Seasonal Pantry: Spring flavors can pull you out of a rut Seasonal Pantry: Spring flavors can pull you out of a rut

At the Sebastopol farmers market last week, I saw the first of the season's cucumbers, nibbled my first strawberry of the year and returned home with two bags of fresh favas, a bag of English peas, nearly a dozen little Tom Thumb lettuces and new garlic, plump and juicy. It is the delicate season, a time of year when cooking is or should be light and easy, with simple techniques that reflect the harvest's delicacy.

Eggs and local dairy products are lovely right now, too, as chickens, goats, sheep and cows graze on spring pastures.

If you've been in a rut, cooking the same dishes week in and week out, now may be the best time to step out of your comfort zone, as spring's flavors and textures don't need much manipulation. First, take a look at your pantry, by which I mean where you keep your staples, everything from salt, pepper, spices and condiments to rice, pasta, beans and homemade stocks. Replace old spices, replenish other staples, make sure you have an ultra-premium olive oil or two on hand and embrace spring with simple salads, soups and sandwiches, delicate pastas and risottos and that simplest of all desserts, strawberries in their own juices.

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This is one of those pasta dishes that doesn't really need a recipe, especially if you are on good terms with the season's harvest and have a well-stocked pantry. Vegetarians can simply omit the soppressata and still have a delicious dish.

Spring Pasta with Favas and Cream

Serves 2 to 3, easily doubled

4-5 ounces dried pasta, a medium-sized shape (not strands)

— Kosher salt

½ cup heavy cream

4-5 slices of soppressata or other Italian salami, cut in thin julienne, optional

1 cup blanched and peeled fava beans

2-3 ounces cheese of choice (see Note below)

— Flake salt

2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives, torn spearmint or chopped Italian parsley

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until it is just done. Drain but do not rinse it.

While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, put the cream into a medium bowl, add the soppressata or other salami, if using, and the cheese, season with several turns of black pepper, stir gently and set aside.

When the pasta has been drained, add it to the bowl and toss over and over until the pasta is coated with the cream and cheese. Season with a little salt, scatter the chives, mint or parsley on top and enjoy right away.

Note: Use a delicate cheese in this dish. Cowgirl Creamery's St. Pat is perfect, as is Bleating Heart Shepherdista, Bellwether Farms San Andreas and Vella Mezzo Secco. Drunken Goat, which is widely available, works beautifully in this dish. too.

Variation: Use roasted asparagus, cut into 1-inch diagonal slices, or blanched English peas in place of the favas.

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This dish is best made when you have leftover risotto; whenever I make it, I always make more than I will serve at a single meal. It doesn't take any more time and you'll be thrilled to have it on hand. Some people will argue that risotto does not come under the umbrella of simple cooking, but I disagree. Once you get the hang of it, you shouldn't even need a recipe. It is also a very relaxing way to spend the 20 minutes or so it takes to make it.

Spring Risotto Cakes with Poached Eggs and Warm Fava Vinaigrette

Serves 3 to 4

— Warm Shallot Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

2-3 cups leftover risotto (see Note, below)

1 farm egg, beaten

½ cup all-purpose flour

— Kosher salt

— Black pepper in a mill

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

3-4 large farm eggs

— Butter

3-4 lemon wedges

Make the vinaigrette and set it aside.

Put the risotto into a medium bowl, add the egg and mix well. Divide it into 6 or 8 even mounds and shape each one into a ball.

Put the flour into a small but wide bowl and season with salt and pepper. Roll each risotto ball in the flour and transfer to a plate or piece of wax paper.

Fill a small saucepan two-thirds full with water, add the vinegar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat so that the water barely simmers. Break an egg into a small bowl.

Melt enough butter in a heavy skillet to coat the bottom of the pan. When it is hot and foamy, add some of the risotto balls, being careful not to crowd them. Use a metal spatula to gently press each one until it is about ¾ inch thick. Cook until golden brown, turn and cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to individual plates and keep warm.

Working quickly, increase the heat under the water to medium and carefully tip in an egg. Break a second egg into the bowl. Cook the egg for 2 minutes and use a slotted spoon to lift it out, shake off excess water and set it on top of one of the risotto cakes. Continue until all the eggs have been poached.

Spoon vinaigrette — reheating it, if necessary — over each portion, season with salt and pepper, garnish with lemon wedges and enjoy right away.

Note: A simple white risotto is perfect for this dish. If you need a recipe, visit 'Eat This Now' at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com, where I've posted several variations.

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Warm Fava Vinaigrette

Makes about ¾ cups

— Olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

1 spring garlic cloves, minced

— Kosher salt

½ cup blanched and peeled fava beans

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

— Black pepper in a mill

1 teaspoon fresh snipped chives

Pour a little olive oil into a small saute pan set over medium-low heat, add the shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Season with salt.

Add the favas, lemon juice and olive oil; heat through but do not let the mixture boil. Stir, taste and correct for acid and salt and season with several turns of black pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chives. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to serve.

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Simple Spring Sandwiches

Served open-faced or closed, for breakfast, lunch, dinner or late-night snack, simple sandwiches are a great way to enjoy spring's harvest. These are some of my favorite combinations. I typically use a local hearth bread and have a strong preference for sourdough, but you should use whatever bread you like best.

– Whole milk ricotta cheese (preferably from Bellwether Farms), lemon zest, ultra-premium extra virgin olive oil, black pepper in a mill.

– Thick whole-milk yogurt with thinly sliced cucumbers and snipped chives.

– Creme fraiche, thinly sliced radishes, flake salt, black pepper

– Best-quality local butter, thinly sliced sweet onion, flake salt, black pepper

– Creme fraiche, blanched and peeled favas, minced clove of spring garlic, drizzle of ultra-premium extra virgin olive oil, such as DaVero or Terra Savia, flake salt

– Old-fashioned-style cream cheese or whole milk ricotta, thinly sliced strawberries, light drizzle of balsamic vinegar, several turns of black pepper.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 19 books to date, including the new 'More Than Meatballs.' Email Jordan at catsmilk@sonic.net. You'll find her blog, 'Eat This Now,' at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.