Easter is always a joyous occasion with my family, even when soggy. We gathered in Arlington at my sister’s home. I made my traditional grilled asparagus spears. It would be difficult to imagine Easter without that dish. I also brought an appetizer – a baked spinach and artichoke dip slathered on French bread slices.

Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 head garlic
1 large onion, julienned
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
14-oz (family-size) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
3 cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice about 1/4 in. off the top of a garlic head. Place in a small oven-safe dish. Drizzle about 1/2 tsp. olive oil on the top of the head. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes.
The garlic will turn a golden brown. The flavor will mellow and sweeten while roasting.

While the garlic roasts, heat 1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add onions, turn the heat to medium-low or low to slowly cook the onions to a golden brown.
About half-way through that process, add thyme, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Prepare the frozen spinach to the package directions and drain. It can be squeezed dry in a clean cheese cloth-type towel. (Hint: when washing those towels, don’t use fabric softener. Sometimes the aroma of the softener stays with the towel and makes the food smell like fabric softener.)

Remove the garlic from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the softened garlic cloves from the skins onto a cutting board. Smash so that they are easily incorporated into the dip. Not everyone likes to bite into a whole clove of roasted garlic.

To a large bowl, add garlic, onions, spinach, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, sour cream and 2 cups of Parmesan cheese. Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings.

Grease a large casserole dish and fill with the mixture. Spread out to evenly fill the dish. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese over the top and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the edges bubble and the top is golden brown.

My sister-in-law, Terri, brought her signature salad. It also reminds me of spring. The ingredients are simple, but the flavors work so well together.

Spinach, Apple and Swiss Cheese Salad
1 large bag of baby spinach, cleaned and torn
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced thinly
1 c. Swiss cheese, grated and then refrigerated
1 lemon, juiced

Dress the apples with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Keep the grated cheese refrigerated so it doesn’t soften too much at room temperature. Right before serving, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Garnish with cashews, sliced almonds and/or dried cranberries. Terri always offers a choice of dressings like a zesty Italian and raspberry vinaigrette.

Lately it seems like everything I have is covered with mud. Saturday I had to hose off the clothes I wore in the vineyard so they’d be clean enough to put in the washer. However Sunday evening, when the sun finally peeked through the clouds, was a joyous occasion. With the sun warming my face for the first time in weeks, I felt lighter and euphoric.

I welcome spring as I do every year. I picked three asparagus spears, kale, chard, scallions and radicchio from my garden. The greens inspired a beautiful salad to go with citrus chicken and rice.

Spring-greens Salad
1 grapefruit
2 clementines, sectioned
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped or torn
fresh mixed greens, cleaned and chopped
1 handful dried cranberries
dressing:
1/3 c. grapefruit juice
1/3 c. olive oil
1 splash balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme, chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Cut away the grapefruit peel and carefully cut out each section. Reserve the sections for topping the salad and squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane into a bowl. Pour into a glass jar while straining the seeds, add the remaining dressing ingredients, secure with a lid and shake.

Kale can be a tough green, so once cleaned and torn, toss with a small amount of dressing and let sit while preparing the rest of the meal. The acid in the dressing will soften the kale. When ready to serve, add the rest of the salad items with the kale in a large bowl. Toss and serve with more dressing.

Lemon Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large lemon, juiced
1 tsp. garlic minced
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Place chicken and remaining ingredients in a sealable storage bag. Massage to coat chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate in a shallow bowl for about 30 minutes. When ready to cook, sear dried chicken on both sides in an oven-safe skillet. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, cover with lid and cook in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes.

I like to serve citrus chicken over rice, but not just plain rice. At the very least, I use chicken stock instead of water. And I also add carrots, celery and onion – green peas if I have them. For this dinner I used a combination of white and brown quick-cook rice.

Vegetable Rice
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
3 c. chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 c. rice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onion, carrots and celery in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the carrots are almost tender, add chicken stock and peas. Bring to a boil, add rice, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff rice and vegetables with a fork before serving.

That delicious springtime dinner serves 4-6. Since there’s just the three of us, we have leftovers for lunch one day this week.

It’s starting to feel like spring and I’m happy to report the first asparagus spear has poked through the ground in my garden. My greenhouse is full of green seedlings emerging from potting soil, awaiting the warmer weather in April. I just hope my garden dries out enough that I can work in it soon.

In the meantime, I’m finishing the bare-root grapevine planting and have started rough pruning. Last year’s late freeze hit me hard. So rough pruning may help hold off bud burst another week. Hopefully, even if there is a freeze, the buds closer to the cordon will still be viable.

Last Saturday, I made a hearty breakfast quesadilla to start the work day. Good thing too, it was 4:00 in the afternoon before I realized I had missed lunch. With just a banana to tide me over, I went back out and worked until 6:00. Dinner was quick with roasted vegetables and Polska Kielbasa sausage.

Breakfast Quesadilla
1 large onion, chopped
1 small can green chilies
2 ham slices, cubed
1 tsp. sunflower oil
4 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
4 wheat tortillas

Sauté the onion, chilies and ham in sunflower oil in a non-stick skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, add the eggs and scramble until cooked, but not too dry. Then remove from the heat.
Assemble the quesadillas by sprinkling 1/4 cup cheese on half of each tortilla. Spoon the vegetable, ham and egg mixture on top. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese on top of that. Fold the tortilla over. The cheese will help glue the quesadilla together.

Wipe out the non-stick skillet with a paper towel and turn heat to low. Brush a small amount of oil on each side of the quesadilla. Depending on the size of the skillet, two quesadillas can cook at the same time. When the bottom has seared to a golden brown, flip and sear the other side.

