Ah, Spring!

Go outside and take a deep breath! Has it sprung for you? Have the crocus’ begun to peek out from beneath their wintery beds? Did this mornings’ bank of clouds seem a bit less gray and foreboding? Has it stopped threatening snow? If you’re a desert dweller then you most certainly must have inhaled the gorgeousness that is orange blossoms. 

Welcome the quarter of rebirth, the vernal equinox, sunrises and sunsets at home instead of in your cubicle. Welcome April Fools’, Easter Egg Hunts and the foods that nature brings us this time of year. Bring on the 6 packs of petunias, flats of colorful annuals and sweet basil to plant. Welcome Spring!

I’m loving asparagus and strawberries for nearly nothing per pound and preparing those delectables in as many creative ways as possible. We’re planning early evening dinners on the patio in the sun and sitting back to wonder at those endearing food lovers who are trying to persuade me that stinging nettles and dandelion stems just might deliciously compliment my braised rabbit. God love ‘em!

Speaking of rabbit: who’s got enough money to frequently eat it, much less attempt to enjoy it with greens that I was required to pull from the yard as a kid? I’d love to see a local grocery store start offering rabbit on its meat market shelves rather than having to special order it from foo foo land for $12.00 per pound. Does not this species breed and gestate in less than 30 days with litters of 12 or more? Is there an untapped market awaiting some rabbit breeding entrepreneur? Or, is it just that too few of us are educated on the tasty merits of our long eared friends and able to then manipulate supply and demand? I’ll have to think on this.

Rabbit is a fantastic food source; very lean with lots of flavor and much the same versatility as chicken. The only problem is that it’s extremely overpriced, difficult to find and far too much work to raise on your own. Considering that Elmer Fudd’s nemesis is the international poster child for fertility with a 30 day gestation, should you decide to set up a backyard nursery, you’d better really love rabbit or have an extremely large freezer.

Have I mentioned that I grew up on a farm in a farming community with lots of farms? Needless to say, “Free Rabbit” signs sprouted up, well, every 30 days. We snuck some home in our pockets and put them in a cage. In four months Dad was busily building an above ground warren in order to save the garden, teach us kids about pesky pets, and force my mom to find new ways to prepare this voracious little creature. She created a fantastic fricassee and hasn’t changed it since.  We also bought another freezer.

While living in Dallas, Texas, I had the unique opportunity of meeting and becoming friends with a young attorney from France. Her name is Florence. I think some of the Texans gave her a bit of a fright, not to mention the lawyers she had to work with. She was homesick, and I adored her. I offered dinner at my house – she got to choose the entrée – rabbit. I found a local producer and picked some up on my way home that night. She and her love brought wine and Port Salud and shared some enlightening tips regarding vinaigrette. 

I prepared a simple yet elegant braised rabbit with a touch of Dijon and White Wine, mushrooms, fennel, tomatoes and garlic. Roasted new potatoes with a bibb lettuce salad and for dessert, a rhubard/strawberry upside down cake. It was a lovely meal, and I’d do it again and again, if given the chance. We lost touch after her return to France which is a shame.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if within this world of lightening speed messages and the oft unreal tendrils of the world wide web, she and I could reconnect? Perhaps I could share some new rabbit recipes with her.