BELLOWS FALLS-Happy Spring!
Shh, the snow has gone. I am saying this quietly, lest I tempt the fates and end up with a surprise blizzard. It's happened in the past if I celebrate the turning of the wheel too early.
But the snowbanks finished melting over the weekend, and it's been mild ever since with temperatures hitting the low 70s recently.
Not that I harbor the illusion that we're home free of snow and ice - anything can happen in this season of deception. But if it does, we'll laugh and say it won't last long, or call it "poor man's fertilizer" because the fields really do green up after those snows.
The geese are back in the pond, the seagulls settled in the hayfields for a good snack upon their return to Lake Champlain, and we've had robins dancing around the yard. Sugarhouses are steaming, and here and there, a snowdrop or crocus peeks out of the mulch. (Oops, false sighting, - it was just a scrap of paper in the flower bed, but still, we have promising signs.)
It's still cold at night and the hot weather was followed by a chilly few days, but we now have a few more minutes of daylight than darkness, and the days are noticeably longer.
I get impatient this time of year. I want to get the gardens cleaned out, but it's still quite muddy, and some things should be left alone for now. My raised beds are another story - those are well-drained, and I can clear out any of the plants I left for the birds over winter.
It is time to plant the peas, the annual first seed-to-earth ritual of the year, and you should plant them as soon as you can work the earth, long before anything else. The old Yankee wisdom goes that if you have to roll up your sleeves while planting peas, you've waited too long.
I've been pruning my rose bushes, all with nice sturdy bud breaks, no winter losses, save for the odd dead branch, and dreaming about the blooms to come is one of the best parts of this time of year. I've purchased a few new bushes, but haven't quite decided where they will live, but they won't arrive for another month so I have time to figure it out.
It's no longer winter, but not really spring yet. After a day's working in the garden, as the sun sets, we are reminded that it is not quite time for eating dinner outside on the porch. So if it is chilly enough, we'll light the fire and enjoy a hearty supper.
This is a meal I've made many times in various forms after a long day outside because it is simple and quick and satisfying - nutritious, too - and I just happen to love beans. With just a few ingredients, it's ready in minutes.
If I have beans I've cooked up in a big batch from dried, all the better, but this time around I opened a can of no-salt-added Great Northern beans and dressed them up to my liking. Topped with some Faroe Islands salmon, it is a perfect fireside supper, or just enjoy it as is with no other adornments.
Use any bean you like, and serve with any protein - even baked tofu. Leeks work well rather than the onion, and if you come across a spring-dug parsnip, substitute that for the carrot.
For variety, you can also stir in some tender greens such as baby spinach or dandelion sprouts at the end, just until they wilt, or toss in some frozen peas.
Dressed-up Weeknight Beans
¶1 large onion, diced
¶10 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
¶1 carrot, sliced
¶2 cloves garlic, crushed
¶1 tsp. dried herbes de Provençe
¶2 cups or 1 can great northern beans
¶¼ cup minced parsley, or other tender herb of choice
¶1 lb. salmon or other fish, portioned
¶5 Tbsp. olive oil
Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil and add the onion, mushrooms, and carrot. Cook until tender, then add the garlic and herbes to bloom, and season with some salt and pepper. Add the beans, and let simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can marry.
While the beans simmer, heat a large cast-iron frying pan or skillet over medium high and brush with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season the fish and place it skin-side down. Turn the heat to medium and let cook until the skin is crisp. Turn, and cook for another few minutes until the fish is cooked to an opaque center, medium and tender, and browned. We're all individuals, and you know how cooked you like it.
Add the parsley to the beans, then plate them, top with the fish, garnish with a few more parsley leaves, and add a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and some lemon if you like.
Make your own Herbes de Provençe spice blend
Use this blend on just about everything from potatoes and carrots to casseroles and soups.
Ah, the flavor of lavender! I love it, so I have to include it in my blend. If you are not so sure, start with less and add more if you like, or leave it out altogether. It is traditional to have a little rosemary and oregano in this blend, but I think it is easy for them to take over. Go ahead and put some in, but do so with caution!
Crush in a mortar and pestle:
¶1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
Gently mix in with dried:
¶1 Tbsp. thyme
¶1 Tbsp. basil
¶1 Tbsp. tarragon
¶1 Tbsp. summer savory
¶1 tsp. marjoram
¶1 tsp. oregano
¶1 tsp. rosemary
¶1 Tbsp. lavender flowers
If you store your herbes in an airtight container, out of light, they will keep for a long while. It's good to give the mix a little crush in your palms when you use it to revive the oils and release the beautiful fragrance.
Dorothy Grover-Read 's culinary talents can be found on her blog, "The New Vintage Kitchen" (vintagekitchen.org), billed as "[a] Vermont innkeeper's collection of classics reimagined for today's kitchen." This piece originally appeared there. Her column regularly appeared in The Commons' long-dormant Food & Drink section and in our seasonal special sections.
This Special section column was submitted to The Commons.