AsparagusFinish your asparagus, or get sent to your room! We only have a couple more weeks of asparagus so get your fill of it, eat it every night. I love it roasted and wrapped in prosciutto. (
http://www.napastyle.com/recipe/reci...productId=2670) Fava BeansTry and have friends over to help you peel them, because they take a long time - you have to cook them twice. You have to shuck them, boil them, then take them out of the skin and cook them again. We have a fava pasta that we made the other night served simply with spring onions, spring carrots, spring fennel and a little wild leek all sauteed together very slowly for about 20 minutes. Then we folded into this a farro pasta which is like a spelt - a wild spelt. Then added some Tuscan pecorino cheese and handfuls and handfuls of these fava beans with some crispy sage on them. Incredible. Served with a cool bottle of Chiarello Giana Zin! (
http://chiarellovineyards.com/ourwines/index.html) StrawberriesStrawberries are dead on right now. Stay away from the rest of the berries, though - they're not ready yet. Dip them is some crème fraîche. And enjoy with a biscotti on the side. Or try some simple baking with a strawberry/rhubarb/banana crostata (
http://www.napastyle.com/recipe/reci...productId=2399). Stone FruitCherries and apricots, followed immediately by nectarines and peaches. In California, apricots have just come on and I think they are one of God's greatest fruits, truly an amazing. I grew up in stone fruit country so we had the greatest in stone fruit. Add to a warm goat cheese salad for a perfect spring supper, paired with a crisp glass of Napa Valley Sauvignon BlancSo yes - asparagus, fava beans, cherries, apricots, spring onions... these are what are hot right now. Fill your market basket and get cooking! Salute Primavera!
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