One of the things I love best about spring vegetables is how beautifully they go together. Peas and spearmint are a match made in heaven. Asparagus and morels combine a sprightly green flavor with a mild earthy one. In Provence, spring is celebrated with a fricassee of artichokes, fava beans, peas, and asparagus.

This recipe is great with roasted or grilled spring lamb. I kind of made this one up. It is best if the peas are small.

Sweet Spearmint Peas

Looking for some Valentine’s Day inspiration the other day, I ventured into one of those mega-blocklong-bookstores. Surely there will be a lovely display of Rumi’s love poems, Shakespeare’s sonnets, or perhaps some bodice-ripper novels. Anais Nin? 

Baking homemade holiday treats is one of my favorite traditions. Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are as much holiday scents to me as pine, balsam, and paperwhite narcissus.