Selections from the Studio: Week of April 11

With spring vegetables such as asparagus, ramps, pea shoots, and rhubarb finally beginning to make a dent in the real estate at the Union Square Greenmarket (see ya later root veggies!), this week's Selections from the Studio is focused on making the most of the mid-April bounty. 

Kicking it off, we have Ramp and Parsley Pesto from Simply Recipes, which I think would be best served spread on crostini while picnicking at Central Park.  Like the season for ramps, the picnic season in NYC is far too short, so you've got to make the most of it while it lasts. 

When you come back from that picnic too worn out to cook, why not heat up a batch of this Cream of Asparagus Soup from Chez Us?  I'm usually not a fan of cream-based soups as I find that the richness of the cream masks all other flavors, but with 2 lbs. of asparagus in the recipe, something tells me that the asparagus is the dominant flavor here. 

Speaking of leftovers, Momofuku for 2 has a cool feature called "Leftover Fridays" in which the author makes dishes based on her reader's suggestions.  This week's entry featured Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic; I couldn't think of a better way to cook pea shoots.  And did I mention that the photos look amazing?

Of course, a recipe does not have to be seasonal to catch my attention.  Food52 featured Luciano's Porchetta.  I have a feeling I'll be a hero among my male friends if I cook them a big hunk of pork using this recipe. 

Finally, I did a little jump for joy at the office when I saw this recipe for The Spotted Pig's famous Gnudi on The Paupered Chef.  Pasta is not my strong suit, but I can't resist giving this one a try; the amount of time it takes to master the recipe might even beat the time it takes standing in line at The Spotted Pig.

And that's a wrap, folks. Cook well and eat even better this week!