Picnic in the Park - FB2B, part 58

Not only has the weather started staying consistently nicer, but it seems to have gone from a pale imitation of spring, right into summer. What a rare treat for the holiday weekend to have three nice, picnic-perfect days in a row. Fortunately, I was able to get together some friends I haven't caught up with in a while for a lazy holiday Monday in the park.

It wasn't until I moved to this city that I realized that picnicking is, in itself, a separate level of planning. It's almost like working out the movements of a small army: organizing logistics for food, drink, blankets, plates; exchanging coordinates for where to meet in the park (behind the backstop on the west side closest to the ice cream cart); swapping cell phone numbers and sorting out just whom will camp out at the chosen site until the other guests get there. Still, it's all worth it in the end, I feel, to get outside in the cool green solace of the park.

Doubtless that Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux didn't have my social life in mind when they put together the design for Central Park, but New Yorkers have enjoyed the respite from their overheated apartments there for years. There's a series of concerts, plays, even the opera and the Philharmonic put on productions in the park during the warmer months. It's an annual rite of passage: bringing food and drink and eating alfresco.

Springtime Treat – FB2B, part 56

Not often, but sometimes, I’m a bit of an impulse-shopper when it comes to food. I’m very much attracted to bright, colorful displays and piles of fresh produce. This can be really helpful when trying to eat seasonally and to try to get more fruit and veg into my diet.

Springtime is when asparagus come into season. My inner clock just knows when the time is right to seek out these green gems. Truly fresh asparagus are an amazing treat. I know that it seems as though they are available year-round, but the spring is their real, natural season around here.

Compare the prices for what you might buy in December versus April-May. You’ll also feel the difference in your pocketbook when they are at their freshest. Their taste is another measure, as well. The season is short, there’s just a few weeks when they are at their peak, so you’ll have to act quickly to get them at their best. Farmers’ markets are the best place to get them.

Cinco de Mayo Part Dos - FB2B, part 55

You know me, I can’t keep from tinkering with things. That’s why, sometimes, it’s such a struggle to write down the recipes I put on the blog. It's not always easy to capture on paper (or computer) the tastes I like or want to share. Being a bit lazy, as well, I also like to try to adapt recipes that I already have to make them into something else.

So, I had the other half of the tomatillo salsa left over from last week’s recipe, and I needed to put it to good use. When I’d been reading and doing research for the Chilaquiles I made last week, some recipes articles pointed out that this is actually more of a breakfast dish. Aside from just being a huge brunch fan in general, I love getting huevos rancheros, and this seemed like it could be a bit similar.

Hmm....maybe this would become my new favorite. The only change I made from the recipe on last week’s post was to omit the chicken. Instead, I layered the tortilla chips, cheese, and salsa and baked it in the oven. I even had some left over black beans and rice that I could serve on the side.