Spring 2026 Publisher’s Letter

Spring—a mere aspiration as I write this from the middle of a late February Nor’easter—is a short but very sweet season in Massachusetts. It starts with a bang on raucous St. Patrick’s Day, packing the winter-weary masses into the bars and onto the streets for a bit of good craic; just a few weeks later comes Opening Day at our beloved Fenway and Polar Parks. The crowds return in April to line the Marathon’s course, cheering the athletes among us, and on that same weekend Patriot’s Day booms down battle roads with cannons, parades, reenactments—and this year, a whole lot of MA250 celebrations. By May, the trees are in full bloom and the Walk For Hunger attracts thousands to Boston Common, raising millions in support of anti-hunger efforts. It’s a verdant cascade from then on: The swan boats are launched, the ducklings go on parade, farmers markets begin, tulips and daffs blossom across the city and Lilac Weekend draws crowds to the Arboretum. And then, out of nowhere, Memorial Day marks the official end to spring and summer’s arrived. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

After so many months of shoveling, of bundled-up mornings and frigid, windy nights, spring in Boston brings people together like no other season, especially after a winter like this one. It’s astounding what a bit of thaw can do to a pent-up population: Have you ever seen more shorts in 50°F weather than on a “warm” day in Boston in the middle of March? We’re just made like that, we New Englanders, and any hint of a warming stretch is reason enough to spread out a blanket on the Common and catch a few rays—perhaps with your fresh copy of Edible.

And what a collection of stories we have for you in this issue! The Edible Food Finds section features food producers whose entire motive is to bring joy to their customers and communities: From flower-and-herb- adorned shortbread cookies and gluten-free lagers, to mushrooms grown in lobster tanks, handmade artisan chocolates and recycled bread pizza (yes, that’s a thing!), each of these products is worth seeking out and supporting their makers.

Our Spring recipes focus squarely on the early part of the season, when the newest sprouting greens are still accompanied by overwintered roots and preserved staples. As we all know, the local growing season doesn’t get fully underway until at least mid-May, and while it feels like we should be feasting on asparagus, fava beans and peas just as soon as we reach the Spring Equinox, Northern Spy Chef Marc Sheehan explains why spring-dug parsnips, pork with beans and smoked eel make a much more seasonallyappropriate New England meal in March and April. His deeply researched recipe story explains how Victorian era-Colonial Revivalism dictated what “New England food” should be, regardless of the actual seasonality of ingredients.

Laura Lee Imhoff’s collection of veg-forward recipes also celebrates the bridge between winter and spring, and once again she wows us with a dead-simple dessert that should be on everyone’s must-make list this spring: Just three ingredients—puréed pears, melted chocolate and ground lavender flowers—come together into a thick and creamy vegan mousse that’s high in fiber and nutrients while feeling rich and decadent. Just use the highest quality chocolate you can find.

And our star stylist Catrine Kelty steps back into her recipe writing shoes for a sweet and savory meal featuring one of her homestead farm’s most prized springtime crops: maple syrup. She’s tapping her trees and sugaring off as I write, along with scores of other New Englanders who take part in this long-established tradition, and who know that maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes or porridge.

The Edible For Kids section from Barefoot Books, Rise Up!, takes on the topic of non-violent protests in American history—both food-related and not—and gives our younger readers a model for how to stand up for what’s right, join their voices together and make lasting change. It’s a book worth sharing with the littles in your life; follow the QR code to order your copy.

Our features this season were tackled by four veteran Edible contributors: First, Matt Tota visits Worcester Public Market to have a look at what’s changed since we first profiled it back in 2021. Turns out there’s a lot going on in this bustling food hall that’s worth adding to your daily or weekly shopping routine—or making the drive into busy Kelley Square for a delicious bite to eat.

Mike Floreak joins a community cooking class based out of Nubian Square’s Shaw-Roxbury branch of the Boston Public Library, taught by an MIT-BU-trained chef-in-residence, and finds that the program addressing nutrition literacy does so much more than teach people how to cook healthily. For months, Margaret LeRoux has been researching and interviewing farmers from Eastern MA’s Century Farms; these are farms still operating in agriculture, in the same family, for 100 years or longer. We’re indebted to these families for continuously feeding their communities, in good times and bad, many since the 1600s. See how many you can visit this year!

And on the topic of communities, Tara Taft introduces us to a handful of Third Places, businesses building camaraderie in their neighborhoods—not just selling things or serving meals, but creating experiences, forging new relationships, developing programs and bringing people together in unique ways.

So I hope you’ve picked up this magazine on a sunny afternoon somewhere, with not a speck of snow in sight, and you’re enjoying it outside, on a bench or a stoop or at a sidewalk café; it’s a wonderful compilation of stories built to guide your springtime plans and help you make the most of the sweetest season.

Peace,
Sarah