Fat Robins bobbing in the grass. Bug Story no less. And Bluebirds, looking to nest. Passover and Easter rituals also attest to the Rites of Spring. Old stories collide with modern day mores. Rituals around the dinner table. Food as symbolism. Yes?
Brisket’s tradition, leg of lamb, turkey or ham— all primal symbols —old stories renewed. Sides of salmon as the main, say the same. Yes, the journey always ends at an oasis or with a feast. New found freedom brings food & festivities. Edible history. And we pray.
NATURE’s SIDE STORIES Two thousand years ago, asparagus was considered an aphrodisiac. This asparagus, this new crop, you will taste the difference, anything else, I would not know. Fingerling potatoes, peewee, sweet potatoes & yukons— Nothing too deep. Ramps, right on cue, renewing our seasonal recipes. And carrots, miniature thumbelina, along with heirloom bunches, parsnips, beets, both gold & red —all, welcome a good roasting.
Mustard, collards & kale promise healthy rewards. Chicories include endive (Italian & domestic), escarole & friseline. Cauliflower —white or in colors, not only offers textural tales from the past but it also contains every vitamin & mineral you might need. True, earth’s flora passes its historical significance on through generations. Evolution is not stagnant. The universe expands. Once you pave the road, it never ends. A plowed field is fertile.
Consider melons, making their way on trade routes from Africa & India to the new world. Cantaloupe, honeydew, Galia, Cavaillon are all available now, with nuanced historical flavors. Now consider a strawberry’s past. Like every plant once foraged, eventually they’re refined by past and present agrarian attitudes. Wild blueberries beget jumbo blues. Mandarins blended with pomelos arrive as navels. Clever humans, their imagination I suppose.
Grape varieties, endlessly numerous, we present you 3 variations: Pink muscat, red globe & baby Thompson yellow sweeties. Pomegranates and cherries near their finale. Persimmons long gone. Green gauge & lemon yellow plums, we will happily share.
AND DO THIS: Heirloom tomatoes with a burrata. Pears with chèvre or blue cheese. Melons with prosciutto. Also, a rare golden plum tomato with a pink blush is impressive in a salad. Nature’s bounty pared with human ingenuity. Pastrami returns, begging to be sandwiched. Biscotti in 3 flavors. Baguettes in 3 varieties, depending on the day of the week. Bluebird houses? A few still up for grabs. We started on remodeling the store yesterday. See saw below.
NOT LEAST: Sardines, pistachios, black beans, blood oranges, yellow foot mushrooms, baby bok choy, pearl onions. Porcini pasta, fennel, apple blossoms & micro greens. Fresh picked garbanzo beans; shell, then toss in salad.
THIS FRIDAY: 10” quiches, includes spinach, asparagus/Swiss & Lorraine. Also 8” fruit tarts.