Spring Is Rolling In

The French proverb I grew up with comes in handy during these days of fluctuating weather: in April, do not remove a thread of clothing (Le mois d’avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil). I’ve yet to put my warmer jacket away and the flannel sheets remain on the bed for at least a few more days but I’ve already gone bare armed and barefoot. And when the rain comes, there’s usually enough sunny windows in the clouds to get a walk in without getting totally soaked.

As nature slowly unfurls its green blanket across the prairies and woods, it also breaks into bloom. There’s nothing quite like this spring explosion of color. From bareboned to soft, gauzy wrappings, the trees fill the space between me and the sky. And on the ground, all the dark lines soften with the creeping carpet of grass and spring flowers.

My mind as always focuses on the spring foods that are soon approaching: mint and asparagus already poke through and, from now on, there will be a constant parade of fresh vegetables and fruits to choose from until late fall. It’s a new world when I can start using local, seasonal ingredients in my menu planning. I know I can find the latest produce at the Goshen Farmers’ Market.

As a child, I read a book called “The Big Jump”. It included three stories about a boy named Ben. One of them tells the story about how Ben outwitted the bad king who required him to bring him the newest thing in the world. So Ben brought him an egg that held a chick that was about to hatch. As the chick poked through, the bad king knew he had lost. As new plants come up and buds appear and birds build nests, I always think about that story. I am a witness to the newest things on earth. I am sometimes the first one to see the new flower bloom, or the turtle laying its eggs, or the flight of a tiny new bird. As I live life, I keep this in mind. This specific moment is lived right now, always new. I can only feel awe at being a part of it.

So as spring emerges, I have my eyes open, hoping to catch any little new growth I see. I’m also perusing cookbooks to find new ways to use those perennial vegetables and herbs. Here’s a spring soup recipe that combines some of those newly growing items.

Minted Asparagus and Pea Soup

1 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 large potato, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large apple, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 small bay leaves

½ t. dried tarragon

2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

1 t. sea salt

2 ½ c. vegetable broth

1 c. fresh or frozen peas (I sometimes use sugar snaps)

1 c. asparagus, chopped

A couple of lettuce leaves (or greens of some kind)

1 c. milk

1 or 2 t. lime juice (0ptional)

2 T. fresh spearmint, minced

Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent in a medium soup pot. Add potato, carrot, apple, garlic, bay leaves, tarragon, parsley, salt, and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 20 minutes until the veggies are just tender.

Stir in the peas and asparagus, cover with the greens then cover the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes. When everything is tender, find and discard bay leaves. Add the milk then carefully blend with a hand held blender. Bring back to heat then stir in lime juice and mint. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve as is with croutons or serve chilled.