A spring that started several weeks before the end of winter has brought some welcome surprises to the garden. Prolific chives are the first herb to appear. Short and spindly now, their lavender blossoms will appear in May. A surprising amount of lacy chervil has come up. This delicate herb will be gone with the summer’s heat so I plan on infusing it in vinegar and oil. It is also part of the herbal quartet known as fines herbes; parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Fines herbes is delicate in flavor, best complimenting foods such as fish, roast chicken or even an omelet. Maybe this spring I will be fortunate enough to have all the herbs coming up in the garden at the same time. Cilantro that has come up in the circle garden makes me want to pull out some Thai or Mexican recipes. There are some vegetables appearing as well. Leeks that wintered over are a welcome addition to soups and braises. They will need to be used before the summer heat forces them to go to seed. A few carrots, dug up while weeding, were added to a roasted vegetable dish The kale plants that survived the winter have “greened up” and are producing more leaves. I will use them in a mussel, sausage and kale stew and possibly some kale chips. Here and there a little “pioneer” lettuce plant is poking up in the stone walkways of the garden. Of course, Joe has started the spring planting. Peas, both snow and sugar snaps are poking out of the ground already. Some of the pea plants are used exclusively for cutting the tendrils for stir fries and salads. Cold frames shelter the radishes, lettuces, spinach and cooking greens that were planted, though not much shelter has been needed this past week. After an amazing 80 degree Friday in March we have been jolted back to reality with a drizzly damp Sunday, a very windy Monday and the possibility of a freeze this evening.
