I had so many ideas I wanted to share. Looking back as I write, I realize I was feeling unusually ambitious and maybe should have expected that something would interrupt my plan.
I wanted to write about Spring and how thrilled I was to see it arrive. On the very first day of Spring we returned to the farm. Lulu has been asking every morning to see “les moutons et les poules,” and with the temperature reaching 70°F that day it felt like the perfect outing. While Lulu enjoys the farm as a big playground full of amusing creatures, I find it restorative to be near the animals, smell the earth, touch the grass, and come home with mud on my boots.
I also planned to share recipes: parsley root fritters I cooked, the pear and chocolate tart I made last Thursday while Lulu was at daycare, and the strawberry cake I baked. Yes, I know strawberries aren’t fully in season yet, but I’ve been enjoying them a lot recently—they tasted good and lifted my spirits.
Cooking has been therapeutic for me this past week, and it felt like we were ready to welcome the season of budding flowers and fresh green leaves after winter’s long grey.
Seasons are cyclical, and that cycle is one of the things I love about them.
Friday was beautiful: Lulu and her friend R. played like the best of friends—chasing, laughing and hugging. Saturday was nearly as pleasant, though a bit cooler.
Then Sunday the weather turned. It became cold again. We went for a walk in the morning, but by the afternoon both Lulu and I felt under the weather. A cough, then a slight fever. I recovered by Monday, but Lulu was still ill—and it started snowing again.
So instead of the full list of things I had intended to write about, I focused on a comforting green lentil salad I made. A package had just arrived with beautifully knitted dresses from my mother—have I mentioned how wonderful a knitter she is? Merci maman!—and inside was the latest issue of Elle à Table, which inspired this salad. Below is my version of that recipe.
Warm green lentils combined with refreshing elements—finely shaved fennel, delicate quail eggs, crisp apple and tender green asparagus—felt like a little taste of Spring on my plate. I enjoyed two servings while Lulu napped upstairs, and finished with strawberries lightly sugared and served with yogurt.
I was content, and even happier an hour later when Lulu had her appetite back and was smiling again. I felt grateful for those simple comforts.
