Happy official Spring, The Vernal Equinox arrived at 5:01 a.m.!
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 already this week. 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.
Signs of spring, finally
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.
Not out of the woods yet
It’s still cold at night, and a chilly week forecast ahead, but we now have a few more minutes of daylight than darkness and the days are noticeably longer.
Roll up the sleeves
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.
Here a rose, there a rose
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.
The season in between the seasons
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.
Quick, delicious, satisfying
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 Island salmon, it is a perfect fireside supper, or just enjoy it as is with no other adornments.
Always options
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, sub 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.
So Happy Sap Green Spring, and to my friends in the Southern Hemisphere celebrating the Autumnal Equinox, Joyous and Bountiful Fall!
Dressed up Weeknight Beans
- One 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
Heat a large skillet with a couple of tablespoons of 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 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 and top with the fish, garnish with a few more parsley leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil and 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, 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
Store in an air-tight container, out of light, and this 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.
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Thank you, Dorothy, for the lovely combination but for me without the fish!
Joanna
You will still love every bite!
I haven’t put my shovels or snowblower away just to make sure I don’t tip the scale. 🙂
Good plan! My snow shovel is still on the porch!
Happy Spring!! Thanks for this joyous post and the yummy recipe. I love salmon. 🙂
Thanks Jana! The perfect supper after a day outside.
Happy Spring, D! This salmon dish looks so good; you may recall salmon is my favorite. Trimming the rose bushes and hydrangea will be a good project to do with Colette. Have a wonderful day!
You too! The sky is blue here!
We have rain but C is here so the sun is shining in the house and in my heart! 💛
A little ray of sunshine!
That looks delicious! Another recipe to save.
As for the possibility of another storm…a shovel, and buckets of sand and salt are still on the front porch. Don’t dare put them away quite yet.
No need to tempt the fates!
I think we all are anxious for Spring! I hope we get to see more of your garden endeavors. Lovely recipe!
Thank you Jan! I’m sure you’ll see more of the garden!
A hardy meal after a day working in the yard! So delicious.
Happy Spring! But, don’t put the shovel away yet.
Thanks Nancy! The shovel stays where it is for the time being, for sure!
I love the photo of the seeds in a row!!
They are waiting like little soldiers ready to sprout. And we’re getting rain tomorrow, so that is a good thing.
Happy Spring to you too! This dish is indeed so fresh and perfect for the season. 🙂
Thanks Ronit! Easy after a day of flexing those unused muscles!
Hi Dorothy, I also love spring. We still have late summer flowers in the garden and the autumn cosmos is out. Thanks for the super recipe.
Thanks Robbie! I wish you a beautiful Autumn!
🍁🍂
I adore the flavors in Herbes of Provence but have never made my own blend. I used it last night on some roasted chicken.
it’s great on chicken, and I use it a lot. Such a nice blend of flavors.
Everything looks delicious. There’s a lot of good stuff in that recipe. 😋🍃
Thanks Gail, and as easy to make as it is tasty.
I’m sure. 💜🩷🧡
Looks good! Are the beans like cannelini beans?
Yes, they are. You can substitute any favorite white bean. Love their creaminess.
This is on the very edge of my favorite time of year, no too hot, not too cold. I love this, “Not that I harbor the illusion that we’re home free of snow and ice, anything can happen in this season of deception.” So true. And I have to add, I believe this is a meal I can manage, almost without printing out your post. I’m growing in so many ways…hugs, C
You can do this, in record time, and be ready for a long bike ride- or nice nap!
We eat a lot of salmon here. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Happy spring!
Truly smiling from a supposed Down Under autumn – it’s about 29C and the sun is blazing 🙂 ! Absolutely love your offering with or without the salmon on top. Wonderfully healthy and tasty and I shall try your ‘herbes de Provence’ recipe also. And . . . happy gardening 🙂 !
Thank you Eha! The weather this whole year has been crazy!
Enjoy those herbs!
With the lovely warm Autumn days and cooler evenings here this will be an inviting dinner. I think the herb mix is lovely but then I do like mixing herbs randomly together, really surprising what you can end up with. :))
Don’t put that darn shovel away!!! 😂
Thanks Mary! Random herb tossing is a favorite of mine too!
Snow is forecast in the next hour, but no accumulation!
The combines of your garden and your foods are really impressive and inspiring! ❤️🥘😋
Oh, thank you so much! Happy spring!
Another fabulous meal, made with easy pantry ingredients, plus the Herbes blend for a little elegance. Love it! I know you know this, but the crust on your salmon is capital-P Perfect!!!
Thank you my dear! And the salmon ‘bacon’ was pretty wonderful too!
Looks tasty all round! Just wondering what great northern beans are? We don’t have that description here, but they look like haricot or cannellini in the photo…
Thank you Kevin. Great Northern beans are a lot like cannellini beans, just a bit more delicate in flavor, but in most recipes they can be used interchangeably.
This is so perfect to welcome spring!
Thank you! It fit the day beautifully!
Happy spring! Now that it’s starting to get light before I wake up in the morning, it feels like winter is really gone – though I know that we could still get another snow storm or two this spring. The fish recipe looks perfect for this time of year.
Thank you Sheryl! It was tasty.
We had a bit of flurries this morning, then the birds started singing. Spring morning in Vermont!
Happy Spring, Dorothy…we are now officially in summer…
My happiness will probably be short-lived, snow predicted this weekend! But we know it won’t last!
All those wonderful herbs add so much flavor. This looks like a tasty dish, Dorothy.
Thank you so much my friend!
I love salmon! This looks delicious!
Why thank you very much! We have salmon at least once a week, husband’s request and no arguments.