Nothing says springtime like a trip to my local farmers’ market. There the stalls brim with all the colorful, often offbeat produce that the season brings. Whether it’s coiled, green fiddlehead ferns or rotund red and white radishes, I always find a wondrous vegetable for my dinner plate.

“After a long winter of root vegetables they’re a great spring tonic,” says Kevin von Klause, chef-owner of Philadelphia’s FARMiCiA, a 122-seat restaurant and bar specializing in local, seasonal and humanely grown foods.

At FARMiCiA Klause pairs such springtime fare as fiddlehead ferns with fresh fava beans, radishes with chervil, and Swiss chard with everything from wild salmon and pork to Gruyere-laced gratins.

“I like when they all come into season at the same time,” says Klause, co-author of White Dog Cafe Cookbook (Running Press, 1998). “You can toss them together with pasta, put them in a salad and bring out the flavors of all the veggies. It’s just fabulous.”

Here are some of my springtime favorites, along with suggestions on how to prepare them:

FAVA BEANS. Long, pale green and shaped like a large lima bean, the fava or broad bean originated along the Mediterranean during ancient times. Their subtle flavor goes well with a variety of the region’s signature ingredients, including olive oil, garlic, lemon, mint, parsley and sesame paste.

As for what to do with a bag of fresh fava beans, I boil them in their pods for about 10 minutes before shelling. After slipping the legumes out of their tough skins, I can sauté them with butter, garlic, asparagus tips and a splash of chicken stock for a spring-inspired side dish. I can also add them to fresh pasta, or puree them with potatoes for a light yet creamy soup. Or I can slow-cook them, then partially mash them with garlic, olive oil, cumin and lemon juice to create ful medame, an Egyptian specialty.

If looking for a healthful appetizer, I can make these iron and Vitamin B-rich beans into hummus, feature them on bruschetta, or toss them into a salad of radishes, mint and greens. The culinary possibilities are limitless.

RADISHES. Often relegated to the status of garnish, crisp, juicy radishes hit their peak in springtime. Beyond their minor roles in salads and crudites platters, radishes taste great when steamed, sautéed, roasted, mashed or stir-fried. Thinly sliced, they work well in tempuras, as substitutes for water chestnuts, or in tea sandwiches with butter and sprinkle of salt.

Likewise, radish tops are delight to eat. Tossed into soups or salads, the greens provide a peppery zing.

Although I know them best as little, red globes, radishes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Mild yet succulent, French breakfasts resemble small, scarlet carrots with white tips. Watermelon radishes look like pale green softballs. Cut open, they possess a slightly sweet, ruby flesh.

No matter what their form, radishes should be firm and blemish-free, with perky greens. To increase crispness, soak the radishes, with the roots on, in cold water for several hours before using.

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS. Of all the vernal offerings, the most unusual may be the fiddlehead fern. Resembling the carved head of a violin, fiddleheads are the unfurled shoots of an ostrich fern. One of the last truly wild, foraged foods, they grow in moist woods, floodplains and, in my case, in the damp soil bordering my 19th century icehouse.

When told that the two-inch long, tightly coiled fern leaves tasted like a cross between asparagus, artichokes and okra, I assumed that my neighbor was joking.

What would he say next? That sautéed maple leaves reminded him of syrup?

Putting my skepticism aside, I gave fiddlehead ferns a try. Boiled in lightly salted water for 10 minutes or steamed for 20, they do evoke the aforementioned unusual combination of flavors.

Although traditionally topped with butter, salt and pepper, the fiddlehead’s distinct taste and firm texture make it a good match for stir fries as well as Hollandaise, cheese and tomato sauces. If stir-frying, remember to blanch the ferns in boiling water before tossing into your wok. Some food-borne illnesses have been attributed to raw or undercooked fiddleheads.

With a season of just two weeks, fiddleheads fly out of my local markets and backyard. Likewise, they have a short storage life and should be consumed within two days.

CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS. Reminiscent of a brass, rather than string, instrument, the trumpet-shaped chanterelle mushroom rears its wavy, apricot-orange head during the rainy Southeast spring. It possesses a scent similar to apricots and a flavor ranging from meaty to peppery.

