If you’re as excited as I am about kissing the winter months goodbye, I invite you to celebrate spring with a delightfully fresh and flavorful dinner menu. It makes a fantastic menu for a Sunday supper with the whole family, a spring dinner party, or any spring gathering you can dream up.
With spring gardening underway, this dinner menu kicks things off with our Garden Collins cocktail. It’s a great way to use up some fresh herbs and enjoy a spring twist on a classic drink. A spring crudités board makes the perfect appetizer because it’s full of bright spring colors, but it’s also super easy to make. Pasta and a seasonal salad make up our entrée, both involving some fresh and fun ways to eat your veggies. A luscious and creamy Lemon Bar Cheesecake finishes off the meal and it’ll have you licking those graham cracker crumbs right off your plate.
Garden Collins
Spring means a batch of fresh produce to cook with, and that includes cocktails! One of our favorite drinks to enjoy in the warmer weather is a classic Tom Collins. Spring is a great time to add a little seasonal twist to your favorite recipes and make the most of freshly planted gardens by incorporating those flavors into a tasty drink. This take on the classic Collins style cocktail starts with an easy herb syrup, utilizing two essential backyard herb-garden ingredients—mint and basil. They’re paired with honeysuckle vodka, fresh lemon juice, and soda for a bright and refreshing spring beverage.
Get the recipe for Garden Collins.
Spring Crudités Board with White Bean-and-Pea Dip
When planning a spring dinner or party, an easy addition to any menu is fresh veggies with a dip. Not only is this White Bean-and-Pea Dip a snap to make and a healthy option for snacking, it also has a gorgeous green hue that’ll draw in and impress your dinner guests. Especially when it’s placed in the center of a serving board and surrounded by fresh and colorful veggies. Here, we chose a wide selection of vegetables that have different colors, shapes, and textures. You can place each vegetable in multiple different places on the board for a nice variety and array of colors.
Get the recipe for Spring Crudités Board with White Bean-and-Pea Dip.
Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta
This is how you do pasta night in the springtime! This lemony dinner is fresh, fast, and full of flavor. It starts with cooking fettuccine, and then making a simple sauce that the shrimp also cooks in. Everything is then tossed together with the shrimp until evenly coated, and your spring pasta is ready to serve. Ribbons of asparagus are a fun way to try something new with this veggie, and the way they mimic noodles makes them a perfect addition to pasta.
Get the recipe for Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta.
Spring Salad with Pickled Vegetables
Every pasta needs a side salad, especially in the spring when so many flavorful, crunchy veggies are in season. Think carrots, radishes, and turnips. You can thinly slice them or even keep the veggies-shaved-into-ribbons theme, just like in our Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta. This salad gets a big dose of flavor from pickling these veggies using an easy method. Just be sure to make them 12 hours in advance. After chilling and pickling in the fridge, they’re the perfect addition to this salad, and you might even find yourself making them all the time and adding them to various dishes. Top this salad with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese to really make it something extra special.
Get the recipe for Spring Salad with Pickled Vegetables.
No-Bake Lemon Bar Cheesecake
Every menu needs a dessert! And this Lemon Bar Cheesecake is sure to delight your family and spring party guests. It’s a no-bake cheesecake, which means you don’t have to fool with the oven and water baths, and you still end up with a luscious and extra-creamy cheesecake. It’s flavored with fresh lemon and topped with lemon curd so you get plenty of that sweet-tart flavor in every bite. Feel free to make homemade lemon curd or use your favorite store-brand. Top with swirls of freshly whipped cream for a delightful ending to a delicious meal.
