We are still dependent in the early spring weeks on winter’s bounty of parsnips, carrots, asparagus, sugar snap peas, arugula, leeks, artichokes, and broccoli. The spring garlic onions are abundant as usual, popping up in record numbers, no matter how many we ate the spring and summer before. The tarragon, oregano and sage are rejuvenated to their full glory. Tentative blooms at first, then a burst of flowering fruit trees and vines spring forth in the unpredictable climate: plums, crab apples, almonds, and jasmine.

St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Cinco de Mayo, are our excuses for creating new dishes to share with friends and resurrecting are traditional favorites.