Attempts to cultivate chanterelles have met with little success. However, many markets carry these wild mushrooms starting in late spring and - thanks to the Pacific Northwest, which has a fall to winter chanterelle season - extending through February.

When buying this exquisite fungus, choose plump and spongy ones. Steer clear of those with broken or withered caps.

A companionable ingredient, these mushrooms form pleasant partnerships with poultry, pork, fish and beef. Likewise, they serve as wonderful fillings for crepes, omelets, and tarts, as well as toppings for pizzas. They can easily be stewed or marinated. Sautéed in butter with a little minced garlic, salt and pepper, they make an irresistible side dish.

SWISS CHARD. Pairing well with chanterelles, Swiss chard earned its country-specific name in the 19th century, when seed catalogs added the name “Swiss” to distinguish it from similar looking greens. A popular element of Mediterranean cooking, its origins can be traced back not to Switzerland but to the hanging gardens of Babylon.

Swiss chard has the unique ability to appear as two different vegetable dishes at the same meal. Its thick, green, ruff led leaves can be used raw in a salad, added to soups, stuffed with meat or vegetable fillings, or sautéed or steamed. Its broad, white stalks can be steamed, stewed or gratineed.

When cooking chard, do not use aluminum cookware. This green contains oxalic acid, which will discolor aluminum.

From wavy, orange chanterelles to pale green fava beans, I can’t wait to sample all the unusual produce that spring brings.

TARTE OF CHANTERELLES, SWISS CHARD AND EMMENTALER

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped white onions
8 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups tightly packed Swiss chard leaves and stems, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs
6 ounces Emmentaler or other Swiss cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)

Melt the butter in a large, non-reactive sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chanterelles, thyme and sage, and sauté until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and pepper. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large sauté pan over high heat, heat the olive oil until it ripples. Add the chard and sauté until the leaves begin to wilt. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of water over the chard and continue to sauté until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Taking the pie crust, sprinkle the bread crumbs in the center of the crust and spread them evenly in a circle. The crumbs will absorb any excess liquid in the filling and keep the pastry crisp.

Spread half of the cooled mushroom filling on top of the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with one-third of the grated cheese.

Squeeze out any excess moisture from the chard. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the chard in an even layer on top of the cheese. Top this with half of the remaining cheese. Top the cheesewith the remaining mushroom filling and then top that with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, then lower the temperature and continue to bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust and cheese are golden brown.
Serves 4.

STIR-FRIED FIDDLEHEADS

1 pound fiddlehead ferns
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds Soy sauce, to taste

Brush off any brown scales clinging to the surface of the fiddleheads then rinse under cold water. Place the ferns in a pot of lightly salted, boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain then pat dry with a kitchen towel.

In a wok or large sauté pan heat the sesame oil on medium-high. Add the fiddleheads and minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the fiddleheads are tender but still slightly crisp, 6 to 10 minutes.

Tumble the fiddleheads into a bowl, sprinkle the sesame seeds and soy sauce over them and toss to combine. Serve immediately.  Serves 4.

BRAISED RADISHES WITH CHIVES

15 to 20 radishes, well scrubbed and with greens and roots removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Salt, to taste

If using globe radishes, cut the radishes in half. If using French breakfasts, quarter them. Set the radishes aside.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the radishes, chicken stock and chives to the pan and cover. Simmer until the radishes are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the radishes in a warmed dish then increase the pan’s heat to medium-high and boil the liquid until reduced. Pour the thickened sauce over the radishes, sprinkle them with salt and serve. Serves 4.

FUL MEDAME
This Egyptian specialty can be served as an appetizer as well as an entree. Traditionally, hard-boiled eggs accompany the dish, but I prefer slathering it over pita bread or chips.

1 pound fava beans, shelled and skins removed
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Pita bread or pita chips, for serving

Place the fava beans in a stock pot filled with 6 to 8 cups of boiling water. Boil the beans, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, then add the garlic. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes or so, until the beans are tender. During these 2 hours you may need to periodically add water. However, by the end of the cooking time, most of the liquid should have evaporated.

Remove from heat then mash the beans and garlic. Add the lemon juice, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Spoon the ful medame into a medium-sized bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve alongside pita bread or pita chips. Serves 6.

© 2008, Kathy Hunt. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.