Today is the first day of spring, marking the vernal equinox. The sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. The Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive roughly equal amounts of sunlight; neither hemisphere is tilted more toward or away from the sun than the other.
Many great vegetables and fruits will soon be at the markets for our enjoyment. We will be seeing beautiful asparagus and early season strawberries. My son Neil, who lives in Germany, said they will soon be seeing white asparagus, or spargel. I would go to Germany just to eat white asparagus as it is a ritual and many restaurants have them as a special of the day.
Here is a spring panzanella salad to celebrate the first day of spring.
Spring Panzanella
12 ounces stale loaf of sourdough bread
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, white and light green parts finely chopped, dark green parts thinly sliced
2 Japanese cucumbers, seeds removed, and sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups mixed herbs such as basil, mint, dill
5 ounces mixed greens
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the crust off the bread and tear bread into large pieces. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with 1 tablespoon oil and roast until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir in chopped green onions.
Add cucumber and toss to coat, then toss with toasted bread. Add peas, herbs and greens and toss gently to combine.
When I think of spring, I think of lamb. When purchasing a leg of lamb, I first remove the netting and trim it of all excess fat. I then marinate it in my favorite lamb marinate overnight, and roast it. It would also make a great main dish for Easter Sunday.
My Favorite Lamb Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
8 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 cup chopped fresh mint
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
Remove leg of lamb from netting, cut off excess fat. Place marinade in a gallon Ziploc bag, place trimmed lamb and marinate overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place lamb on baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Place lamb in pan, roast for 1 hour. Check temperature: 125 degrees for rare, 135 degrees for medium to medium rare. Total time, about 1-1/2 hours.
Lemon pound cake would be a great way to end a spring meal.
Lemon Pound Cake
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for buttering the pan
2-3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons packed grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 large eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
For icing:
1-1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon zest strips for decorating the top of cake
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Very generously butter and flour a large 15-cup bundt pan, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated before adding the next and scraping down bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla and lemon juice.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with sour cream and beating just until incorporated but do not overmix.
Spoon large spoonfuls of batter into the prepared pan, tapping pan on the counter ever so often, then smooth top. Bake on middle rack for 35 minutes. Tent with foil, rotate pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted comes out with loose crumbs attached, 20-30 minutes more.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and remove the pan. Let cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled, prepare icing. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, adding more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon icing in circular motion over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip naturally down the sides. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with lemon zest strips, if desired.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.