5.30.14 May Hot Links (& a Creature Feature)

Fawn 790 xxx
photo by george billard (others by gluttonforlife)
We drove over the Delaware River to Pennsylvania last weekend for a wild foods dinner at a friend's house (read all about it here) and on a pre-dinner stroll through the lush forest came upon this newborn fawn in all its vulnerable perfection. This incomparable moment of woodland beauty brought tears to my eyes. The mother, scared off by our approach, had run away, leaving this tiny creature curled up under some ferns to await her return. We kept our distance, but G tiptoed just close enough to get this sweet portrait.

Despite mainly cool temperatures, spring has finally arrived upstate and we are surrounded by the tender green of new life at long last. My tree peony has bloomed and the irises are about to pop. The hummingbirds have returned to the feeder and the yard is full of catbirds, whose glorious song never ceases to amaze. (Listen to an example, below.) A bear touched its nose to the screen on the window behind our bed where a birdfeeder hangs, instantly rousing us from sleep. We found our first morel, our first ramp and our first fiddleheads ever! Nature is suddenly full of food. 

Scroll down to see some photos from my Instagram feed (follow along @LauraSilverman) that capture the recent state of my world, and keep going to discover the latest links I've been saving for you.
Morel sized 790 xxx
holy grail
Every spring I look for morels and then, suddenly, one appeared! We ate it for dinner that night as a butter-soaked garnish atop a dish of pasta with nettles, ramps and fiddleheads. Delicious.
Nest 790 xxx
a tiny nest, possibly from a vireo
Ramps 790 xxx
ramps on the woodland floor
Violets 790 xxx
japanese knotweed and violets
Fiddleheads 790 xxx
fiddleheads from ostrich ferns
Spruce tips 790 xxx
young spruce tips (tangy and full of vitamin C)
Oysters 790 xxx
lilies of the valley, oyster mushrooms & lilacs


The legendary New York bookstore Kitchen Arts & Letters at last has an online shop

Did you know it's possible to be online without seeing ads?

Check out this lovely shop (and site) from Poland

Exactly what we all want to eat right about now

This no-cook tomato sauce looks promising, too

And how to make the ultimate mojito from a mixology master

If this doesn't make you want to garden, I don't know what will

The incredibly talented catbird sounds off

I am obsessed with LA forager Pascal Baudar - check out his fruit fly vinegar

Diana Kennedy, still sharp as a tack

Why good old-fashioned reading (as opposed to skimming & surfing) is a good thing

What to substitute for those astronomically expensive limes

GFL gets a little love from designer Rebecca Taylor

Such a moving blog about family, love, loss & memory

An informative look at sourcing ingredients

Absurd and good for a laugh


HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND, MY DARLINGS! xoxo

 
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3 Comments

Such beautiful photos! I especially love the first one of the fawn! Great links, I like the Polish shop!
Librarian Lavender on May 30, 2014 at 1:36 pm —
Great article about sourcing ingredients! Thanks for sharing!
Diane on May 31, 2014 at 8:47 am —
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Ashley on June 5, 2014 at 5:55 pm —