Springtime

Springtime, the only pretty ring time, birds si-i-i-ing
A-ding-a-ding, sweet lovers love, the spring

Name that movie, anyone?

I love the spring. I used to love it most because my birthday is in the spring (next week, in fact). But my love for spring is much more complex now. I love it because the weather warms, the daffodils bloom, the baby birds hatch, and all feels so pleasant. The sunshine makes me smile. But the thing I love most about spring these days is the fact that some of my favorite foods are now in season (or will be shortly!).

There is one vendor at my local farmer’s market that sells asparagus, and I have bought some every week for over a month now. I eat it sauteed, stir-fried, and in egg frittatas. I just found a recipe for an asparagus and basil salad that I’m hoping to try if asparagus is still available this week. Basically, I eat asparagus until I am sick of it, which is just about the time that its growing season ends. But by then, we will start to see summer squash, strawberries, and snap peas, and later, tomatoes, cucumbers, stone fruits, peppers, cherries, berries, melons, and all kinds of wonderful vegetables. I love living in California where so much can be grown year-round, but I look forward to enjoying seasonal foods, savoring them while they are here, and missing them when they are gone.

Spring also means planting a backyard garden with my husband and daughter. The joy of putting seedlings in the ground, watering them, and watching them grow is magnificent. My husband teases me about talking to the plants, but I like to encourage them, praise them, and commune with them as they produce tasty nourishment for me and my family. In another month or so, we will harvest our first zucchinis, and I’m sure I will see my daughter eating Sun Gold tomatoes straight off the tree. I am smiling just thinking about how wonderful this springtime is.