Vegetable fever
A survival guide to the time of year when all you want is fresh produce but it’s still too cold, plus simple syrup recipes and the weekly weather forecast.
Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that your Monday is off to a great start.
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WEATHER TIDBITS
WARMTH IN THE WEST: The beginning of this week will be anomalously toasty across much of the West. A ridge of high pressure, typically associated with atmospheric stability and fair weather conditions, will build across the region. Warm air will surge beneath the ridge, pushing high temperatures to the 70s-80s across West Coast states. Across the Desert Southwest, high temperatures are expected to climb to the 90s, or even the 100s in the hottest locations. The warmth associated with the system is expected to travel east through the week, though it will lose some of it’s oomph (not the most scientific word I’ve ever used, but I think it gets the point across) as it traverses the country, and temperatures are not expected to be quite as anomalously warm in the East.
The GFS forecast model showing a ridge of high pressure building in the West, while a trough of low pressure brings unsettled weather to the Great Lakes region and the Northeast. Credit: Tropical Tidbits READ: The worst cities for allergies, plus how climate change impacts pollen season from The Washington Post.
READ: When a massive iceberg calved, or broke free, from the George VI Ice Shelf in Antarctica in January, scientists took advantage of the opportunity to explore what had been lying beneath. They found a thriving ecosystem that had lived in total darkness - including sea spiders and giant phantom jellies. You can read more from BBC Wildlife - this story blew my mind!
FOR REFERENCE: If you’re also trying to plot out a garden (or if you’re just ready for warmer days), the image below shows the average date of the last spring freeze across the U.S.
Average date of the last spring freeze. Courtesy: Climate.gov
FROM MY KITCHEN
There is a type of fever that has been known to strike in the transition period between winter and spring - not spring fever, but vegetable fever. In case you’ve never heard of it (which you probably haven’t because I just made it up), it’s when the body has an insatiable need for the goodness of freshly harvested vegetables/fruit prior to the aforementioned vegetables/fruits becoming available.
I’ve come down with a serious case of vegetable fever. The winter citrus and squash have been enjoyable, but they’ve run their course. I cannot seem to stop dreaming of farm stands on the side of the road and my weekly CSA haul.
This message is for all of you who have also been stricken by vegetable fever - hang tight! There are signs all around that the long wait is almost over. The spring share of my CSA starts in less than a month, and my mint and chives are starting to poke out of the ground. Warm weather will be here before we know it, and with the warmer weather will come all the veggies/fruits/herbs our hearts could desire! In the meantime, I’ll be baking (as per usual), trying to figure out where in the world we’re going to sow all the seeds my husband ordered for our garden (he may have gone a teensy bit overboard), and enjoying all the little signs of spring around me.
RECIPE INSPIRATION
Something random that’s been bringing me a lot of happiness lately is making small batches of flavored simple syrup at home. Simple syrup is the easiest thing in the world to make - you just combine equal parts water and sugar/honey/sweetener of your choice, bring to a boil, remove from heat, add whatever flavoring you like and allow the flavor to steep. I like to make a cup or so of syrup at a time, then store it in the fridge and use it in 1-2 oz increments throughout the week in lattes, cocktails, or sparkling water. I can’t fully explain my current obsession, but I look forward to my afternoon latte with a little dash of sweet syrup every day!
If you want to hop on the simple syrup train with me, here’s what I’ve been making :)
Vanilla/Cinnamon/Honey Syrup
½ cup honey
½ cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine the honey and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking occasionally, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the cinnamon sticks and allow the mixture to simmer for 5-ish minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool before using or storing in the fridge.
Honey Lavender Syrup
½ cup honey
½ cup water
½ Tbs. dried lavender buds
Combine the honey and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking occasionally, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the lavender buds (I like to put mine in a loose leaf tea bag, but you could also strain them out after steeping with a fine mesh sieve). Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat. Strain out or remove the tea bag of lavender buds, and allow to cool before using or storing in the fridge.
Thanks for making it to the end of the Frost Bites Newsletter! I’ll be back in your inbox next Monday with the weather forecast and recipe suggestions. In the meantime - get outside, eat good food, and remember all weather is ice cream weather.
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I think I got just the right amount of seeds!! Haha