By Scott Hutcheson/Times Sentinel columnist
April 22, 2008 02:12 pm
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There was a time, not so long ago, when I would have answered “fall” to a question about my favorite season. The cool nights, richly-hued turning leaves, the hunkering down in anticipation of the winter ahead. Fall and I got along famously. Although I still adore season number four (according to James Taylor’s lyrical order “winter, spring, summer or fall/all you got to do is call”), something has happened as I’ve grown older. My affections are divided — four ways.
Ask me now which is my favorite season and I could not give you a quick answer. It would be a bit like asking me which of my two children I love the most. Each one is so unique and so lovable. I love the silence that comes after a winter snowfall. I love homemade ice cream on the front porch in summer. Then, of course, there is the season at hand: spring.
We’ve just begun it and another snowfall is not out of the question, but make no mistake, spring is here and the signs are everywhere. Birds are singing, days are getting longer (with a little extra boost from DST), and tiny green leaves are starting to push above the surface of our rich soil. Spring has sprung in Indiana.
What do I love about spring? In a word, anticipation. Tiny buds on the trees cause us to anticipate their transformation into sweetly-scented blossoms. We’re only able to enjoy these tiny flowers for a short time but the ensuing leaves will begin shading us from the warming sun. Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” kept the lovers frozen in time never able to kiss, but spring does not leave us unrequited for long. The anticipation comes with a payoff, year after year.
Gardeners, and those of us who enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor, know all about the anticipation of spring; thumbing through seed catalogs all winter long, then plotting, planting and tending.
On of my earliest rites of spring each year is the purchase of pea shoots from the winter farmer’s market at Trader’s Point Creamery in Zionsville(www.traderspointcreamery.com). Although the folks at Seldom Seen Farm in Danville (www.seldomseenfarm.com) uses greenhouses to provide customers with leafy goodness nearly year round, spring eating, for me, begins with pea shoots.
The tiny leaves and soft, yet crunchy tendrils are a great addition to a salad, especially one made with spinach. They stand up well on their own, too, with a simple dressing. Asian-inspired dressings are terrific on these little fellas. They also provide big nutrition: vitamins A, B, C and E.
If you want to get an early start on spring eating, give pea shoots a try. Here’s a recipe for an Asian dressing.
Pea Shoots with Sesame-Ginger Dressing
1 T rice vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
2 t sesame seeds, toasted lightly
1/2 T honey
2 t soy sauce
4 cups pea shoots, washed well and spun dry
In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together vinegar, oil, sesame seeds, honey, and soy sauce. Toss in the pea shoots and lightly coat with the dressing.
Scott Hutcheson is a food writer based in Lebanon. Visit the Hungry Hoosier Web site at www.hungryhoosier.com.
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Photos
Glenn McDonald