You might think that celebrating Grandma Erminia–my family’s most impressive matriarch by all accounts–would be a daunting task. On the contrary, it’s the simplest things that make Grandma the happiest. If she can get the family around the table for some palacinke, Grandma is in her glory! She likes to count how many palacinke the kids can eat, and the higher the number, the happier she is. Grandma used to make them for me and my brother, and now it’s her grandchildren who line up to devour each one as it comes off the pan. (Click here for the recipe!)

Mother’s Day aside, I have been thinking a lot about my family since beginning my spring live tour. We taped some wonderful interviews with my mother for the show, and the stories she shares bring me back Busoler, where I spent a lot of my childhood with my grandmother, Nonna Rosa. Nonna Rosa’s relationship with the land and the food she put on the table planted the seed for my passion for food that eventually grew into my life’s work. I like to think of the live show as a small gesture of thanks to Nonna Rosa. If you’re in Pittsburgh; Rochester; or Morristown, NJ, I hope to see you and your own family there.

A favorite photo of my mother from some years ago

Thanks to a very mild winter, most of the artichokes survived and have begun producing. The small, delicate heads will be great shaved raw into a salad. The radishes on the other hand got a very late start so I don’t have big hopes for them.

I’m looking forward to watching the uneaten leeks from last year flower–I always leave some for just that purpose.  The sclopit, another early riser, has gone to flower as well. The walking onions, also known as Egyptian onions, are about to begin their walk.  You can see the onion bulbs forming on the top of the plant.  When they become heavy, they fall over and begin a new plant, walking (as it were) across the garden.  The bulblets are very strong (almost too strong), but I use the greens as scallions all year long; they’re one of the first beautiful green things to pop out of the ground–sometimes when we still have snow!

The Swiss Chard wintered over nicely and I have been using it in soups.  This year I am trying a new variety that has thick, wide stalks that should be delicious braised and then grilled. I’ve finally pulled up the last of the cool weather salad greens planted at the end of last summer. New greens for late spring and summer have been planted, but in new locations so the soil doesn’t become depleted of nutrients.  Many salad greens will tolerate some shade, and when the summer temperatures arrive, they seem to last longer and taste better in the cooler microclimates (the shady spots).  I love arugula, but it goes to seed as soon as it heats up here.  I find that the wild varieties of arugula (arugula selvatica) are much more tolerant of our Kansas City summers, so I’ve planted both to extend my arugula season.

I have planted seeds of zucchini, borage, carrots and a few early beans. Red Noland, Kennebec and Blue potatoes (the purple potatoes were inspired by a beautiful octopus salad I had dining at Felidia) have been in the ground a few weeks and are growing vigorously. The early heat inspired me to buy a few plants, especially many varieties of peppers and eggplants. More on those when we get closer to summer.

Fruit in a small garden isn’t as impossible as one would think. The rhubarb has been producing steadily and makes an easy warm topping for ice cream. I also use it to make a chutney that I preserve to go with my winter time Bollito Misto. Yesterday, I noticed the first strawberry beginning to turn red, and the blueberries, planted last spring, are covered with tiny little berries, but I don’t know if the squirrels will get them before we do. The plum trees (yellow Shiro and red Santa Rosa) are covered with fruit preserving season coming soon.

Back to gardening… and cooking!

Cody

Walking Onion

Potatoes

Garlic

Artichoke

Want more stories from Lidia’s childhood in Italy? Hear them LIVE in Morristown, Rochester, and Pittsburgh this spring! Details and tickets here!

Ruth claimed that her mother was the world’s worst cook, but Miriam Reichl’s Corned Beef Ham proves otherwise. I know some of you might be thinking, but you can’t eat ham on Passover! Fear not; “ham” describes a cut of meat from the thigh of a hind leg of any animal, not necessarily a pig. Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

Join Lidia at Passover! Stream Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables and Traditions on PBS.com!

Ready for more? Lidia Celebrates America: Something Borrowed, Something New premiers on April 17th! Check local listings here.

If you don’t have your own garden, head to a farmers market or a grocery store with good local produce. What’s growing now? The answer to that question will always inspire a tasty menu.

Orrechiette with Artichokes and Bacon

Italians have endless ways to enjoy artichokes, but I love them in this pasta dish with a little bacon added, a perfect harmony.

Lamb Chops with Olives

This is a lovely, careful way to prepare thick lamb chops-quite different from the usual fast grilling approach-and it makes them extraordinarily flavorful and tender. Keep in mind that you can also use lamb shoulder chops; they wouldn’t be quite as amazingly tender as loin or rib chops, but they would be delicious (and cost a lot less).

Asparagus Gratin with Parmigiano-Reggiano

There is no difficult technique involved in making this dish, it is just a simple and great classical Italian dish.

Swiss Chard Potatoes

If you overestimate and end up with leftovers, this dish is great reheated. It’s also easy to prepare in advance to save you time when your company arrives.

Vegetarians coming for Easter? Whip up one of my favorites: Asparagus Scallion Frittata

Perhaps most importantly, I like to make this delicious Delizia Napoletana for dessert.

Buona Pasqua!

“Dove non entra il sole, entra il medico.”

“Places where the sun does not enter, the doctor does.” When we where children Nonni was always pushing outside.  The sun and fresh air would be our savior, she told us.  She also always opened up all the windows to let air and sunlight in.

“Now is the time when I start to get really excited about cooking.  My April garden already has fava beans (started inside in January), all kinds of baby greens like the chicory that Grandma plants (Zuccherina di Trieste), arugula, dandelions, Minutina, spinach (planted last fall), and Swiss Chard.  The radishes are just days from picking and wild fennel sprouts promise that I’ll have the seasoning that I love for the perfect porchetta later this summer.  The beet and turnip greens are up, so if I can’t wait for the roots, I can always start cooking with the greens.  Our warm spring has encouraged me to start a number of things that I would normally wait a little longer to put in the ground like carrots, cardons, and potatoes. Now is the time to start warm season plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant indoors (if you can).  With all of these great ingredients to look forward to, I know–weather willing–that I have three good seasons of cooking to come.”

If you’re in the KC area, be sure to pick up a copy of SPACES Magazine to read more about Cody and his delicious spring garden cooking!

Looking for seeds near KC? Cody loves GrowItalian.com, which specializes in Italian seeds.