Quick & Simple Spring Food & Entertaining

It’s the new season! Time to start preparing for lazy days on the patio, dinner cooked on the grill, and all of the other amazing food and entertaining that happens during the warmer months. Today there are more food options than ever, more recipes than ever. You can find them on the internet, you’ll find them in offline stores. Quick, healthy convenient foods, meal ideas to cook at home — there is so much to choose from.

Update easy food classics

You really don’t have to go bananas with a big spread, or take hours to work on a culinary effort. Today, frozen pizzas can be ultra chic when it comes to flavors and ingredients — straight out of the freezer at the grocery store. All you have to do is pop it into the oven or consider throwing it on the grill. If you want to get creative, heat classic cheese and toss fresh ingredients like garlic or fresh oregano on top, either before or after you put into the oven. Slice it up, serve for yourself or guests.

You can do this with items that aren’t frozen — flat bread topped with cheese and whatever ingredients you would like can work just as well. Play with ideas. Mixing packaged with fresh items can be a quick and easy way to put together something to nosh on this spring with little effort required.

Get creative with the season’s fruits and vegetables

If you do want to cook, consider playing with fruits in unexpected ways — grill strawberries, peaches or pineapples and serve on sandwiches, in salads or other favorite items. Swap out the standard things you might have with a pasta like broccoli and tomatoes for roasted beets, arugula, olives or other things you may not reach for. Sometimes a giant salad packed with everything the season has to offer can be a perfect meal for you and guests.

Play with simple drinks

It’s fun to do cocktails during the spring and summer, but they can be a bit of work. Drink mixes can certainly solve the issue, but try some new ideas with the old basics and classics. For example, edible flowers tossed into a spring white wine, or champagne, can be an effortless way to create a specialty drink. Or, get herbs into some of the common mixed drinks like vodka and soda, combine with fruits, vegetables, etc.

Get more tips for spring foods and entertaining in this month’s Condiment here