Midwest Living March/April 2017 Recipes

Hello, color! Sunny peaches and ruby raspberries dance across  a tender buttermilk cornmeal cake. It's divine with whipped cream-if you're into that kind of thing.Peach Melba Upside-Down Cake

Sweetly vying for a spot on your Easter brunch table, these cinnamony whole-wheat cakes bake over nests of glazed carrots. Serve warm with extra honey for drizzling.Carrot and Honey Upside-Down Minis

This recipe for a classic pasta carbonara comes from the cookbook Michael Symon's 5 in 5 ($19.99), a fantastic source for weeknight dinner ideas. Plan to prep the ingredients (grate cheese, chop parsley) before you begin.Spaghetti Carbonara 

Andy Schudlich of Epicure Catering and Cherry Basket Farm in Michigan shares this fresh take on a classic chilled pea soup, garnished with toasted almonds and tangy creme fraiche. (That's a French soured cream. You can make your own with Andy's instructions or purchase it-or just use sour cream!)Chilled Pea Soup 

Under those gorgeous slabs of buttery fruit, this chocolatey cardamom-laced afternoon tea cake holds a buried treasure of juicy pear bits. (Word to the wise: Our testers recommend keeping the photo of the cake handy when you're slicing the pears.)Spiced Pear-Chocolate Upside-Down Cake

Our naturally gluten-free cake swaps ground almonds for all the flour and wears a rosy blanket of tart rhubarb and chopped nuts.Flourless Rhubarb-Almond Upside-Down Cake

Brushed with mustard and coated with garlicky breadcrumbs, these petite chops are a quick alternative to a classic leg of lamb. The recipe comes from Andy Schudlich of Epicure Catering and Cherry Basket Farm in Michigan.Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops 

Layering thinly sliced potatoes in a casserole dish means the tops get crisp while the bottoms are meltingly tender.Shingled Potatoes with Thyme 

Crystallized ginger and powdered dry ginger add welcome zing to an American classic. Fanning the pineapple like flower petals is striking, but also functional--no bare spots between rings.Double-Ginger Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Uncooked asparagus might sound strange, but this is essentially an elegant take on slaw-slicing a firm vegetable like cabbage or carrot thinly to break down its cell walls and allow a tangy dressing to soak in.Shaved Asparagus Salad

You read that right! Radishes turn this tangy homemade lemonade a soft pink color, and they lend a faint, garden-fresh flavor-similar to the taste of cucumber slices in water. In fact, we added cucumber slices as well, as a perfect summer garnish.Radish Lemonade 

Pineapple who? No fruit here in this upside-down cake, just a brown sugary streusel-like layer of walnuts, coconut and granola baked under (then flipped over) a vanilla coffee cake.Crunchy Yogurt-Granola Upside-Down Cake

This simple side dish is a great recipe for spring and fall, when you can buy local radishes with gorgeous fresh greens attached (or pick your own!).Radish, Greens and Bacon Saute 

Sweet-and-spicy jarred red peppers add festive color and wake-you-up flavor to a veggie standby. When he makes this dish, Andy Schudlich of Michigan's Epicure Catering and Cherry Basket Farm uses a mix of purple and white cauliflower, but all white is just fine!Roasted Cauliflower with Peppadews 

We hid shredded apple in the cake for extra flavor and moistness, but the real star here is the gorgeous array of fall fruit, glazed with bourbon-infused caramel.Bourbon-Apple-Rye Upside-Down Cake

Think of this as a welcome update on three-bean salad, with radishes and celery adding color and crunch to wholesome garbanzo beans. It travels beautifully and is great for potlucks and picnics.Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad

Make eating cookies an interactive experience by serving them alongside a jar of sweet-tart homemade lemon curd. The recipes come from Andy Schudlich of Epicure Catering and Cherry Basket Farm in Michigan.Lemon Curd and Shortbread 

Any crouton is delicious, but a crouton made with buttery brioche? Divine. It's a luxe addition to this simple lemon-dressed salad from Epicure Catering in Michigan. (This recipe makes a generous amount of croutons; store extras in an airtight container for a day or two.)Arugula Salad with Brioche Croutons