The Ingredients of Spring

Announcing the arrival of a new season, many young spring vegetables are at long last becoming available. In spite of the extreme weather still being experienced in many parts of the country, these much anticipated seasonal delights are finding their way to market.

My favorite heralds of spring are the small, sweet fava beans. They made their 2014 Morso debut this past Saturday night, when our perennial guest favorite – the watermelon and fava bean salad – appeared as a menu special. Monday night at my cooking demo, fresh fava beans with aged ricotta cheese and arugula served as our starter. The original menu item, fava with pecorino, does not include arugula, but I  improvised a bit. After 30 years in the US, I freely modify some of my original Tuscan recipes. I find it is a fun time of the year to experiment with  the myriad ways fresh spring ingredients can be prepared and served.

In the coming weeks, look for more of your seasonal favorites at Morso. The Passover and Easter menus, which among other traditional favorites, will showcase spring artichokes, baby lamb, tagliolini with pesto and spring vegetables as well as fava with pecorino. “Seasonal ingredients skillfully prepared” has always been a guiding principle of my cooking, and I am ready to get started with the ingredients of spring.

Pino