May. Some say it’s a perfect time to live in Vermont. All the months and seasons have their own charm, but I agree that there really is something special about the month of May. In our family, it begins with birthdays. My mom, sister, and one of my brothers were all born in May, spread out through the month, and both Mothers Day and Memorial Day would roll around with pretty memorable multi-tiered celebrations that in some way included cooking out or otherwise enjoying the warm weather. Any excuse to fire up the grill, and May was filled with them.

No Mow May

      Green is everywhere, the birds are chirping their spring songs, bees are waking up, and those garden chores begin to pile up! With everything there is to do around the yard, we gladly participate in No Mow May. Many of us let our lawns and grounds go without mowing during the month so there is ample food for the bees and other pollinators. The bees feed us all, so we’ve got to keep them happy. A quick count while travelling down some streets in the next village over, and at least three-quarters of the lawns were happily sprouting with wildflowers and some of the little blossoms many call weeds. I’m sure the bees were quite appreciative. The mowing will happen soon enough, the fruit trees are blooming now, and everything seems to be happening all at once, especially the dandelions.

Oh, the days of long light

      Our farmers markets are now open for the summer, and it is amazing what incredible selection they already have to offer so early in the season in this northern climate. But the days are already long, the sun warming, and everything grows extremely fast right now.

Resources

I recognize that not all areas of the country have access to the farm stands and farmers market that we have in the northeast, but the demand has been steadily increasing nationwide as more and more consumers are demanding local produce when possible. Not sure what is available in your area? The Northeast and the West Coast have the most dense concentrations of markets, with the largest gaps down the middle of the country according to the handy charts and search features of the National Farmers Market Directory However, the numbers are just part of the picture when it comes to the availability of local foods. Farmstandap.com has a resource guide – Seven resources – for finding local farm-to-table markets that support sustainability, and the USDA’s Local Food Directory includes not only farmers markets, but also on-farm markets, food hubs, CSAs, and agritourism.

IGA!

If there are no markets in your area, do you have a grocery store that is either family owned or a member of the Independent Grocers Association, known commonly as IGA stores? It’s a large organization of independent grocers that began in upstate New York in 1926, and now has 5,000 stores world-wide in over 30 countries. These locally owned markets are very often more open to suggestions and requests from their customers and you will usually find at least some local produce and other products on their shelves. I know I have been successful in the past in requesting local products at an IGA and the managers have been most helpful, so it’s always worth a try. The bigger chains will not be as open about local products, but you can still lobby for more organics and add your voice to a growing number of folks who are speaking up about what food is available to them; it’s a start.

So much available right from the start

This past weekend, at our little outdoor market, I found not only the expected lettuces and other greens, pak choy, rhubarb, radishes, and asparagus of course, and fiddlehead ferns, but also broccolini and sprouting cauliflower, and fancy little micro-greens and sprouts. Lots of cheeses, fermented goods, eggs, honey, locally raised meats, breads of all sorts, beer and spirits, flower and vegetable plant starts, crafts, and music to entertain while we shop. We see folks we haven’t seen all winter, and get to know their new puppies as well.

We need to make brunch!

      We had a house guest this weekend, so we carried our treats home and planned a lovely little brunch. It’s so easy with the fresh new ingredients, and, after a winter of beets and carrots, turnips and rutabaga, potatoes of all kinds, the only root vegetable I wanted to see on the table was a radish, tops and all, and I had several varieties from which to choose.

An annual ritual

      At a newly opened farmstand, I also found some fiddlehead ferns! A true spring delight. They are the unopened fronds from the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and these sprouts are fleeting and are only around for a couple of weeks. If you’ve never heard of them that’s understandable, but in the northeast they are a much foraged and sought-after spring sprout that rivals asparagus. However, they have to be prepped properly, or they taste like old grass clippings, but even more bitter. If you are lucky enough to find them, follow the prep instructions at the bottom of this post. Of course, you can substitute asparagus for any of my recipes that use fiddleheads.

Now’s the time to indulge

      Asparagus is in abundance, and we’ll eat it every way possible as long as it lasts. Nothing comes near the flavor of these local spears. We’ll enjoy it every way possible ­­– steamed, grilled, roasted, in stir-fries, soups, salads, tucked in a tart or frittata, raw in crudité. I’m not fond of it frozen or pickled, but if you roast it, then puree it, it holds up as a soup base in the freezer if you add some lemon juice to prevent discoloring. But for the most part, we eat our fill of it while it is in season and let it be a memory the rest of the year.

A sad tale

      Update on my Purple Passion, asparagus that is, year three and first harvest time. The dog ate all the spears. Every last one on the morning I was going to do my first real pick. After pampering the bed for three years, it was finally time. I was minutes too late. I have now sequestered the bed with a floating row cover, stapled down securely, in hopes that the little crowns will continue to sprout, at least enough to put energy back into the plants so they will survive for a harvest next year. I have a very naughty dog.

The menu

      My brunch was still a success as I found lots of asparagus at the farmers market. Almost as good. I served a simple frittata with local Araucana eggs and blue oyster mushrooms, crostini smeared with some amazing goat cheese and topped with more of the mushrooms sautéed and drizzled with our fine native wildflower honey, some chilled asparagus soup (two ingredients, just asparagus and onions roasted, puréed, and thinned out with water or veggie stock), a glorious salad of fresh new greens topped with slivers of aged goat cheese, and a spring vegetable braise topped with crunchy hazelnut and breadcrumb topping. Hardly call it a recipe, so easy, but it was certainly satisfying. The flavors of spring, and you can serve this warm, room temperature, which is how we had it, or even chilled.

      Life is good! Even without Purple Passion.

Spring Vegetables with Hazelnut and Breadcrumb Topping

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 pint fiddlehead ferns, prepared* (optional)
• 1 bunch radishes, greens and all
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

First, prep your veggies. Break off only the very tough ends of the asparagus and save those to add to broth ingredients another time. Prep the fiddleheads* so all you will have to do later is simply reheat them. Cut the radishes in half, leaving the leaves intact and trying to keep some of the leaves on each half. Zest and juice the lemon and set everything aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium and add the hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic power, onion power, and paprika. Keep stirring this until the crumbs and nuts are browned, toasty, and fragrant. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add a bit of water and toss in the asparagus. Let this steam just until tender and remove them from the pan. Add the radishes and the prepped fiddleheads if using. Let the radishes cook until tender and the leaves have wilted. Remove from the heat.

To assemble, just arrange the asparagus, fiddleheads, and radishes however you think looks nice on a platter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with the lemon juice and zest, and a bit of extra virgin olive oil as well. 

Sprinkle on some of the breadcrumb/nut mixture to your liking, a little or a lot. I had some left over that I used on pasta the next night. Really tasty. I also served some sriracha mayonnaise on the side.

* To prep the fiddlehead ferns, give them a good soaking to remove any brown dried debris clinging to them. This would taste very bad in the final dish. Trim off any brown ends. Sett a large pot of salted water over high heat, and once boiling, add the prepared fiddleheads. Once back to a good boil, blanch for one or two minutes. The water will darken as the tannin is released from the sprouts; this can be alarming; the water can be as dark as English Breakfast Tea, that is good! It means the tannin has left the greens, and your fiddleheads will not be bitter. Drain, and immediately soak in ice water to stop the cooking process. You can keep these in the refrigerator for a few days. Use these as you would blanched asparagus. Just lightly sauté them or add them directly to soups or stir-fries, salads, tarts, egg dishes, or even make them into a luscious soup.

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Still wondering if you should choose organics? This film is worth the rental: https://www.organicrisingfilm.com

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“May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope.” 
~ Emily Brontë