Thursday, May 6, 2010

Rite of Spring

I'm not sure that there's anything to say about the verdancy of spring that hasn't already been said, but when I look out the kitchen window into the garden I get a feeling of sheer amazement that is only paralleled by the awe that autumn brings. Of course, wedged between these magnificent seasons lies summer, my least favorite of all; I really don't mix well with heat and humidity. Luckily there's still some time to enjoy the lush, temperate simplicity of spring.

Green!
Happy spider

As if the garden being in full bloom weren't enough to make me smile, we have new neighbors at the edge of the yard—a family of robins! One baby has already emerged and there are three eggs left to show signs of life.

Mama
A secret life

In addition to the wonders that are taking place outside, our kitchen offers its own springtime delights, including morels, asparagus, and fiddleheads.




Liz, Andrea and I gathered the morels on a recent foray with the Monadnock Mushroomers Unlimited, a local group of friendly fungi enthusiasts that goes out weekly to hunt down whatever mushrooms are in season.

Mushroomers
Welcome home, Rady!
My first morel

The asparagus and fiddleheads came fresh from Harlow's Farm Stand in Westminster, VT. We incorporated all of these lovely ingredients into a light vegetarian entree that was topped with a lemon butter sauce...brilliant!