amanda mcclements

DC is finally showing off her full spring glory, and the farmers markets are gearing up with appearances from the season's superstar vegetables and fruits. This video from an appearance on News Channel 8's Let's Talk Live  is a few years old, but I refer to it as "That time I chewed a pickled ramp through an entire live TV segment." So I figured it's worth recycling. Give it a watch and read on for tasty ideas for how to best use spring's produce: ASPARAGUS The freshly picked tender spears of spring are a far cry from the woody stalks you find in the off season. Look for them to make their first appearance in the next few weeks at the markets. Make:   Asparagus Benedict on quinoa nettle cakes ;  Penne with asparagus, sage and peas ; or simply grill it RAMPS Stinky, musky goodness is how I think of these wild onions. Make:   Ramp pickles , Buttermilk ramp biscuits MICRO MUSTARD GREENS Endless Summer Harvest specializes in these adorable ...

These tiny jewels were beckoning to me from a stall the new FreshFarm Market at Union Market this Sunday. Fresh currants are now in season, and I'm brainstorming ways to use them. They'd look stunning on a cheese plate, and they're deliciously tart alone (notice the empty stems above from my snacking). Here's what else I'm eying: • Red currant Champagne cocktail , Martha Stewart • Sugar plum and currant crumb tart , Canelle et Vanillle • Strawberry pie with currant glaze , Bon Appetit • Red currant jam , David Lebovitz • Red Riding Hood cocktail , Saveur

Pick up free potted herbs when Toyota Farm to Table Tour stops in DC Thursday. Photo: www.farmtotabletour.com As part of the national Toyota Farm to Table Tour , nine of DC's top chefs will be serving up free tastings at the FreshFarm Market by the White House this Thursday, July 29 from 3 to 7 p.m. The featured chefs are Ryan Wheeler of Restaurant Eve , Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley , Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck , Mike Isabella of Zaytinya , Olivier Perret of Ici Urban Bistro , Nora Pouillon of Restaurant Nora , David Varley of Bourbon Steak , Paul Stearman of Marcel’s , and Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana . They'll partner with market farmers to create bite-sized complimentary treats for visitors. Toyota will be giving away free potted herbs sourced from local vendors, as well as a chance to win a culinary trip to Santa Barbara.

Just in time for summer's full swing, Pleasant Pops will start selling all natural frozen ice pops from a bike cart this Saturday at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market . Started by two Columbia Heights residents who were inspired by Mexican-style paletas , Pleasant Pops is creating its frozen treats from locally sourced fruits, vegetables, herbs and dairy. Following the lead of gourmet pop shops like Durham's Locopops and Nashville's Las Paletas , Pleasant Pops is creating an inventive mix of popsicle flavors. Cucumber chile, strawberry rhubarb, avocado cream, and blackberries and cream are just a few of the combos listed on the site. Having downed my fair share of Locopops, I can tell you the odder combinations are often way better than they sound. Which makes me want to try Pleasant Pops guac flavor. Oh, and the Carolina sweet tea, of course. Check them out on Twitter @pleasantpops .

Farmers market season is in full swing, and the next two days mark the return of two markets right in the heart of downtown DC. First up, the FreshFarm Market by the White House opens today at 810 Vermont Ave. from 3 to 7 p.m. José Andrés and the team from Jaleo will be cooking a massive paella starting around 4:30 p.m. And this Friday, one of the area's newest markets kicks off its season. The Capital Harvest on the Plaza Farmers Market, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW at the Ronald Reagan Building on Woodrow Wilson Plaza, starts May 7 with live music and chef cooking demonstrations. Vendors will include MeatCrafters , Santa Lucia Estate Coffee, Hawks Hill Creamery , Lois' Produce, Gun Powder Bison and lots more. The market will be open Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. To find a farmers market near you, check the Washington Post's farmers market map .

