Spring vegetables that are actually worth cooking, in the sense of being meaningfully better in their seasonal window than at other times of year, are a smaller list than the broader cooking-content economy implies. The shorter list is more useful than the longer one; cooks who focus on the genuinely seasonal vegetables produce better results than those who try to cook everything.

The list

The vegetables that justify the seasonal effort are: asparagus, in the brief weeks when the local crop is at its peak; English peas, which lose flavour faster than almost any other vegetable; ramps, in the four-to-six-week window most regions support; fava beans, which require shucking that is its own meditation; new potatoes from this year's crop; and the first lettuces of the season.

What to do with each

Each rewards simple treatment. Asparagus, roasted with olive oil and salt, served with a soft-boiled egg. English peas, briefly blanched and finished in butter with mint. Ramps, charred whole and served alongside grilled meat. Fava beans, with pecorino and olive oil. New potatoes, boiled and dressed with olive oil and herbs. The first lettuces, with a simple vinaigrette.

The principle

The principle behind the recommendations is restraint. Spring vegetables at their peak need little; the elaborate preparations that mask poor ingredients also mask the qualities that make the seasonal vegetables worth cooking.