Spring has sprung
By Lila Shaw Lash

Once the bitter cold nights begin to warm up and the sun blazes a little stronger, you know April has brought its charms—it’s springtime in San Miguel.

I always associate the springtime in San Miguel with summertime anywhere else, as we get our hottest days in April and May. Regardless of the heat index, it still is the beginning of the growing season so it should be a time to check out the local produce and enjoy the changing of the seasons.

Each season brings its charms—root vegetables in winter, homegrown tomatoes in summer, and delicate, young treats in springtime.

Different areas have different specialties, but what I always observe in abundance with the street vendors and market stalls in this part of Mexico are tender asparagus and freshly shucked peas. Both lend themselves to plenty of wonderful spring-related preparations that bring out the best of the season.

According to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (home to www.asparagus.org), asparagus is a member of the Lily family and the edible spears actually grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils. Surprisingly, under ideal conditions, these spears can grow 10 inches in a 24-hour period, but each crown will only send up spears for six to seven weeks during the spring and early summer. With proper care and a little luck, the asparagus you plant in your home kitchen garden could continue producing for 15 years, without replanting.

When you pick your bunch from the man selling asparagus on the streets, width is not as important as uniformity—thick or thin, the asparagus will still be tender, but you might struggle with cook time if the widths within the bunch vary too widely. Always look for straight, green, rounded stalks that don't give off any specific odor and have tips that are small and closed. For the best, most tender results, make sure and shave off the white part of the ends of each stalk before cooking the spears. Many restaurants and home cooks choose to sharpen each end, almost like a pencil sharpener, both for visual appeal and ease of eating. Blanch your fresh asparagus for three to five minutes or steam for five to ten minutes, let them cool, then dress them up with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, sliced avocado and heaps of fresh arugula from the organic farm, and you have a special spring salad perfect for any April or May day in San Miguel.

After you've had your fill of fresh, seasonal asparagus, you might feel like moving on to another spring delicacy--the unassuming, but incredibly delicious pea. Although treated as a vegetable in cooking, the pea is botanically a fruit. The peas that we consume fresh are the small or pods of the legume Pisum sativum, which has been cultivated for thousands of years, going back to documentation in southern Syria and Turkey. The UK leads the world in production, as “mushy peas” or dried, rehydrated and mashed marrowfat peas are immensely popular around the country. Brits rank mushy peas as their seventh favorite vegetable, which has created quite the demand for the humble little legume--UK farmers cultivate 35,000 hectares of peas each year, which yields 160,000 tons OR two billion 80 gram portions. That's a lot of mushy peas.

If you're not feeling the desire to mush your peas, consider another delicious, simple option. The fresh, young peas can be the highlight of several savory pasta preparations, one specifically from Marcella Hazan with blanched peas, cooked with some good-quality bacon, then tossed with freshly boiled pasta (the thickest conchiglie or rigatoni you can find) with crumbled ricotta cheese and butter. Add some freshly ground black pepper and some crusty french bread and you have a perfect springtime main dish.

I had the chance to visit the organic farm for the first time of the season last week. The fields are still sparse, but the artichokes are coming up, the greens are emerging from their seasonal hibernation and the lettuces are tender and perfect. Swiss chard (or acelagas) are on the way and basil should be coming up soon. Fresh pesto again!

It's time to store the heavy blankets, bust out the tank tops and shorts and enjoy the fruits of la primavera--before you know it, we'll be in summertime.

Lila Shaw Lash is the Dinner Goddess and the assistant editor for Atención. She can be reached at lila@dinnergoddess.com.
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