I caught up recently with Craig Strong, executive chef at Studio restaurant at the Montage Laguna Beach, and asked if he had any recipes to share using the spring produce we might be seeing in our own gardens or at the farmers market -- and here's what he had to say:

One thing that I am working with is spring garlic. I made a “salsa verde.” I’m serving this with olive-oil poached halibut and spring vegetables like fava beans, morel mushrooms and pati pan squash.

Salsa Verde
6 spring garlic
2 cups picked parsley leaves
½ cup basil leaves
2 tbsp. capers
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil

Blanch the garlic and herbs for 20 sec. in boiling salted water and cool in ice water. Squeeze out water and in blender puree all ingredients.