Enough with the spuds! Chef’s lament slow arrival of spring

Monday's March snow was merely confusing to many. But for people with jobs tied closely to the weather — think cherry-blossom-bloom watchers and chefs — it was also disappointing.

Chefs have been tripped up by spring's slow arrival as they wait longer than usual to add local spring produce to their offerings. The waiting game can be especially tough on chefs who try to buy as much food locally as they can.

Marjorie Meek-Bradley, who took over the kitchen at Ripple in D.C.'s Cleveland Park area last month, has been particularly frustrated.

"It starts to feel like spring, people expect spring items, but you can’t really get them from the local farms that I get most of my produce from," she said. "So I decided yesterday 'eff it,' and I ordered some fava beans from California." She plans to lighten up a gnocchi dish with braised lamb by adding the favas and spring onions.

There was a common sentiment among the chefs I spoke to: Enough with the root vegetables, already!

"I'm getting sick of using root vegetables," said Paul Stearman, chef de cuisine of Marcel's in the District's Foggy Bottom neighborhood "We're just starting to get stuff from the West Coast. Fiddleheads … and I'm getting my first morels this week."

The weather has also had an effect on the seafood market, noted Chris Clime, executive chef at Passionfish in Reston.

"It really disturbed the soft-shell crab population. We saw some early when it was warm, and now, obviously, they’re not available," he said. The seafood and produce impacts have forced Clime to alter some plans.

"Next week, we have a Matello wine dinner, with their great pinot noir, and I planned to do some soft-shells, some rhubarb jam, and it’s just not going to happen," he said.