Buh bye, winter! You only get two more days to torture us, right?
If you live in the Midwest or Eastern US, I imagine you are as sick of this nasty season as I am. This was the winter of snow storms, ice storms, and school, meeting and flight cancellations. It was brutally cold, of course, but it was also slippery and crunchy. Every morning I take a hike in the woods with our dogs unless there’s a dangerous or torrential storm. I bless my Yaktrax for keeping me upright as we tromped through snow and ice. I walk in nature in no small part because of the peace and quiet I enjoy before a day that is too often chaotic. But this year, with layers of snow and ice underfoot, it was so loud and brittle in the woods that I couldn’t hear my walking partners talk, or if I was walking alone, I’d have to stop at times just to enjoy a moment of silence.
If you try to eat seasonally, aren’t you getting tired of eating roots, tubers, winter squashes and hearty greens? I long for soft spinach, sweet strawberries and crispy asparagus. But we are almost there and I’m pretty sure we’re through the worst of this winter. I have faith that our grass, buried under all the uneven layers of white and grey, is going to poke its eager tips out soon. Two delicious, quick, springy recipes that I can’t wait to make are a Crustless Asparagus Quiche and a Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Toasted Cashews and Dried Cranberries.
I love spring most of all because it is the season of renewal and promise. Dormant leaves and blossoms push their way back to life, color returns to our gardens, forests, and dinner tables. Spring is also the season of birthdays in our family—Solomon, our oldest, turns 18 next week and Celia turns 16 in May (my sister Sheba and I just turn a year older…). So this will, sadly, also be the last spring for us of having two kids at our dinner table every night.
When the air turns warm and the farmers’ markets again become bountiful, I’m going to throw open the windows and let in the fresh air, lie in our antigravity chair on the deck for a few precious afternoon minutes, soaking up the warm rays of sun, and I’m going to make a giant spinach, strawberry, asparagus and pine nut salad to celebrate living through another winter and coming out on the other end. (I’ll be sure to share a photo on Instagram and Twitter.) Isn’t it good to be alive?
How was this winter for you and your family? What spring rituals or foods are you most looking forward to? Let me know on The Scramble Facebook page.