Fava beans are very popular in France when they come into season. French cooks pop them into soups, sautés, and salads during the springtime. This fava beans with bacon recipe is a perfect side dish or light salad for brunch or dinner. Bon appetit!

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Fava Beans and Bacon Photo: Jennifer Woodard Maderazo

When springtime comes, the air is scented with warm rain and fresh vegetation. Nowhere is this truer than in France. The metropolitan areas, already bustling, get an extra shot of energy as young and old alike come out to revel in the sunshine. The countryside wakes up, too, as giddy livestock trot off their cabin fever and farmers prepare in earnest for the growing season ahead.

Because French cuisine is based largely on seasonal foods, the classic French kitchen gets a creative awakening in the spring. The heavy textures and rich flavors of winter are replaced with bright fruits and vegetables. These seasonal recipes will enhance your menu, whether the focus is French, Belgian, Canadian, or Cajun-Creole food. Bon appetit!

French Spring Recipes:

• Andouille and Potato Crepes Recipe
• Asparagus in Tarragon Cream Sauce Recipe
• Avocado and Romaine Salad Recipe
• Lamb and Artichoke Stew Recipe
• Spinach Soufflé Recipe
• Strawberry Orange Soup Recipe

Spring Produce Photo: Teodora Vlaicu

This healthy vegetable side dish, pepped up with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, is the perfect accompaniment to roasted meat or poultry. Using virtually no preparation time or hard-to-find ingredients, this roasted asparagus recipe goes from the refrigerator to the table in less than twenty minutes. Bon appetit!

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Roasted Asparagus Photo: Jeremy Keith

Since it's raining and foggy in my community right now, I decided to make the best of the bad weather. I lit the fireplace, put on a classic movie, and roasted a chicken using an old family recipe. The key to making this roasted lemon rosemary chicken burst with flavor to brown the bird before rapidly roasting it. Caramelizing the chicken adds a whole new dimension of texture to the meat and adds complexity to the herbs used to season it. The result is a rotisserie-style roast, complete with a crispy, golden exterior and succulent, flavorful meat inside. As shown in the picture, I served it with baby haricots verts lightly sautéed in butter. To round out the meal, I made colorful winter squash puree and orange rice . With a fire roaring in the corner, and fog surrounding the treetops outside, my family enjoyed a perfect French meal. Bon appetit!

More traditional French recipes!

• Coq au Vin Recipe
  
• Duck a L'Orange Recipe
  
• Quiche Lorraine Recipe
  
• Steak au Poivre Recipe
  
• Tartiflette Recipe

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Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken Photo: Rebecca Franklin