Thanks to those late bursts of wintery snow, fresh produce seems like just a dream now. 

It might still be, but A&E put together a few recipes that will keep you dreaming of all the spring produce you can enjoy (soon). Think greens, artichokes, peas and strawberries. 

Even though those won’t grace the aisles of the Minneapolis farmers markets for a couple of weeks, the offerings at local grocery stores will at least taste a little better. For a step up from the Target Express in Dinkytown, check out the new Fresh Thyme in Prospect Park — just two light rail stops away from East Bank. 

Roasted Artichokes

Gone are the days of only burying this vegetable in creamy spinach-artichoke dip. Eat petal by petal (the edible part is at the base of the leaf), and then scoop the artichoke heart out at the end. 

2 artichokes

4 garlic cloves

¼ cup of lemon juice

Honey

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sea salt 

Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut the stem off of each artichoke. 

3. With a serrated knife, trim about one inch off the top of each artichoke, and then slice both in half. 

4.  Drizzle half of the lemon juice over the halves to prevent the artichokes from turning brown. 

5. With a knife, remove the inside leaves and the choke (the fuzzy core). 

6. Place a garlic clove in each artichoke half, and drizzle with olive oil.

7. Wrap each half in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet.

8. Roast for 40 minutes. 

9. Use tongs to remove aluminum foil from the artichokes then drizzle with honey and remaining lemon juice. 

10. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. 

Strawberry-Arugula-Spinach Salad

The peppery taste of arugula complements the sweetness of the strawberries well. Feel free to substitute pecans for almonds — whichever you prefer. 

Arugula

Spinach

Almonds

Quartered strawberries

Feta cheese

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette

Salt

Pepper

1. With the strawberries placed in a separate bowl, drizzle one tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar over the strawberries. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. 

2. Mix the remaining balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to prepare a salad dressing. 

3. Assemble remaining salad ingredients and drizzle dressing over the top. 

Spaghetti with Peas, Parmesan and Pancetta

This dish tastes decadent, but it is simple to throw together. Feel free to substitute regular bacon for pancetta, and frozen peas are absolutely fine, if not easier — no shelling required there. 

2 cups of peas

2 ounces of pancetta

1 shallot 

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Parmesan

4 ounces of spaghetti

Sea salt 

Pepper

1. Prepare spaghetti. 

2. In a pan, cook shallots and pancetta in one tablespoon of olive oil until the pancetta begins to brown. 

3. Add peas, and cook for four to five more minutes.

4. Pour remaining olive oil over spaghetti, and add the peas and pancetta mixture.

5. Garnish with parmesan, salt and pepper.