15 Ingredients We've Been Waiting to Cook All Winter

The days are getting longer, the landscape is turning greener, and the temperatures are rising. That means only one thing — that once again, spring is upon us. And with the return of the season will come all of the ingredients we've been waiting for all winter long.

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We're talking about freshly shucked peas, crisp green asparagus, nutty fiddlehead ferns, and bitter, tart sorrel. We're thinking of everything from the simple to the elegant; from simple grilled artichokes to sublime spring risottos filled with morel mushrooms and classic strawberry-rhubarb pies.

We're talking about the return of grilling, for goodness' sake, and farmers' markets filled with more than just root vegetables, citrus, and apples. We're excited, because we're talking about the end of winter, at last. (Unless, that is, you happen to live somewhere winter does not exist, such as Hawaii.)

While not all of these ingredients will be available at your supermarket or local farmers' market right away, we hope you seize the opportunity to get out there and start getting some green on your plates anyway, because of course, spring only comes once a year.

Will Budiaman is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @WillBudiaman.