Spring brings with it a freshness.It happens in fashion, weather and cooking.Cooking and baking brings a plethora of natural ,refreshing tastes that liven up any meal.
Mint is a lovely addition to any meal. It can be grown in the back yard and bloom sometime in May if you live in the Northeast.Another Spring ingredient lamb is perfect with this herb.Add garlic to a lamb chop sauce rich with mint and soy sauce. The English have perfected English sauce creating one that also has apple cider vinegar boiling water and just a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. It's just cooking all of this to two cups of fresh mint(which you can also buy at your local grocery store),It's a ten minutes cook and pureeing when the sauce cools. You can also use this brightly flavored sauce on leg of lamb too.Surprisingly enough chicken and mint pair well together. The sweet herbiness can bring out the bird's earthiness and take it up a level.MInt pairs wonderfully with peas. Add two tablespoons of mint sauce to mushy peas if you;re making this side dish with fish and chips. Mint tea is also a perfect drink for warmer spring days. Use a mint infused simple syrup for this. It's easy to make and store. It;s boiling a half a cup of sugar with a cup of water and half a cup of mint leaves. Strain to remove mint leaves and cool.
One of the most Springtime flavors is fresh asparagus. It's abundant as we head into April. It;s delicious Piedmontese style steamed and dressed with melted butter,sliced hard boiled eggs and Parmesan cheese. However you can make a vegan version by using plant based butter and cheese and omitting the eggs. The taste is still the same with the asparagus' earthy greenness shining through.The grills will be getting fired up once warmer weather arrives and it's a good time to try grilled asparagus. This is an easy cook.It 's coated in olive oil and then simply seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook on a preheated grill, lightly turning the spears.They will be done in anywhere from three to five minutes. Keep in mind you can add them to a salad too for more flavor.Peas are also a tasty Spring veggie and make for a perfect side to any main course. Sauteed petit pois in butter sauce make a good accompaniment to Cornish hens. A pea salad is a great early barbecue dish. You can just dress cooked and cooled with a simple vinaigrette or the traditional pea salad dressing. This is am mix of mayonnaise, , bacon ranch dressing and red onion. This is the perfect dish for a Spring barbecue.
Spring is here and with it comes fresh flavors. Use these for a taste of brightness.Like Spring flowers hey'll liven up any table.
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