After months of hearty comfort food, a variety of fresh spring ingredients are now available in Lawrence. Take advantage of the spring harvest, and enjoy a clean, healthy meal you can linger over while sitting outside and embracing the warm weather.

When you don’t want to cook

Many Lawrence restaurants use local seasonal produce in their menus. Pachamama’s, 800 New Hampshire St., and Local Burger, 714 Vermont St., are two that take advantage of what every season has to offer.

Pachamama’s

Spring is a new beginning, says Ken Baker, owner and executive chef of Pachamama’s. “It’s my favorite time of the year,” he says. Lots of crops are coming up and there are many fresh ingredients available.

Pachamama’s changes its menu every month so that the items contain the best seasonal ingredients, many of which are produced locally, Baker says. Some of Baker’s favorite ingredients to include in his spring menu are morel mushrooms, fava beans, asparagus, snap peas and young chicken or lamb.

For a taste of spring, try the 24-hour leg of spring lamb with vidalia onion, minted pea cream, pea shoots, curry oil and lentil crisps ($12) or the tagliatelle with blonde morels, chive crème fraiche and Parmesan ($13) on Pachamama’s April menu.

Local Burger

Spring produce has good energy and flavors, says Hilary Brown, owner of Local Burger, 714 Vermont St. “I love the colors and the freshness,” she says. “They really make meals come together.”

Local Burger emphasizes sustainability and awareness of where food comes from. Dishes are made using local and regional ingredients. “Buying local produce does so much, from benefiting the economy to tasting better and being better for you,” Brown says.

Try the chicken salad made with local chicken, parsley, peas and thyme ($7.50) or a turkey burger topped with feta and pesto ($8) paired with a strawberry hemp milk smoothie ($4).

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When you do want to cook

Lawrence has plenty of grocery stores, but to find local produce the options are a little more limited. Here are your best bets for finding fresh local ingredients.

The Community Mercantile

Seasonal staples such as asparagus, fresh herbs and peas will be at The Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa St., in abundance very soon, says Laura Cowden, produce manager at The Merc. Now that spring has arrived, people are buying more fresh foods and ingredients they don’t have to cook to enjoy, she says. The Merc has more than 125 produce items in store during the year and has the only USDA Certified Organic Produce section in Lawrence.

Chuck Haren, Stilwell sophomore, says he shops at The Merc because of the great selection of organic produce. “I buy organic because I like the idea of putting pure food into my body that has no pesticides or chemicals,” he says.

Buying quality organic food is often more expensive than the non-organic alternatives, but Haren says it’s worth it because he feels better and it’s better for the environment. As a college student, Haren says he has to make time to cook, but he enjoys cooking, so he makes it a priority. “You have to be open-minded. I sometimes go shopping with $6 and get what I can and make something delicious,” he says. “It’s kind of a challenge.”

The Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market

The Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market is the oldest farmers’ market in Kansas and includes more than 80 vendors. Everything offered is grown or made in northeast Kansas.

Mercedes Taylor-Puckett, market coordinator, says the local community aspect is what makes shopping at the market different from shopping at a grocery store. “Food at the market is fresher and more nutritious because it only has to travel an average of 15 miles to get to Lawrence compared to hundreds of miles some food has to travel to get here,” she says.

Buying directly from the vendors at the market allows people to ask questions about how the product was grown or raised. Vendors also encourage people to try ingredients they wouldn’t otherwise use because they can advise people about how to prepare an unusual ingredient, Taylor-Puckett says.

The market offers a variety of products ranging from herbs, greens, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meats, preserves and baked goods. The market won first place for best fresh vegetables in the Best of Lawrence 2006 survey. It’s open from 7 to 11 a.m. at 824 New Hampshire St. on Saturdays and from 4 to 6 p.m. at 1020 Vermont St. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.