To me, there’s no surer sign that spring is here than the opening of our local farmers markets. In the last six or eight years, they have grown in number and thrived, to the point that they now dot the metro area and beyond. (For nifty maps, click here: Missouri Markets; Illinois Markets.)

Greens are some of the first foods that come to market. Try them unadorned with dressing; you may be amazed at the depth of flavor. I like to wash and spin them dry as soon as I get home from the market, then store them in zip-top plastic bags. I tuck in a paper towel to absorb moisture and press out as much air as possible when I close the bag. Stored this way, they can keep for at least a week.

You’re also likely to find herbs. Pick up a bundle of chives and you’re well on the way to this simple appetizer. The recipe is from Deborah Madison’s “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets,” newly released in trade paperback from Broadway Books ($26). Not in the mood for crostini? Use the ricotta mixture as a sauce for pasta. And if you have leftover ricotta mixture, fold it into an omelet or scrambled eggs (made with farm-fresh eggs from the market, of course).

CROSTINI WITH CHIVE-SCENTED RICOTTA

Yield: 2 cups, enough for 20 crostini

2 cups fresh cow’s or sheep’s milk ricotta

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup very finely snipped chives

20 slices baguette, ciabatta or a nutty, dense whole-wheat bread

Chive blossoms, cut at the base

Mix ricotta, oil, salt and pepper to taste and chives together. Toast bread until golden, then spread cheese on top. Add a tiny bit of pepper and a few chive blossoms to each slice.