Yesterday was one of those magical days that comes about as a result of sublime weather, perfect company, and supremely fresh and simple food. I made my first visit to the Belmont Farmers’ Market in months. Our garden plot has kept us well-fed during the winter months with plenty of greens, so I had no reason to go in search of other vegetables. But Spring has definitely sprung in California, and that means the same thing April has always meant for me here: strawberries! Gorgeous, sweet, red-ripe strawberries, and the season will last until fall. And asparagus. Slender and green, cooked just barely enough, tasting of the goodness of earth – made even more precious because the season for asparagus does not last so long.
I went to the market for strawberries, but of course returned with a full bag of food. Who could resist that asparagus? The leeks were enormous enough to make me laugh, fed as they were by plentiful rains, for a change. And the Russian fingerling potatoes from Capay Organics – there was no way to resist. Well, not if you are at all like me, anyway.
Then off to the sailboat we went, finding warm weather even on the bay! People walking across the Golden Gate Bridge in shorts in April! We stopped to pick up some fresh fish to grill on the boat and some sourdough bread. (My sourdough got tucked into the refrigerator at home to rise slowly until our return – warm weather was calling us out of the house, now!) I roasted the potatoes at 400 degrees with a little olive oil, garlic, and sea salt until tender. The asparagus got the steam treatment until al dente. I made a quick sauce: olive oil, diced garlic, thyme, green onion (the white part only, at first, then the green parts tossed in at the finish), chopped and seeded Roma tomato, salt, a few glugs of champagne, then a bit of butter thrown in to thicken the sauce at the end. The sauce was poured over the fish, while we toasted Spring in all its perfection. The food was so fresh, it needed nothing fancy – no long stewing, no heavy spices, no recipe. The meal ended with those sweet strawberries dipped in creme fraiche. This is sailboat cooking. Spring food. My heart was full of gratitude, for I felt like a king (or queen, as you wish).
The day was so perfect, that as we were leaving, I began to wonder if it was just the champagne giving life that rosy glow. I snapped a picture. No, it wasn’t the champagne. The camera could see it, too!
