, cheesy, perfectly seasoned mixture and arranged in a baking dish. Standing the potatoes up in the dish yields lovely soft potato mixture on the inside and a crisp, golden top.
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Matty Matheson’s Brussels Sprouts
A combination of roasted Brussels sprouts and shaved raw Brussels sprouts tossed in a fiery pepper dressing hits all the right notes.
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Fennel, Arugula and Orange Salad
The key to the vibrancy of this stunning salad lies not just in the colours, but in ‘crisping’ the red onion, fennel, carrot and radish. The veggies get a quick soak in ice water before being tossed in a bright, tangy orange vinaigrette and the resulting crunch is out of this world. This is technique to use in many of your favourite spring and summer salads.
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Oven-Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan
Asparagus, alongside rhubarb, is the ultimate harbinger of spring. It takes centre stage in this ‘less is more’ side with a quick roast in the oven to soften and bring out the sweetness and a dusting of Parmesan reminiscent of the last of the winter snow.
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Desserts
Ube Cheesecake Bars
Ube is a Filipino yam famous for it’s vibrant purple hue and mellow sweet vanilla-like flavour. It’s natural sweetness is a perfect match for smooth cream cheese in this showstopper dessert. Find ube condensed milk online or at Asian markets near you.
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Rhubarb Custard Pie
Stalks of rhubarb are baked with orange juice until just tender and then arranged in a cool, geometric pattern over top a decadent, creamy custard in this visually inspiring pie. It’s this kind of finish and attention to detail that makes you look like a total pro.
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Decadent Chocolate Bundt Cake
Nothing satisfies more at the end of a meal than a glorious piece of chocolate cake. In this recipe, Kathleen Culver expertly combines rye flour, coffee and olive oil to complement and accentuate the richness of cocoa powder. The result is a truly decadent, divinely simple, chocolate masterpiece.
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Anna Olson’s Giant Chocolate Meringues
Light as a feather, flour-free and dairy-free, these airy treats are a delicate finish to a full meal. Serve with fresh seasonal fruit and espresso for a refined ending.
