Is everyone gearing up for Spring Equinox or Easter Brunch?
We’ve had some pretty glorious weather here and this week kicks off Easter followed by Spring Break for us. We plan to do a casual brunch on Sunday followed by some egg hunting and candy eating, and then we’ll head on the road up to one of our favorite spots and where we actually called home for a Covid year, Black Mountain NC.
John’s father and step mother live there so it will be a treat for the kiddos to get to spend time with their grandparents and for us to get a fresh breath of mother nature. Black Mountain is about 30 minutes northeast of Asheville and is a picturesque sleepy little town that has a soulful little energy and is perfect for a weekend getaway. Gorgeous hiking, views galore and some really quaint little shops and eateries make it quite a magical place. I plan to do a little exploring and hopefully come hope with some wild ramps to make some pesto or raviolis with. If you’ve never tried ramps, but happen to see them on a menu near you this Spring, I highly suggest giving them a try. They are little wild garlicky scallions that have a very short season and only grow in a couple regions here in the US, North Carolina being one of them. They’re super expensive to source because they are so rare and delicious. They are like a really pungent scallion that can go beautifully in many dishes. Insanely good.
We usually go big on Easter as far as the menu is concerned but because we’re heading on the road, we are going to indulge in a Honey Baked Ham, deviled eggs and a few side dishes that will compliment. I do enjoy cooking a lot, but I also love being able to focus on some beautiful side dishes that accompany the main players. If you had to ask me what one of my strengths in the kitchen would be, I would say salad composition. I love making salads that give depth in textures but also I find it fun to play around with all of the salad-y possibilities. There is an art and a little bit of technique that go into making a great salad that I have shared on here in prior posts. If you want to check out another post where we talk salad shop, here you go. The main things to remember are:
Use seasonal ingredients- what’s in season will sing. Spring is THE salad season so let your imagination run wild. Let the produce inspire you to make something, what grows together, goes together…
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