If you’re as excited as I am about kissing winter goodbye, I invite you to celebrate spring with a menu of fresh and fragrant food. It makes a great menu for Sunday dinners with the whole family, spring dinner parties, or any spring gathering you can dream of.
With spring gardening underway, this dinner menu kicks things off with our Garden Collins cocktail. This is a great way to use up some fresh herbs and enjoy a spring twist on a classic drink. A spring crudités board makes the perfect appetizer because it’s full of bright spring colors, but it’s also super easy to make. Seasonal pastas and salads make our meals, both involving some fresh and fun ways to eat your vegetables. A delicious and creamy Lemon Bar Cheesecake completes the meal and you’ll be licking the graham cracker crumbs right off your plate.
Collins Park
Spring means a batch of fresh produce to cook with, and that includes cocktails! One of our favorite drinks to enjoy in warmer weather is the classic Tom Collins. Spring is a great time to add a little seasonal twist to your favorite recipes and take advantage of the newly planted garden by incorporating those flavors into delicious drinks. This take on the classic Collins-style cocktail begins with an easy herb syrup, utilizing two backyard herbs—important garden herbs—mint and basil. They’re paired with honeysuckle vodka, fresh lime, and soda for a bright and refreshing spring drink.
Get a recipe for Collins Park.
Spring Crudités Board with White Bean-and-Pea Dip
When planning a spring meal or party, an easy addition to any menu is fresh vegetables with a dip. Not only is this White Bean-and-Pea Dip a healthy option for snacking, it also has a stunning green color that will attract and impress your dinner guests. Especially when placed in the center of the serving board and surrounded by fresh and colorful vegetables. Here, we choose a wide selection of vegetables that vary in color, shape, and texture. You can place each vegetable in different places on the board for great variety and color.
Get the Spring Crudités Board recipe with White Bean-and-Pea Dip.
Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta
This is how you do pasta night in the spring! This lemony dinner is fresh, fast, and full of flavor. Start by cooking the fettuccine, then make a simple sauce that the shrimp is also cooked in. Everything is then tossed together with the shrimp until evenly coated, and your spring pasta is ready to serve. Asparagus ribbons are a fun way to try something new with this vegetable, and the way they mimic noodles makes them the perfect addition to pasta.
Get the Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta recipe.
Spring Salad with Pickled Vegetables
Every pasta needs a side salad, especially in spring when lots of fragrant and crunchy vegetables are in season. Think carrots, turnips, and turnips. You can slice them thinly or even keep the vegetable-shaved-into-ribbon theme, like in our Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta. This salad gets a lot of flavor from this pickled vegetable using an easy method. Just make sure to make them 12 hours in advance. After cooling and marinating in the fridge, it’s the perfect addition to this salad, and you might even find yourself making it all the time and adding it to various dishes. Top this salad with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese to make it extra special.
Get the recipe for Spring Salad with Pickled Vegetables.
No-Bake Lemon Bar Cheesecake
Every menu needs a dessert! And this Lemon Bar Cheesecake is sure to please your family and springtime party guests. It’s a no-bake cheesecake, which means you don’t have to fool with the oven and the water bath, and you still end up with a luscious and extra-creamy cheesecake. Seasoned with fresh lemon and topped with lemon curd so you get plenty of sweet-tart flavor in every bite. Feel free to make homemade lemon curd or use your favorite store-brand. Top with swirls of freshly whipped cream for a delightful ending to a delicious meal.
Get the No-Bake Lemon Bar Cheesecake recipe.
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