Intimations of Spring

The mention of miner's lettuce (claytonia perfoliata) in Jim Dixon's most recent post got me drooling in anticipation of the fleeting green delights to come...favas, pea shoots, spring peas, asparagus and so many more.

We spent our weekend up at the yurt. Spring at the east end of the gorge brings a vivid blast of green to a landscape that’s beautifully muted most of the year. It also means we’ll find the tender, near-succulent leaves of miner’s lettuce, a member of the purslane family, under the clusters of Oregon white oak. Right now they’re more like tiny micro greens, but we still picked enough to add to a simple salad of chopped Romaine drizzled with Madre Terra extra virgin olive oil and a splash of Katz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc vinegar.

But most of the produce available still looks back to the colder months. Along with the salad, we had brussels sprouts.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Coarsely chop a pound or so of brussels sprouts and a walnut-sized shallot. Cook them together in a healthy glug of extra virgin olive oil with a good pinch of sea salt until just tender. Add a splash of good vinegar or a squeeze of lemon or lime.