1. Food

Discuss in my forum

Spring Celebration Dinner Menu

By , About.com Guide

From the daffodils to the tree buds, everything seems to wake up in the springtime. This spring celebration menu, full of fresh produce and seasonal flavor, is the perfect excuse to host a themed dinner party.

Would you like to receive recipes and cooking tips every week? Sign up for your free French food newsletter here and put some flair into your everyday kitchen.

Artichoke Tartlets Recipe

Kimberly Vardeman
Tangy, marinated artichokes and sweet grape tomatoes come together in this artichoke tartlets recipe. Perfect for party appetizers, these colorful, little pastry squares hold just the right amount of savory cheese, roasted tomatoes, and chopped leeks to be a delicious showstopper on the hors d'oeuvres tray.

Roasted Vegetable and Spinach Salad Recipe

Flickr user "irrational_cat"
Easy to make and wholesome, this roasted vegetable and spinach salad recipe makes a great healthy main dish. Roasting the root vegetables until they caramelize and then seasoning them with a light citronette dressing is the simple secret to adding incredible flavor and depth to this effortless, tossed-together entrée salad.

Herb Crusted Rib Roast Recipe

Flickr user Wendy
This herb crusted rib roast recipe is a classic in French kitchens. Dredged in a medley of herbs and a touch of garlic, this roast beef is roasted in high heat and then finished off in a medium-hot oven until it is cooked to tender, flavorful perfection. Layering thin slices of onion over the meat halfway through the cooking process is the secret method that imparts flavor and keeps the beef moist.

Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Jeremy Keith
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.

Mushrooms Bordelaise Recipe

Robert Simmons
Hearty and rustic, this mushrooms Bordelaise recipe makes a delicious accompaniment to a traditional steak dinner. A foundation of cuisine from Bordeaux, the garlic cannot be removed from seasoning the mushrooms. To prepare the authentic recipe, you can choose to leave the garlic cloves whole and remove them after their essence has been imparted into the dish. Enhance the cepes bordelaise with a glass of robust red wine.

Parisian Potatoes Recipe

Crispy, golden brown, and buttery... this Parisian potatoes recipes offers up a lot of flavor for such a budget-friendly ingredient. Easily one of the best dishes for returning vacationers to recreate, this Parisian potato recipe evokes all the best of French bistro fare. Serve the delicious tubers with steak, herbed chicken, or even stuffed seafood for a complete meal.

Strawberry Bottereaux Recipe

©Jess Lander

A popular product of French street vendors, these strawberry-filled pastries, also known as strawberry bottereaux, are best served just minutes after frying them. The jam filling is warm and the pastry is flaky and crisp. Dust the pastry with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately with café crème for a cozy breakfast or coffee break.

Do you want to comment on articles and interact with other foodies? Read about my kitchen, garden, and greenhouse projects, and find out what's new at the About French Food online community by following me @FrenchFoodGuide and visiting About French Food on Facebook. I can't wait to see you there!

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.