The new season is coming: Welcome it into the kitchen

This is that transitional time of year when the fruits and vegetables of winter still hold appeal, yet you can’t help but crave the harbingers of spring -- artichokes, freshly dug potatoes, bright greens of all kinds.

You can slip the coming season into your cooking by making a light soup with new potatoes; its warmth still wards off chilly nights while its vegetables shout “spring.” Top it off with croutons made from rustic French bread. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toss with a little olive oil, then bake 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees until light brown and crispy. Toss the hot croutons with Parmesan cheese.

Another welcome sign of spring is the artichoke, and you can turn it into something a bit more substantial for late winter -- a tapenade. Serve the tapenade atop small slices of toasted bread for an appetizer, and dream about the spring days to come.