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Home » Produce guides » April: cooking with seasonal vegetables

Modified: Apr 6, 2022 by Vee

April: cooking with seasonal vegetables

Spring vegetables are here! Asparagus, artichokes, peas, sweet onions, and a few edible flowers. We have plenty of recipes to share to make use of produce in season this month, as well as a guide on cooking with fruit in April.

Vegetables in-season for April on a calendar
Jump to:
  • Asparagus
  • Artichokes
  • Peas
  • Sweet onions
  • Celery & celeriac
  • Edible flowers in April
  • Other seasonal guides
asparagus in season

Asparagus

Asparagus can be eaten raw or steams, roasted, and grilled. Check out 10 cooking methods & 50 recipes. Thinner spears are best for raw eating, steaming, and sauteing. Thicker spears hold up well to high-heat cooking methods like grilling.

A complete asparagus guide

How to cook asparagus
How to cook asparagus
Salmon tacos with green onion & asparagus salsa recipe by Snixy Kitchen
Salmon tacos with green onion & asparagus salsa
Baked asparagus fries recipe by Damn Delicious
Baked asparagus fries
Shaved roasted asparagus on toast with hollandaise recipe by Hummingbird High
Shaved roasted asparagus on toast with hollandaise
Risotto with asparagus sauce, mushrooms, basil, and pine nuts by Feasting At Home
Risotto with asparagus sauce, mushrooms, basil, and pine nuts
Everything roasted asparagus recipe by Gimme Some Oven
"Everything" roasted asparagus
Spring vegetable potstickers recipe by Smitten Kitchen
Spring vegetable potstickers
Baguette roll with sliced asapragus, goat cheese, olives, and lettuce
Asparagus goat cheese picnic sandwich
Artichokes are in season

Artichokes

Artichokes can also be cooked in various ways - like steaming, grilling, or even using the pressure cooker setting on an Instant Pot. Prepping can take some work, but is worth it for a fun, seasonal treat.

A complete artichoke guide

Grilled smoked artichokes with lemon-tarragon aioli recipe by Garlic and Zest
Grilled smoked artichokes with lemon-tarragon aioli
Sheet pan sausage and veggies with artichokes recipe by Running to the Kitchen
Sheet pan sausage and veggies with artichokes
Wine braised artichokes with garlicky pecan bread crumbs recipe by Lexi's Clean Kitchen
Wine braised artichokes with garlicky pecan bread crumbs
Fried artichoke hearts recipe by White on Rice Couple
Fried artichoke hearts
Diagram of the edible and inedible parts of an artichoke
How to prep & cook artichokes
Risotto with chopped asparagus and artichokes
Asparagus, artichoke, and shiitake risotto
Artichoke halves stuff with brie
Brie stuffed artichokes
3 pieces of toast with chopped artichoke hearts, herbs, and tomatoes
Artichoke toast - 3 ways
Sugar snap and shelling peas are in season in spring, summer and fall. Get more info on picking the best ones, storing them and of course, recipes.

Peas

Garden (shelling) peas, sugar snap peas, and snow peas all start becoming available this month. In colder climates, it will be toward the end of April or into May.

Peas pair well with asparagus, radishes, eggs, prosciutto, and lemon.

Spring risotto with leeks, snap peas, and roasted asparagus recipe by Yes to Yolks
Spring risotto with leeks, snap peas, and roasted asparagus
Super green pea & asparagus burrata pizza recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Super green pea & asparagus burrata pizza
Herb & cheese stuffed snap peas recipe by Life as a Strawberry
Herb & cheese stuffed snap peas
20-minute beef snow pea skillet recipe by Nutmeg Nanny
20-minute beef snow pea skillet
Spring minestrone soup recipe by Feasting at Home
Spring minestrone soup
Roasted fingerling potatoes with dill, goat cheese, and peas recipe by Broma
Roasted fingerling potatoes with dill, goat cheese, and peas
Dressed up spring open faced sandwiches recipe by Cotter Crunch
Dressed up spring open faced sandwiches
Simple buttery spring pea & burrata pasta with prosciutto recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Simple buttery spring pea & burrata pasta with prosciutto

More pea recipes

Sweet onion

Sweet onions

While white, yellow, and red onion varieties are available all year with good quality, sweet onions have an actual season. They are more perishable and don't store as long.

Sweet onions are great for dishes where you don't want the onion to overpower the rest of the flavors.

Chicken tinga tacos recipe by Pinch of Yum
Chicken tinga tacos
Sweet onion jam recipe by California Grown
Sweet onion jam
French onion soup recipe by The Surburban Soapbox
French onion soup
French onion grilled cheese recipe by How Sweet Eats
French onion grilled cheese
Margarita guacamole recipe by The Cookie Rookie
Margarita guacamole
Roasted beef tenderloin with French onion au jus recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Roasted beef tenderloin with French onion au jus
Sweet Vidalia onion dip recipe by The View from Great Island
Sweet Vidalia onion dip
sweet onion sauce on a table with a whole onion, garlic, and honey
Sweet onion sauce with garlic and honey

The full sweet onion recipe collection includes different takes on french onion flavors, a bunch of dips, and more.

Celery in season

Celery & celeriac

Celery is available year-round at grocery stores, but it actually a cool-weather crop that tastes more celery-like when in season. Celeriac is a different celery variety grown for the root (also known as celery root).

A complete guide to celery and celery root

Chicken salad recipe by Cooking Classy
Chicken salad
Celery root, pea, and arugula soup recipe by Cravings in Amsterdam
Celery root, pea, and arugula soup
Celeriac (celery root) soup by Recipe Tin Eats
Celeriac (celery root) soup
Kale caesar salad with celery root & hazelnuts recipe by Ask The Food Geek
Kale caesar with celery root, hazelnuts, and cornbread croutons
Celeriac (celery root) fries by Viktoria's Table
Celeriac (celery root) fries
Buffalo chicken burgers with celery ranch slaw recipe by Yes to Yolks
Buffalo chicken burgers with celery ranch slaw
yellow and orange nasturtium flowers on a white background

Edible flowers in April

Nasturtium, pansies, and chives start to flower this month, depending on your climate. Add these edible flowers to salad or pasta for a pretty presentation, or use them to make pesto, vinegar, or infusions.

A complete nasturtium guide

Pansy and kale salad with basil and tangerine poppy seed dressing recipe The View from Great Island
Pansy and kale salad with basil and tangerine poppy seed dressing
Nasturtium margaritas recipe by Floating Kitchen
Nasturtium margaritas
All nasturtium parts are shown with text indicating what's edible: green seeds, leaves, stems, and flowers.
Nasturtium: what's edible?
Plate of pasta with asparagus and nasturtium leaves and flowers on the table
Pasta with nasturtium pesto and asparagus
chive blossom vingar in jars
Chive blossom vinegar - from the garden
Nasturtium pesto - edible flowers from the garden

Other seasonal guides

Check out all of the monthly guides, or what's coming up in May.

Complete guides to April produce:

  • Cooking with fruit in April
  • Asparagus (recipes)
  • Artichokes (recipes)
  • Peas (recipes)
  • Sweet onions (recipes)
  • Celery and celery root
  • Nasturium

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