Breathe Deeply. . .Spring is Here

Nothing ushers in the season like the opening of the local farmers markets. After a long season of rain and hibernation, life emerges in colorful display of strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus and spring onions. I can't help but smile while wandering amongst the artfully arranged displays of produce. I can make no claims to being an expert in the kitchen, but the call to create something delicious out of what mother nature has to offer is so strong it is easy to find myself with a basket full of possibilities that haven't bloomed since last spring.

And speaking of blooms, no green thumb is required to enjoy the fragrant bouquets of spring flowers. I would love to have fresh flowers in my house at all times. The market offers a wide array, fresh cut and ready to adorn my table, to reign over my culinary triumph (If I am lucky) and add an aura of indulgence and cheery whimsy to my dinning experience.

The colorful stack of rhubarb bring back visions of childhood excursions in the back garden, picking the red stalks, salting them and eating them raw. Or the smell of pies backing in the oven. The spikey green asparagus spears bring with them an echo of childhood, scouring the ditch banks for the treasure and treat of eating them fresh for dinner that night.

It is a mental awakening, and a physical yearning to cleanse and simplify. It feels as though the simple act of eating food so recent from the earth, so pure of additives and preservatives, makes me a healthier, happier person. The vast array calls me to try new recipes and shed the winter doldrums for the promise of spring and good health.

The excitement never wanes as the selection changes with the seasons and draws me back throughout the spring and summer and into the fall. It is one of life's simple pleasures and I for one am not immune. Are you?