25-04-2025
How To Enhance Springtime Recipes With Specialty Pantry Items And Chef-Approved Tips
Spring has arrived, and we're all trying to make healthier choices in the kitchen. That may just involve thinking out of the box – and getting into our pantry.
There's all sorts of excellent cooking staples and unexpected bursts of flavor to be found, with a bit of creativity. "Enhancing recipes with pantry items is all about bringing out the fresh, vibrant flavors of the season with the right accents," said Jay Kumar, chef and owner of LORE Brooklyn.
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Every home chef needs a good olive oil on hand. "An amazing olive oil, for instance, can elevate everything from a salad, asparagus or seasonal produce. A drop of lime, lemon juice or garlic olive oil can add a light but intense flavor to seasonal dishes," said Kumar. One fun option is Bona Furtuna's Giardinello collection, an 100% organic olive oil gift set that includes Biancolilla Centinara Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Mamma Rose's Herb Blend, Pinzimonio Herb Blend – a great selection for all sorts of dishes.
Spices are essential for any kitchen arsenal, but we have to start using them a lot more boldly. "Spices like sumac, za'atar, or garam masala bring a bold twist to vegetables, roasted carrots, or even a vinaigrette," said Kumar. 'I also personally like to take it a bit more deeper with garam masala and turmeric with seasonal vegetables and meats.'
Grilling is a simple and delicious way to enjoy proteins and veggies, but there's ways to make that grilling experience bigger and bolder, and add a lot of flavor. "Grilling also makes a comeback in spring, and pantry-made dry rubs are your best friend here," said Chef Guy Vaknin, Entrepreneur and Founder of City Roots Hospitality. Combine seasoned salts with spices like smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, or even a touch of brown sugar. "These rubs add bold flavor to grilled vegetables or your favorite plant-based proteins without needing hours of prep," said Vaknin.
Brian Mooney, owner/Executive Chef of Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen, in Hoover, Alabama loves cooking at home and enjoys making spice rubs to boost the flavor of grilled meats or seafood.
His secret? A touch of MSG in all his dry rubs. "It adds an extra bit of umami that really takes the proteins to the next level. For barbecue rubs, perfect for chicken or smoked pork, I combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, MSG, salt, and coarse black pepper. This blend is fantastic for smoking any kind of pork, beef, or chicken. If I'm grilling salmon, I keep it simple with sea salt, coarse black pepper, dry dill, dry lemon peel, and a little MSG to season the fish.'
We love nuts for snacking, but this is also a great avenue to add texture and flavor to all sorts of dishes. "Nuts such as cashew, pistachio, or hazelnuts offer texture and richness any way you add it into dishes — I love to toast them lightly and sprinkle over dishes like risotto or roasted radishes for a satisfying bite," said Kumar.
Honey is a perfect accompaniment to tea or to drizzle on biscuits, but it also can be used in many dishes we may have expected to enhance flavor. "Pantry ingredients like honey can balance tarty rhubarb or tangy goat cheese or Münster in savory-sweet pairings, or a splash of sherry, champagne, or balsamic, to sharpen up fresh greens or spring onions," said Kumar. These small but mighty additions from the pantry can transform seasonal ingredients into something unexpected, flavorful, and memorable. A fun honey to add to a kitchen collection may be Savannah Bee Company's Blossom To Bottle, which includes six small bottles of sought-after honeys. These honeys vary by season and beekeeper, so you never know when you're going to get something extra special.
Pasta is an established pantry staple, but there's a lot more to do with it than toss it with a quick red sauce, and a lot of the ideas are already sitting in the pantry waiting to be enjoyed. "For even more spring-inspired twists, consider tossing pasta with pantry-staple grains like couscous or orzo, then mix in jarred artichokes, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes for a quick Mediterranean feel," said Vaknin, who says canned beans like chickpeas can be crisped up in the oven with olive oil and spices for a crunchy salad topper or snack. And don't forget a quick pickling brine: "Just vinegar, sugar, salt, and pantry spices, to liven up radishes, onions, or carrots in under an hour.," said Vaknin.
"To me, a great pantry item is shelf-stable, versatile, and able to bring out the best in seasonal ingredients with minimal effort," said Lior Lev Sercarz, chef, spice expert, and author of A Middle Eastern Pantry.
Spring is a season that celebrates freshness and brightness, so Sercarz looks for pantry items that enhance that without overpowering it. "I love pairing produce like peas, lettuces, ramps, spring beans, radishes, and baby root vegetables with flavorful staples that add balance, texture, and depth," said Sercarz.
A great example for this is Tahini (this one is made from 100% Ethiopian Humera Sesame). Sercarz says tahini's extra creamy texture and nutty flavor make it a flexible base for dressings, sauces, and drizzles that pair beautifully with spring vegetables.
There's many pairings, too. "Blend into a Green Tahini Sauce with herbs, lemon, and scallion (see recipe below) and serve as: a drizzle over seasonal pea and bean salads, a dip for raw vegetables like radish, carrot, and cucumber, a sauce for rotisserie chicken or roasted potatoes, even delicious with a sunny-side egg.
