in Just- spring (onions)

I don't really like it, but I have to in the play because I'm a scallion.
C.J.

in Just- spring when the world is mudluscious some of the best onions begin to sprout from their bulbs and the chefs come dancing in from

far and wee

to use them in creations for us all to enjoy. They are all members of the perennial flowering family Alliaceae, genus allium, which includes onions, garlic, shallots, leeks and chives. The scallion seems to have originated in the Philistine town of Ascalon, modern day Ashkelon in Israel, written about as the askolonion by the Greek botanist and disciple of Plato and Aristotle, Theophrastus. In the Carolinas and up the Appalachians, we are blessed with wonderful wild ramps, their purple-tinged stalks, broad green leaves and garlicky pungency for robust flavor during the short spring season. There is a scallion/shallot controversy/parapraxis: I contend in the stage where the cook is not discerning any sprouted onion will do, then he will often say scallion meaning “green onion“, though there are many wonderful varieties and nuances among the plethora of magical shoots; when looking for a sweeter, milder, light purplish onion bulb, then you want. a shallot. Another great onion whose reputation for sprouted spring flavor is the sweet Vidalia onion from Georgia; some say the flavor is so mild it can be eaten like fruit so enjoy its tang in dishes that relish sweetness. A popular variety of spring onion in Europe, the “Welsh” onion, known as the ciboulette in French and the Schnittzwiebel in Germany, isn’t Welsh but actually derives from the Old English welisc or Old German welsche which both mean “foreign”. This onion ranges in size from large chives to small leeks and can grow to have a golden puff of a flower on top. Leeks, as most often devoured, generally mature after spring and form more of a sheath than a bulb - which I find more onionesque, bub.
“Russians will consume marinated mushrooms and vodka, salted herring and vodka, smoked salmon and vodka, salami and vodka, caviar on brown bread and vodka, pickled cucumbers and vodka, cold tongue and vodka, red beet salad and vodka, scallions and vodka-anything and everything and vodka.” Hedrick Smith

There’s a fungus among us...

Nature alone is antique and the oldest art a mushroom." Thomas Carlyle

There’s a fungus among us. We love ‘em, inexcusably so. And have since before the pharaoh’s declared that commoners were unfit to consume them. Hunting for and eating wild mushrooms is not unlike playing Russian Roulette: of the more than 2000 known species and cultivars, fewer than 5% are safe to consume, many are lethal to the touch.
They are neither plant nor animal, they are fungi, the root word has commonality with function – to perform. And perform they do. Many forms explode from nothingness to somethingness overnight. They host on other living or formerly living entities to decompose them by digesting their food externally and absorbing the nutrients through their cells. They are the subjects of mythology and lore: they impart superhuman powers and immortality to Mario and Luigi, are aphrodisiacs, home to Smurfs and are enjoyed by hobbits and humans alike. Among the most popular are the Agaricus, or button shaped, criminis, which grow into portabellas, shitakes, oysters, enokis, chanterelles, lobsters, morels, cepes or porcinis or boletus, depending on where you reside are but a few. The National Park Service makes some interesting distinctions: shelf fungi sprout from tree bark, mushrooms sprout up from the ground, and truffles bear fruit underground. Wherever they come from, it won’t kill you to try a new one, uh after some one else tries it first.

I’m just some lunatic macaroni mushroom, is that it? Tommy DeVito


Festivals:
The Mushroom Festival Chester Co. Pa. http://www.mushroomfestival.org/
Texas Mushroom Festival Madisonville, Tx. http://www.texasmushroomfestival.com/
Morel Festival Boyne City, Mi. http://www.morelfest.com/

Alike as 2 peas in a pod...

How luscious lies the pea within the pod. Emily Dickinson

As alike as two peas in a pod… or are they? The Augustinian abbot Gregor Mendel utilized his garden peas to begin the scientific study of genetics, which helps us understand differences as well as similarities. Peas are among the oldest foods known to man, carbon dating of a find in the “Spirit Cave” on the Thai-Myanmar border have been carbon-dated to nearly 10,000 B.C. The word pea has Sanskrit origins and thrives in the cool mountain climates of the region. Most peas prefer cooler climates, though some like the chickpea don’t mind the heat. The pea must be replanted annually from its seeds for it has only a one-year life cycle. Most edible peas derive from the species pisum sativum or pisum hortensus - the garden pea - of which there are several hundred varieties. There are some that are so tender they can be eaten pod and all, such as sugar snaps and snow peas; others are best shelled like English peas. According to Waverly Root, the smaller and sleazier looking the peas, the sweeter and more delicious it will be. In the Southern U.S., we enjoy many types of “field peas” which are usually shelled and run the rainbow in colors and patterns, like black-eyed and Mississippi purple peas. At Monticello, Jefferson grew more than 30 varieties. In China, pea shoots are greatly appreciated, as is the wasabi in zesty sauce. Few curried dishes would be complete without peas. Nutritionally, peas are a good carbo energy source, low in fats and high in fiber.
“Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me.” Lord Chesterfield

Festivals:

Purple Hull and Tiller Race http://www.purplehull.com/
Black-eyed Pea Jamboree http://texaslesstraveled.com/blackeyedpea.htm