by Chef Audrey Blake

Renewal Is Everywhere As Spring Fills the Air

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Featured in This Issue:
Spring Renewal Picnic Menu (serves 2)
(see recipe links below)

With the arrival of March there is typically a sense of brightness in the air. We participate in a bout of ritual spring-cleaning and head outdoors. Some in a "hands on" fashion with the planting of a garden and to anxiously await the first ripe tomato. Others simply enjoy what spring has to offer: new growth. The hills are a riot of color; the trees are fluffy with blossoms. The pastures are busting with "young 'uns": lambs, calves and kids. The days are getting longer, with plenty of sunshine. It's picnic time!

The picnic is the most versatile dining venue. It can be casual or elegant but always playful. You can sit on a snuggly blanket and eat with your fingers. You can sit at a picnic table lakeside and drink from the good crystal. Picnics are relaxing in the sense that everything is done. You have finished the preparation and all that is left is the enjoyment.

It has been my experience that when a picnic is proposed, women get giddy and men groan. I don't know why the male reaction is such. But I do know that after the event, the outcome is always "That was fun." So when the guest is male, I don't tell them where we are going. I just pack up, without letting them see, and drive. This picnic menu is designed as a two-person affair. The idea is a renewal of a relationship. That can include a mate, sibling, parent or friend. One of the most memorable moments is something unexpected and special done just for you. If you have more people, increase recipes accordingly. Your picnic should include at least three of the entrée choices.

Spring Renewal Picnic
(serves 2)
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Select a product or season at left for more recipes!

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