Yesterday Emma and I shared a little peek into my new cookbook, Bakeless Sweets, and today I'm going to give you the goods: a recipe! I had a hard time choosing which one to share with you (Pistachio pudding? No-bake creme brûlée? Raspberry yogurt squares? Tiramisu?) but I settled on this tart lemon icebox cake for a very particular reason. 

I love May when all the seasonal farmers markets start to open. For the next 4 weeks, I'll be visiting the markets weekly near where I live in Northern California and buy ingredients to make a simple, vegetarian dish to share with you. This week there were gorgeous rainbow carrots at the market, along with lemons from a neighboring table. A fresh veggie fettuccine was definitely on the menu.

Springtime is tough for home cooks. This is non-intuitive; after all, the markets! Ramps! Asparagus! Green good things all of a sudden! There's a lot going on, but for many of us, those exciting little bits of produce don't really show up until mid-May, leaving us bored and tired of our winter cooking routines. I don't know what it is about springtime, but I find my cooking motivation dropping off. What about you? Do you experience this? 

Strawberry season is starting! Strawberry season is starting! You'll find me stuffing strawberries in my face from now until the last pints leave the farmers' market. These scones are a riff on one of my favorite combos: fresh strawberries dipped in sour cream and coated with brown sugar. They're just the thing for a lazy weekend brunch with the windows open and bottomless cups of coffee close by.

Is risotto still risotto if it's made without rice? It might be stretching the term a little far, but the idea is intriguing — especially as seen in this rice-less risotto recipe from Sarah Britton of My New Roots. She creates her own "rice" by chopping up one special spring vegetable. Care to take a guess what it is?

Where I come from, the first thing to show up at the market is rhubarb, not strawberries. So as temptingly spring-like as a strawberry rhubarb pie might sound, if I were to make one now, it would be with strawberries flown in from a faraway place. 

Besides, why mess with rhubarb? Have you had it on its own? It's edgy, indeed. Sour and bright, it needs some sweetness, but not too much. 

Folks, it's spring and you know what that means? Picnic season is right around the corner. If you entertain like I do with food sitting out buffet style while kids and dogs run around, then these new containers might be something you'll want to watch out for!

Watercress is a sneaky little green. Oh, sure, it looks like an innocent bunch of tender, bright green leaves, but two bites in and KAPOW! You're hit with a peppery spiciness that could rival any radish. And that is precisely why I love it.

The weather may finally be getting warm enough to poke our noses outside, but don't pack away your Dutch oven quite yet. Everyone's favorite pot can still be your friend in springtime. Roast a chicken in fresh and saucy coconut milk, or make a pot of Hot and Sour Mushroom and Rice Soup. There's a risotto of fresh spring vegetables that bakes into creamy goodness right inside your Dutch oven. Or make a big pot of easy, tender barbecue shredded chicken. Keep your favorite pot handy — these spring dishes will keep it busy.