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Level up your April menu with these delicious recipes inspired by seasonal fruits and vegetables. This April produce guide will have you springing forward into fresh recipe territory, from spring peas to strawberries and so much more.
If it hasn’t arrived already in your neck of the woods, farmers market season is just days away. So is spring planting season in most regions of the U.S., including the midwest. Every fruit and vegetable has a season, and as you’ll see below, what’s in season in April includes a wide variety of quick-cooking and versatile fruits and vegetables. (Translation: Since less kitchen time is required, you’ll have more wiggle room in your schedule to enjoy the gorgeous spring weather.)
Since seasonal produce is fresher and more affordable, these April fruits and vegetables will be a boon for your budget and your taste buds. So whether you’re shopping from a farmer or at the supermarket, add these consider stocking up on these fresh fruits and vegetables to your shopping list. I’m also sharing inspiration for how to put what’s in season in April to great use in your next round of meal prep and recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner to party time. Let’s dig in!
Still have leftover produce from last month? See what’s in season in March.
Looking ahead to next month? Discover what’s in a season in May.
What’s in season in April?
- Buckwheat, root, and thistle vegetables: Often-overlooked yet versatile seasonal vegetables including artichokes, rhubarb (yes, it’s a vegetable, even though we often prepare it like a fruit!), and radishes are in full force in spring. Try artichokes steamed, fried, stuffed, or roasted, and put rhubarb to beautiful use in pies (naturally), jams, muffins, or savory sautés or sheet pan dinners. Enjoy radishes roasted, dunked into butter, paired with your favorite dip, or slice and sprinkle them into salads.
- Daisy and onion family vegetables: Prepare to stalk up on fresh asparagus for tarts, scrambles, soups, and, of course, your Easter menu. Keep an eye out for leeks, a tall, layered member of the onion family that tastes like a mash-up of garlic and onions. Leeks are luscious in soups, casseroles, risotto, and nearly anywhere you’d like to incorporate a subtle pop of onion goodness.
- Legumes and fungi: Neither fruit nor vegetable (I’m such a rule breaker!), these are sold near the fruits and vegetables, mushrooms and spring peas I’m calling them April seasonal produce items. Morel mushroom foraging is like a sport in certain rainy parts of America come spring, but many varieties of fungi begin popping up this month. Sautéed in a skillet, stacked inside casseroles or sandwiches, or layered on pizza or toast, mushrooms are one of my favorite April ingredients. Spring peas arrive now too, and are dreamy in soups, dips, pasta entrées, and simply mashed with butter.
- Tropical fruits: Admittedly, there’s not really any growing season for kiwi, mango, papaya, and pineapple in regions like the midwest, but they ship beautifully from warmer regions (where they’re at their peak right now). Blend these island all-stars into smoothies, slices and stack atop fruit pizzas, use as the base of a fruit salsa, or incorporate into a spring break-inspired fresh fruit salad.
- Early-season berries and stone fruits: In most parts of the country, cherries, blueberries, nectarines, peaches, and more shine in the middle of summer. But you can start enjoying a taste of berry and stone fruit flavors via early-ripening options like apricots and strawberries. Try them in parfaits, pies, compotes, cobblers and crisps, or simply washed and out of hand; these naturally-sweet fruits are like nature’s candy.
The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat in April
Consider this your essential produce section or farmers market shopping list for the month.
| Fruits | Vegetables |
| Apricots | Artichokes |
| Guavas | Asparagus |
| Kiwis | Leeks |
| Mangoes | Mushrooms |
| Papayas | Radishes |
| Pineapples | Rhubarb |
| Strawberries | Spring Onions |
| Spring Peas |
Buckwheat, Root, and Thistle Vegetable Recipes
My artichoke, radish, and rhubarb recipes prove that these under-the-radar vegetables definitely deserve a regular slot in your April recipe rotation.
1
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
The best spring dessert recipe, if you ask me, this lattice-topped Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is exploding with sweet-tart flavor. Learn how to make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie filling, plus I’ll coach you through how to make lattice crust that’s worthy of a cookbook cover.
Daisy and Onion Family Vegetable Recipes
For Easter dinner and so much more, asparagus recipes and leek recipes can lend a mildly savory and earthy element to your menu.
2
Potato Leek Soup
Potato Leek Soup is cozy, comforting, and a reminder that spring is just around the corner. Leeks and garlic add a subtle layer of flavor to the earthy potato, and heavy cream is the perfect luscious touch.
Fungi and Legume Recipes
Spring peas and mushrooms are always are a staple ingredient in my home and the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen come April.
3
Mushroom Risotto
Nutty and rich in flavor, Mushroom Risotto is a dish that is more than worth the effort you’ll put into it at the stove. This super creamy risotto is even more luscious with an assortment of tender, earthy wild mushrooms.
Tropical Fruit Recipes
Get your fresh fruit fix with this collection of seasonal April recipes that star naturally sweet fruits like kiwi, mango, papaya, and pineapple.
4
Fruit Platter
Build a Fruit Platter for a fresh appetizer recipe or easy, healthy dessert. Like a sweet cousin of a charcuterie board, this simple fruit snack showcases my best fruit dip recipe.
Early-Season Berries and Stone Fruit Recipes
As we await summer blueberries, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, nectarines, and peaches, let’s celebrate all things apricot- and strawberry-infused.
5
Fresh Fruit Tart
Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, there’s nothing quite as lovely as a Fresh Fruit Tart. You’ll also learn some baking basics, like a tart crust and pastry cream, along the way.
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
