On a recent trip to London I was excited to see the early signs of Spring in the markets and food halls - bouquets of purple artichokes, fresh potted herbs, vibrant purple cauliflower, soft and flowery pink radicchio leaves. But what really caught my eye was an unusual, spiny green (vegetable?) resembling a mutant hybrid of green beans and asparagus! My interest piqued, I set out to investigate.
What I had discovered was Samphire, “the asparagus of the sea” a.k.a “sea herbs” or “sea beans” as it’s referred to in the US. Samphire is a seasonal delicacy found along the coastline of Europe and North America, though I’ve not seen it here in the PA region. With a texture similar to asparagus and a distinct salty taste, it works well with fish and seafood, can be consumed raw in salads, or sauteed or steamed like asparagus.
I also had the pleasure of enjoying an abundance of tender cockles during my visit. Being that cockles also come from the sea it makes sense that the two pair well. So I for one look forward to seeking out samphire and experimenting with this BBC lamb tapas recipe combining cockles and “sea herbs”. Maybe I’ll even shake things up this Easter by sneaking some samphire into the holiday spread - let’s see how the family reacts to some “asparagus of the sea”.
As spring awakens and you begin to seek out some fresh, seasonal finds, why not embrace a bit of coastal adventure in your kitchen? Whether you find samphire at a specialty shop or sub in another sea green, let your curiosity lead the way. Try it with seafood, or give that lamb and cockles tapas recipe a whirl.
Have you come across samphire or any other unusual spring produce? I’d love to hear what you’re cooking— drop a comment or share your seasonal experiments!