Welcome Summer

Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.

-from Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Breezy sundresses, hanging lifeless in my closet for far too long.  Lazy weekends at the pond.  Sun hats, bare feet, pedicures.  Farm stands and fresh herbs from the garden.  Popsicle stains on t-shirts and sticky little faces.  The open window above my bed, the breeze that smells of Russian olives and stirs the curtain while I sleep.  Chilled Pinot Grigio on the patio as the sun sets and a garden of stars blossom one by one.  Fresh, easy meals, laced with laughter and garnished with smiles.  Food that's just as good cold, served straight from the refrigerator. 

It finally feels like summer has arrived in Colorado.  We're soaking in every drop and falling back into the summer routine.  Which means our largest meal is lunch, served outside on the patio in the shade of a huge elm tree.  The same tree that lost two branches in February under the weight of winter snow.  I worried that we wouldn't have the shade we used to, but the other branches compensate and it's just as comfortable there as always.  It doesn't matter that the tree drops leaves into our wine and sticks into our food.  We love it anyway.

In the evening, when the sun is low, the kids ride their bikes to the park.  I tag behind, watching them weave and wobble down the bumpy sidewalk, enjoying the sun on my back and the breeze in my hair.

 
We can't get enough cool soups, pasta salads and fresh garnishes these days.  Today's lunch was no different.  A vichyssoise which I made last night.  This leek and potato soup gets better with age!  I served it cold, along with a cool stelline pasta salad.  I'm in love this little star shaped pasta!  So festive and fun for summer parties or the Fourth of July!  The pièce de résistance was a garlic marinated lamb steak with a basil-mint gremolata.  The kids picked the herbs from the garden this morning as I was putting the steaks in the marinade.  I cooked the steaks on the grill for just a few minutes when we were ready to eat.  It couldn't be simpler than that.  Food that's ready when I am.  The perfect summer lunch!

Crossing Paths

 Do not go where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

There's a wild and wooded area not far from our house.  A series of paths loop and crisscross like shoelaces through the trees.  The kids love to run ahead, looking for smaller paths that intersect with the main ones.  They know these narrow paths are sure to lead to something amazing.  Isn't that always the case?  Some of the best opportunities are found only when you leave the smooth, straight path and venture deep into the forest. 

The path I was on runs parallel to another larger path, however the two rarely connect.  Occasionally, through the tree branches (still bare from winter) and the dense undergrowth (just beginning to turn green), I would see a jogger or a mother pushing a stroller.  Perhaps they saw me too, headed the same direction, on a different path, though we never met.  Our paths never crossed.  If I were to get to the larger path I must step off my well worn trail and navigate one of those rocky footpaths through brambles and wild bushes.  This is exactly what I did, without even knowing it, when I boarded a plane to Las Vegas last November to speak at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference.

Spring Lamb Stew with Fennel

 

Once in the midst of a seemingly endless winter, I found within myself an invincible spring.

-Albert Camus

 

Spring has finally arrived in Colorado!  I didn't know if it would happen this year.  We seemed forever locked in an eternal winter, despite my spring state of mind.  But, the last week has been one of transformation.  Warm and sunny, the grass is verdant green, and the Brandywine apple tree in my garden is finally bejeweled in rosy pink buds.  I can hardly wait until they burst open and fill the garden with the ethereal aroma of apples and roses.  This metamorphosis has been so sudden I wonder if I'll wake soon and find it's all a dream.

Though our days are filled with sunshine, the nights are still cool and the mountain peaks are still frosted with a layer of clean snow, glowing like alabaster in the fading sun.  Nothing warms up a cool spring evening like a bowl of lamb stew.  It's something I crave when the weather begins to warm, and I set the table out under the trees.  We're still wrapped in sweaters and scarfs at dinner time, but it's nice to eat outside again.

I found a few gorgeous heads of fennel at the market yesterday, lacy and delicate.  They seemed to call to me as I passed by and I couldn't resist.  I also picked up some plump spring peas.  Tender and sweet, they taste like rain.

I prepared this stew in the slow cooker, but it can just as easily be prepared in the oven.  Just cut the cooking time in half, and use a cast iron Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.  When cutting the fennel remove the leafy tops and reserve them for garnish.  Cut the bottom off the bulb and peal away any browned or discolored spots on the outer layer.  Slice the bulb in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges making sure each piece is held together by a bit of the core.  This will insure that it stays together during cooking and will look nice on the table.  Serve the stew with a good, hearty loaf of bread to sop up all the beautiful juice.