The recipe serves 4 and leftovers may be reheated in the microwave for another meal. Serve with fresh sliced tomatoes and guacamole or picante sauce for dipping.

Roasted Vegetables and Sausage
6 small red potatoes, cubed
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1 large red onion, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 pkgs. Polska Kielbasa links
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme

Clean and prepare vegetables, cutting into bite-sized pieces. Slice the sausage. Split vegetables and sausage between two sheet pans. Add 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt and thyme and 1/2 tsp. pepper to each pan. Toss until the oil and spices are distributed.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir the ingredients, flipping them to ensure even cooking. Then return them to the oven for 15 minutes more.

The recipe easily serves 6. Top with crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan. If you have time, serve with a green salad.

I usually bake foods rather than fry them. However, every now and then as a special treat, I pull out the deep fryer. Fried food shouldn’t be too greasy if it is fried properly. The temperature of the oil should be high (347-374 degrees depending on the thickness of the food) and the food should not be immersed too long.

Fried Egg Rolls
3/4 lbs. sausage
2 c. shredded cabbage
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 egg roll wrappers

Fry sausage in a skillet on medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles. When the sausage is cooked, drain off excess fat. Add cabbage, onion, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic to the skillet with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Stir in peas and cilantro, cooking a few minutes more.

Heat the deep fryer. We set ours at 365-370 degrees. Assemble the egg rolls by placing about 1/3-1/2 c. of the mixture on a wrapper. Fold the top of the wrapper over the mixture, fold each side toward the center and roll toward the bottom of the wrapper. Seal the final edge with a little water.

I continued to make egg rolls while my husband fried. Working in batches of two rolls at a time, he fried each egg roll until golden brown. Since the filling mixture was already cooked, he focused only on getting the outside crispy. It is important to allow the oil to come back up to temperature between batches.

Some of the filling mixture was left, so I served that over fresh greens. I made a peanut sauce for dipping the egg rolls.

Peanut Dipping Sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. smooth peanut butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/4-1/2 c. hot water

Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor. Then with the processor on, add water slowly until the sauce reaches a dipping consistency. The sauce is also good served with noodles or rice.

While the deep fryer was available and the oil was hot, we fried several wheat tortillas. My husband shaped them into bowls using small wire strainers. Once cooled, I stored them for later use in a taco salad dinner. Just reheat in a 375-degree oven for 4-5 minutes.

We filled our taco shells with reheated leftover chili, shredded greens, shredded cheese, black olives, chopped green onions, salsa and yogurt or sour cream. It was a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.

For Valentine’s Day, my honey gave me a flame-thrower. Actually, it’s a large propane weed torch. I used it to clear the weeds and dead grass in my asparagus bed. It was much easier than turning the ground over by hand with a spading fork. It’s more fun to call it a flame-thrower, and it will come in handy. I can just imagine it helping with several chores.
I’ve cleared the garden plots and David has given each a rough till, working in composted chicken litter and potash from the burn pile. I’ve planted onion sets and bulbs. It is not too late to get those in the ground. I should have had my 25 rose bushes pruned by now, but that may be next week as it is bad to prune during rainy weather.
Quick dinners that include comfort food are my favorites this time of year – okay, any time of year. I believe a comfort food is one that reminds you of the good times from the past. So for me, that will always include pasta. Every now and then, I have a healthy carbohydrate like whole wheat pasta noodles. I also love a good creamy tomato pasta sauce. I found both in a lovely vodka pasta sauce.

Chicken in Vodka Sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. vodka
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 c. fat-free Half & Half
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Lightly season each side of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper while heating olive oil in a large skillet. Sear each side of the breast for about 4 minutes. Remove breast from the pan and reserve. Saute onions until golden. Then add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until you begin to smell its aroma. Then add the vodka. Let the vodka reduce, cooking off all the alcohol but leaving behind its great flavor. If you don’t have vodka, substitute with wine or even chicken broth. It won’t be the same, but it will still taste good.
Add the canned tomatoes, oregano and thyme. (Now would also be a good time to get your pasta water started.) Bring to a low simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Turn the heat down to low, cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
The pasta water should be boiling hot, so add salt and the noodles while stirring so they don’t stick together. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until al dente – that is firm to the bite, but not crunchy.
Back to the sauce, turn the heat off, remove the chicken again and stir in the Half & Half. Stir the drained pasta into the sauce and cover. Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes and then slice. Serve the pasta and sauce with sliced chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.
Seafood, like shrimp tails or scallops, also reminds me of good times – specifically when I was young and my family would go to dinner during lent to a seafood restaurant. While shopping, I saw frozen scallops for $17. Wow. The large shrimp was $6. I bought the shrimp and made a quick Friday-night dinner.

Skewered Shrimp
20-21 large frozen shrimp, thawed, rinsed and cleaned
4 pinches Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Save the shrimp shells and tails in a freezer bag, freeze and use later to make seafood stock. If you are careful while cleaning, you can slide the shrimp meat all the way out of the tail – for me it’s kind of a game. Once cleaned, ease the shrimp onto metal or wooden skewers. Very lightly season with Montreal Steak Seasoning . I find it to be very salty when used with delicate shrimp, but the other seasonings are worth it. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Place the skewered shrimp in the pan and watch closely. When you see the flesh begin to turn pink, wait one second more and then flip over. Again, watch closely and when that side turns pink, remove from the pan. Over-cooked shrimp is rubbery and loses its succulent texture.
Serve over wild rice and wilted spinach. Or serve over a tossed salad, lightly dressed with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.