Pantry Recipes for Spring: Turning Farm-stand Preserves Into Easy Meals

This blog shares three simple spring recipes using frozen berries, canned tomatoes, and preserved veggies, plus a small-batch preserving tip.

Simple Recipes Straight from the Pantry

In early spring, the farm stand shelves are just starting to stir. While we wait for the first fresh crops to pop, it’s a great time to reach for what’s already on hand.

Frozen berries, canned tomatoes, pickled veggies, and maybe even a jar of jam from last year can go a long way. These simple meals make the most of your pantry and freezer while keeping things seasonal and satisfying.

---

Breakfast: Warm Berry Oats with Frozen Farm Berries

This one’s quick, cozy, and uses up any frozen fruit you’ve got saved.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 2 cups water or milk (any kind works)

• 1 cup frozen berries (have extra?)

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

Bring oats and water or milk to a simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the oats are soft. Stir in the berries and cook another 1–2 minutes until they’re warmed through. Top with maple syrup and cinnamon.

Optional: Add chopped nuts or a spoonful of nut butter.

---

Lunch: Savory Toasts with Tomato Jam & Pickled Veggies

This one’s endlessly customizable—great for quick lunches or snacks. Sweet, savory, crunchy, and satisfying.

Ingredients:

• Bread of choice (toasted)

• Tomato jam (see recipe below) or thick stewed canned tomatoes

• Pickled onions, dilly beans, or any preserved veggies

• Optional: goat cheese, cream cheese, or sliced hard cheese

Directions:

Toast your bread. Spread with tomato jam. Top with pickled veggies and a little cheese if you like. Serve open-faced or as a sandwich.

Or try this: Tear the bread into chunks and toast in the oven. Arrange the toasted bread, tomato jam, pickled veggies, and cheese on a large board or platter for a charcuterie-style board. It’s a great option for lunch guests or a laid-back weekend nibble.

---

Dinner: Pantry Tomato Pasta with Garlic & Greens

With canned tomatoes and frozen spinach, this one comes together fast.

Ingredients:

• 1 jar canned tomatoes (or one 15 oz can)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cups frozen or fresh greens

• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

• Pasta of choice

Directions:

Cook pasta as usual. While that’s going, heat oil in a pan and cook the garlic for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and let them simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the greens until wilted. Season to taste. Toss with the pasta and serve.

---

Preserving Extra Berries with a Fruit Syrup

If you have a cup of frozen berries left, turn it into a syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen berries

• 2 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp sugar or honey

• (Optional) Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

Simmer 1 cup frozen berries with 2 tbsp water and 1–2 tbsp sugar or honey. Mash gently while it cooks for 5–10 minutes. Strain if you want it smooth.

Use the syrup on pancakes, toast, yogurt, or even stirred into sparkling water. It keeps in the fridge for about a week.

---

DIY Tomato Jam

This simple jam works with canned or fresh tomatoes and keeps in the fridge for about a week.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

• 2 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 small clove garlic, minced

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes or fresh thyme

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. The texture should be similar to jam—soft, spreadable, but with some texture.

Let cool and store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 7 days.

---

Have a favorite way to use pantry or freezer staples from the farm? Tag us on Instagram or stop by the stand and share it. We love seeing what you create.

Stay tuned for next month—we’re making the most of what spring brings.