Farmers market pizza, veggies!

Y'all, the veggies in my VegTrug are thriving! Ol just had a salad plucked from the Trug's bounty.

While T and J went to the hardware store this morning, Ol and I headed in the opposite direction to the farmers market. It's still much chillier than I'd like so the spring produce feels late in coming, but we did buy some ramps and a chunk of fresh tasso as well as some plum blossoms, popsicles and chicken. At present, T is grilling this spring pizza I just made with said ramps and tasso plus some artichokes and Asiago. Looks fab, yes?

RI, ramps

Let's give a shout-out to Rhode Island for becoming the 10th state to legalize gay marriage. Yee-haw! Equality is coming 'round. Not quickly enough but it's happening. Three cheers to the RI legislature! The sun came out earlier today, and the afternoon was a beauty. A balm for my over-the-gray soul! I exercised, Oliver helped me deliver dinner to my older sweeties (he loves to come with me; it's very dear), and I'm now riffing on a ramp carbonara recipe, replacing the pancetta (because I don't have any) with sweet Italian sausage, and the spaghetti (SO sad and shocked to be out of this staple) with rotini. Ramps are so lovely and lithe, so delicate in color and form. But them, wham, in flavor it is delicate they are not! They've got a fire to them, a spark that gets you right at the base of your throat. Not like hot peppers and not like heartburn, but somewhere in between those two. I like it.

Awesome morning at the farmers market

Oh man, do I love the advent of spring as it manifests itself in produce. This week I bought some beautiful ruby batons of fresh rhubarb and promptly made a strawberry-rhubarb puree that I used to add a swirl of flavor and color to a yogurt cake and also just eat plain, spoon by wonderful spoon. This morning, Ol and I headed down to Dupont for some time together at the farmers market. I was hopefully certain that ramps would be there, and they were! So were zucchini blossoms! And pea tendrils! AAH! We had a chongos popsicle (Mexican cream and cinnamon; to die for; yay Pleasant Pops), bought some buffalo jerky from Cibola Farm and the best brined and smoked turkey breast ever- thank you EcoFriendly Foods. I cannot wait to cook and dine on all this glorious freshness. For now, pictures.