Spring ramps from the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market. metrocurean photo For locavores in our area, there are a few fleeting foods that herald the arrival of early spring: morels and ramps. So what is a ramp , anyway? It's a pungent and petite member of the onion family that grows wild in the eastern part of the country. Their short season and urban scarcity make the stinky little guys a covetable item. Any given Sunday at the Dupont FreshFarm Market this time of year, word spreads on who's got the goods, and the early birds typically snap up the supply. Early bird I am not, but I managed to score a bunch this weekend and mixed up a batch of these buttermilk ramp biscuits from Bon Appétit . They fell a little flat (do I have a black biscuit thumb??) but the earthy, assertive onion added amazing flavor. I've also sauteed ramps and served them with pasta. So, Metrocurean braintrust, tell us what you do with ramps? What's the best way to showcase their unique flavor?

I think it's safe to say that the pumpkin whoopie pies from Pecan Meadow Farms, available at the 14th and U farmers market , now have a cult following. And for good reason. The sweets start with pumpkins grown on the farm — no canned stuff here. They're made with Pecan Meadow's free-range eggs (also delicious on their own) and are filled with fluffy sweet cream cheese icing. Mentions of the pies regularly show up on my Twitter feed, and I've even overheard people talking about them over brunch at Saint-Ex . Get to the market each Saturday early to get 'em before they're gone. Lucky for me, I have some wonderful friends who make sure that if I miss the market, I don't miss the whoopie pies. In fact, two just showed up at my door. Pardon me, I have a whoopie pie to eat...

Savory sauces from chef Stefano Frigerio's new Copper Pot Food Co., available at six area farmers markets If you haven't gotten in the habit of hitting up your local farmers market, you have no excuse! Especially after a few more open for the season this weekend. The 14th and U Farmers Market (Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) kicks off for the season Saturday, as does the H Street NE FreshFarm Market (Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon). Local foodies are already drooling over one market newcomer — the Copper Pot Food Company , which debuts at the 14th and U market tomorrow. Chef Stefano Frigerio, whose kitchen time includes stints as executive chef at Mio and sous chef at Maestro , created the new artisanal food company to turn surplus produce from local farms into jams, like white peach and prosecco, and savory sauces, including smoky bacon and parmesan. He'll also sell handmade pastas, oils and vinegars. Here are the markets where you can find Copper Pot products. Last year at ...

Embedded video from CNN Video FreshFarm Markets gets some nice national ink here on CNN.com .

click image to zoom This week Savory Style hits the street for a look at all the cool bags people were toting to the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market this morning. Savory Style is a new occasional weekend feature highlighting great style and cool products for your kitchen, tabletop and home.

"One chicken, two Bevs," yelled a cook at Momofuku , as I sat devouring my own "Bev" at the noodle bar on a snowy Manhattan day a few weeks back. The dish I was hunkered over — Momofuku's divine pork belly ramen — is (parenthetically) named after Bev Eggleston, the convivial face of Virginia-based EcoFriendly Foods . His company is the source of the tender and deliciously fatty roll of pork belly that was perched in my ramen. But Momofuku is just one of a growing number of restaurants touting EcoFriendly's pork on their menus. When I chatted with Eggleston last year at his stand at the Dupont FreshFarm Market, I mentioned I'd eaten "Bev's sausage breakfast" at Café Saint-Ex just that morning. He marveled that chefs like Fabio Trabocchi at the now-shuttered Fiamma and David Chang at Momofuku were giving him shout-outs by name on their menus — a flattering if unexpected result of his tireless push to spread the gospel of pastured meats up ...

Smith Meadows' oat and winter-wheat fresh pasta, available at the Dupont FreshFarm Market Just because it's freezing outside doesn't mean you can't find great products at farmers markets that are worth bundling up for. Case in point, Smith Meadows ' fresh pasta made with the farm's own eggs from free-range chickens. I picked up the oat and winter-wheat pasta ($5) last Sunday at the Dupont FreshFarm Market , which operates year-round. For a quick lunch, I topped the pasta with sauteed collards and a sauce of garlic, cream, butter and a little tomato paste. The pasta has a great texture and a hearty flavor. Smith Meadows also makes ravioli in flavors like blue cheese pecan, sweet potato and apple cheddar. The selection at the market changes each week. I'll be back for seconds of the oat pasta and a taste of the ravioli.

