As seasons and life cycles come and go, spring is right up there at the top of the list as best. The anticipation of longer days and warm sun on our skin makes us happy, even giddy, to be outside.
That should be enough for most people, but there are always those who look for new things to complain about. For example, a while ago everyone was touting the fabulous merits of vitamin E. Now (I love this one), “new studies have shown” that you can take too much of it and that it doesn’t do all those wonderful things we told you it would … blah, blah, blah … This happened with meat, with fat, with this, with that!
And then, as Emeril pointed out recently, we also have the chicken police! OK; so wash your hands a lot, wash your cutting boards a lot. Just cook and enjoy using your own good common sense. Life is too short to analyze every single ingredient down to its bones. I just like good-tasting food and want to share recipes with you. As I’ve said before, if something is too full of things you cannot have for one reason or another, then substitute where you can. Nine times out of 10 this won’t spoil the taste.
Spring has sprung, so let’s enjoy it and all the goodness it brings in every way. Spring is presenting some delicious choices in edible flowers and herbs. Pansies, sorrel, violets and chive, to name but a few, may be waiting just outside your back door.
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This recipe is nice to keep on hand for quick snacks on crackers or toast. It is also nice to keep on hand in case company stops by.
<b>Spring Snack Spread</b>
2 tablespoons burnet (or watercress), finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chive, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 3-ounce package cream cheese (low-fat is fine)
1 dash crushed red pepper
Soften cream cheese and blend all the other ingredients together with a fork in a small bowl. Add a touch of sour cream or mayonnaise if needed to make blending smoother. This is especially delicious on Melba toast or pumpernickel bread. For a no-carb version, try it on a cucumber slice.
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Growing up, my mother sold bunches of violets from a basket on the stoop of our house. There was a hill behind the house covered with violets in spring, and I helped pick and arrange the bunches “just so” with a row of heart-shaped leaves around the flowers before securing it with string. They went in the basket and not one soul ever stole a bunch.
<b>Violet Salad</b>
4 ounces violet leaves
8 ounces spinach
4 ounces watercress, chopped
1 cup violet flowers
1/2 cup croutons (optional)
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
<b>Dressing</b>
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Reserve the flowers to sprinkle on top to serve. Toss the spinach, cress and violet leaves together and chill. Just before serving, add the sliced mushrooms and dressing. Toss lightly and sprinkle on violets and croutons to serve.
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Chives can be cultivated, but we have many plants that grow wild wherever they want to. This perennial herb is mostly used for its green hollow leaves. Chive is a member of the allium family and has a delicate onion flavor. Chopped and dried, chive is a staple herb in many kitchens. They also provide an edible pink flower with florets that can be pulled apart and used in cooking when just open. They will bloom all summer if harvested regularly.
<b>New Potatoes with Chive and Bacon</b>
20 small new potatoes (red, white or a combo)
3 tablespoons chive, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
3 strips bacon, cooked (reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes in water until tender. Drain off water and sprinkle with the chive, parsley and crumbled bacon. Toss around with a wooden spoon and add just a touch of reserved bacon fat (can use butter or olive oil) to keep potatoes from becoming too dry.
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<b>Notes & Tips</b>
* Daylilies and squash blossoms aren���t just for batter-frying. Use them in soups, pancakes or sauteed with other vegetables in a stir-fry. Squash blossoms have been featured stuffed in recent recipes: cornbread stuffing in one, goat cheese in another.
* Nasturtium and pansies are my favorite flowers to eat from a taste standpoint. The small signet marigold is not bad: it’s lemony-ish. Its pretty yellow color enhances the plate.
