The Springing of Green

As these first few bits of spring pop their determined heads out of the cold soils, we get lost in our minds somewhere between nostalgia and anticipation. Like bleeding watercolors, the world turns new shades of green, and the possibilities of our daily routines expand. What will we find? What will we plant? What will we eat? Chances are, these things will be green. Here are a few of my favorite greens, to imbibe in now, or to anticipate and covet.

WHEATGRASS
These bright green tender sprouts of nourishment gained notoriety during the juicing craze of the 90's. While the nutritional content remains, wheatgrass has become more common as a decorative accent. You can buy full trays at nurseries and healthfood stores, cut them up with a paring knife and plant them into dishes, planters or baking tins lined with a little potting soil. Yesterday I filled 3 large bread pans and a round cake pan with one $20 tray from Wild By Nature. They look fantastic around the house. When they start to fade, snip them up and add them to your juicer.

KALE
While kale is really a cold weather green, it never loses its relevance. Kale is available year round and is a superfood, hands down. Everyone should eat it on a regular basis, and braising isn't the only way to cook it...

Easy Kale Pasta: Throw a couple handfuls of chopped kale into boiling pasta water, just 2-3 minutes before pasta is done. Drain and finish with olive oil, parmesan, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Crispy Kale: Toss potato chip sized pieces of kale with olive oil and salt. Bake at 275 for 30 - 45 minutes or until crispy. Eat as a side dish or pile onto sandwiches and paninis. Try a crispy kale, fresh mozzarella and prosciutto panini with pesto.

Storage: Kale freezes beautifully. Buy big bunches, rinse, dry and slice into 1 - 2" lengths. Pile into a ziploc freezer bag and pull out handfuls as needed. Their firm texture keeps them from freezing into a solid block, so grabbing what you need is easy.

SHELL PEAS
My great grandparents had a house on King Street in East Hampton village many years ago. My most vivid memory is wandering the back gardens in the spring, eating shell peas right off the vine. I should have been collecting them for dinner, but we all know we can't trust a 7 year old to do such things. Fresh shell peas aren't always easy to find, but when you do, they are well worth it. Try farmers markets and farm stands and make sure they are fresh. Shell and saute the peas with a bit of butter and garlic as a side, add to pasta dishes or puree steamed peas into a fresh pea soup.

PESTO
Good pesto. One word. Heaven. The best pre-made pesto in the Hamptons is made by Citarella. Prepared fresh and refrigerated this pesto is bright green and garlicky. Jarred grocery store pestos are expensive and dull, don't bother. Try making your own. All you need is a food processor or blender and a few simple ingredients (basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan). Try adding parsley, spinach, mint or cilantro to the basil, reduce the oil and increase the lemon juice for a lighter brighter pesto. Just keep in mind, the oil allows the pesto to stay fresh for longer. If you are using it right away, reducing the quantity is no problem. I like lots of lemon in mine and I'll even add some zest for brightness. Cheese and nuts can be optional, if you eliminate the cheese simply add some salt.

MINT
Fresh mint grows like wildfire, needs little attention (except for maybe ripping some out), and is perennial (comes back every year). Each spring we had a patch that would pop up on the west side of our house, and as soon as it did, we had homemade iced tea with lemon and mint in the fridge all summer long. Nothing tastes quite like summer. Try making mint pestos, add mint to fresh summer rolls, thai dishes, garnish desserts and drinks, and chomp on it right off the stalk. If you don't have any, just plant a little bit someplace out of the way and watch it go. Start a new tradition to look forward to year after year.