Good morning. I love the green I’m seeing at the tips of the hardwoods, the bright harlequin vibrancy of the alliums along the stream beds, the way the grass in the park is starting to thrive again after a long winter of abuse at the feet of dogs. Here’s spring garlic at the market, funky bouquets of ramps and, best of all, asparagus.
Asparagus is always at the market, of course. There are no seasons in the supply chain of American food. Everything is grown somewhere all the time, and shipped to us by air and sea. But real asparagus, actual in-season local asparagus, grown somewhere within a couple hundred miles from home in warm spring sunlight and brought to you by rattletrap truck — that’s the best asparagus, a reminder of the passage of time and the promise of spring.
I’m using mine for Melissa Clark’s new recipe for creamy asparagus pasta with peas and mint (above) — a taste of now. You could follow me this evening in making it, or steer into one of these other excellent recipes for asparagus that we’ve gathered for your pleasure. I hope you do.
Featured Recipe
Creamy Asparagus Pasta With Peas and Mint
With Sunday taken care of, we can look to the rest of the week. …
Monday
We’re a long way from tomato season, but the cherry tomatoes at the market are still pretty good. (See above: hecho en Mexico.) I like them piled on Melissa’s recipe for a cherry tomato Caesar salad, with curls of shaved Parmesan and extra anchovies. Melissa drizzles the dressing over the lettuce before adding the tomatoes. I toss the salad with the dressing instead, before adding the cheese and little fishes.