I picked up four squash blossoms ($2) at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market last week, stuffed them with mozzarella from Blue Ridge Dairy, dredged them in egg, flour and a little cornmeal, and fried 'em. I've also spotted some at the 14th and U market . What's your favorite way to prepare squash blossoms?

Think you make the best salsa? Head to the H Street FreshFarm Market this Saturday, Aug. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, for the annual salsa contest. To submit a salsa, email info@freshfarmmarkets.org by today. The salsa must be homemade, and most ingredients must come from the H Street Market (except things like limes, orange juice, mango). And it can’t be so hot that it makes people cry. Tortilla chips will be provided, and prizes will be awarded for the top three salsas. The market is held at 624 H St. NE .

Residents of Fairfax, Reston and Oakton have new options for finding local foods. A new nonprofit, Smart Markets , recently introduced three new farmers markets to the region. The markets are guaranteed producer-only, meaning all the vendors made or grew what they're selling. Here's the schedule: • Smart Markets at Fair Lakes Whole Foods 4501 Market Commons Dr., Fairfax Wednesdays, 3:30-7 p.m. through Nov. 19 • Smart Markets at Reston Town Center In the Town Square Thursdays, 3:30-7 p.m. through Nov. 20 • Smart Markets at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax 2709 Hunter Mill Rd., Oakton Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon through Nov. 22 Been to one of the markets? Let us know what you found.

I like pecan pie just fine. But I'm not a fan of the gelatinous binding that corn syrup creates in most traditional versions. So it was with great enthusiasm that I stuck my fork into the buttermilk pecan pie I picked up at the 14th and U Farmers Market last Saturday. The confection's creator, Aisha Wilson Bond, uses a delicious buttermilk custard as the base for the pecan pie. Bond sells bread pudding, pies and breads made from old family recipes at the market, which runs Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in front of the Reeves building. Look for her NanBon sign. I was hoping to snag some of her strawberry bread, made with local fruit, but the early birds cleaned her out. Maybe this weekend ... (Metrocurean photo.)

It's Thursday, which means the perfect after-work detour is the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market . I went hunting for dinner there last week and picked up a delicious lemon tart (above) from Quail Creek Farm . The market runs from 3 to 7 p.m. on Eighth St. NW between D and E streets. And now that market season is in full swing, be sure to check out the Post's handy map , which plots out area farmers markets by day.

As the food blog world grows, plenty of culinary professionals are jumping into the fray. I had the pleasure of meeting up with one of those new bloggers, Marriott corporate chef Brad Nelson, a few weeks back. The chef has the tremendous task of working with hotels domestically and abroad to develop menus and taste and test recipes in the company's test kitchen in Bethesda. His blog, Marriott In The Kitchen , gives readers a look at the inner workings of such a large operation, along with some personal musings. Check out this recent post with some appealing asparagus recipes for spring, including asparagus topped with a fried poached egg (pictured above). (Photo by Brad Nelson.)

Get your grass-fed turkey, apple pies, honey, old fashioned sweet potatoes, bread pudding, chestnuts, walnuts, an array of greens and more at the final day of the 14 & U Farmers Market, right now, til 1 p.m.! It's basically a one-stop Thanksgiving dinner shop, and your last chance to visit the market for the season. Also bowing out for the winter season is the Bloomingdale farmers market, which has its last day Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at First and R Streets NW, next to the Big Bear Cafe .

The Georgetown gelato and coffee shop, Dolcezza , recently started selling its creamy gelato at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market , which runs through Nov. 15. And this Sunday, they'll join the line-up at the Dupont market , as well. Dolcezza is selling half-pints and pints of flavors made with ingredients from area farmers. Among the seasonal choices: Keswick Creamery Ricotta, Blue Ridge Dairy Mascarpone, Toigo Orchards Bosc Pear Bourbon, Toigo Orchards Apple Cider Clove and Toigo Orchards Long Neck Pumpkin with ceylon cinnamon, Next Step Produce ginger, fresh grated nutmeg and brown sugar.