Explore Spring Menu Ideas to Capitalize on Seasonal Spring Vegetables
It is officially spring and that calls for introducing the spring season’s best ingredients on your restaurant’s menu. Let’s explore some spring menu ideas that will have your customers tasting spring on your specialty menus. Here are 5 ways to bring spring onto your restaurant menu.
- Asparagus ushers in the spring season. Think asparagus is just for roast and serving as a side with meat protein? Think again. It makes a great pizza topping. Use the whole spears for a gorgeous presentation. Get a recipe from World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani: Tony’s Trending Recipe: Asparagus Pizza. Or, try it shaved for more even distribution. Try this Shaved Asparagus and Egg Pizza. Think pasta too. This Penne Rigate with Smoked Mozzarella and Asparagus Tips is incredible. For more Asparagus ideas, read Asparagus: Bring the Spring.
- Go to Greens. Spring is the perfect time to finish you pizzas with greens. The early spring enables cold-loving greens like arugula, green garlic, spinach, romaine, ramps, rhubarb, cilantro and sprouts to pop either in farmed fields or on their own in the wild. The warmer weather of late spring brings on the stiffer and hardier garlic scapes, kale, chard, radicchio, endive and nasturtium. Try this Ramp and Walnut Pesto recipe. Or go micro greens. They add a flavor punch in tiny form. Learn all about micro greens on pizza.
- Room for Shrooms. Spring is a great time to incorporate wild mushroom. It’s the season where foragers look for beloved Morels and Oyster mushrooms. Try a Mushroom Umami Pizza recipe. Check out this mushroom guide.
- Add leeks before the season closes. Leeks work well with sausage and potatoes and great as a ravioli stuffing. Try the Leek-a-Choke Ravioli.
- Say “Yes” to Pineapple. Spring is primetime for this controversial pizza topping. You can go with the classic Hawaiian and BBQ pizzas. Or you can go creative with pies like the Pineapple Upside-Down Pizza or Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza.
We can’t wait to see how you celebrate spring! Let us know ways you are bringing spring to your menus by tagging @PizzaToday on your social.