Spring brings me joy!  I love all the pink and white trees, how the earth transforms from brown to light green and bright yellow.  It also brings back variety in the fresh and local foods we have available. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the slightly hay-like flavor of winter dairy and an unlimited supply of potatoes, apples, onions and garlic… but after a while…)

Well, the cattle and pig farmer that lives two towns away from me and raises free-range, organic animals has informed me that the pigs are going up to the butcher this week.  Now, I usually buy pork from him once every couple of years… mostly because it is a lot and it takes me two years to use it.  But, I always know the quality and living conditions of the animal, thus the quality of the meat is always superb.

Spring also brings the striped bass up the Hudson River to spawn.  One of my colleagues is a serious deep-sea fisherman in his off-time (when he is not working as a web engineer).  He and his friends fish the bass run every year.  He offered to bring me back a striper (between 10 and 20 lbs).  You cannot imagine my excitement!  All I can think of is soaking maple wood planks and cooking the striped bass fillets on the charcoal grill with lemon, rosemary, homemade butter, and some black pepper.

What’s more, next month, the farmer will be sending up beef… so a quarter of the cow patiently awaits…