the first fresh herbs from my 2008 garden

The first handful of herbs

Last night my backyard smelled like mint and lilacs. I walked barefoot to the garden and plucked the year's first handful of herbs. Mint, oregano, and parsley. My old friends. How I've missed you.

Time was I wouldn't have listed any of these three on my list of favorite herbs. I guess growing up isn't so bad after all. Mint, oregano, parsley. They remember the bitterness of winter and carry the flash of spring. There will be time for soft, round sweetness later. For now I need to wake up, press my nose into a handful of earth and green, come alive.

Old friends were everywhere this week.

I've been down with strep and fever, and if I ever needed a reason to live here it may be my friend Anne.

Mint, parsley, and oregano

When I was drooling and puking my way through a twin pregnancy a few years ago, she had me and my toddler-age son over to her house every Wednesday afternoon "to play."

Playing meant that Anne let me stumble to her back room and sleep while she watched my son and prepared dinner for her family and mine. When my husband arrived from work, we would gather around the table at her house and eat. Then she would pack enough leftovers for another meal the next day. She did this week in and week out. Always with her quiet laugh and a Minnesota shrug, like this normal, like people do this all the time. Yeah right.

Well I don't know how Anne knew I was sick this week, but suddenly there was a spanakopita at my door.

Sapakopita
Flaky and light, earthy and, best of all, easy to swallow. It was enough for three days of meals. Last night we finished it with a salad topped with the fresh herbs from the garden. Mint, oregano, and parsley. Old friends, every one of them.

posted May 8, 2008 | link | comments (5)

filed under: Ingredients, albany, Fresh herbs, mint, ny, old friends, oregano, parsley

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Comments

Hi Celina,
Hope you are feeling better!! Another great story!

- by Linda Kindlon on May 10, 2008 at 9:37 PM | link

How about giving us the spanikopita recipe?

- by Tamara on May 15, 2008 at 3:52 PM | link

I will ask my friend Anne for the recipe she used. It was different from the spanikopita I usually make (out of my head and memories of my grandma Bella.) Next time I make it I will try and get a recipe out of it.

- by celinabean on May 15, 2008 at 5:28 PM | link

I've asked Anne for more details, but for now ...she used the recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook (the one with dill in it.)

But if I know Anne, she probably started with that recipe and then adapted it to however she was feeling and whatever was in her fridge. I'll ask for more details.

As a side note, I had a halfway decent spanakopita at Yanni's in New Paltz this weekend. The filo layers were a little tough, but it wasn't bad. But while I was there, I noticed they have a special menu of traditional Greek dishes. They are mostly vegetable dishes prepared in a very authentic way. (The menu is separate from their regular menu, I wasn't offered this one. I had to ask to see it.) The dishes are really authentic (haven't tasted these flavors since I was in Greece). I had the green beans -- roma green beans in olive oil and a little tomato. It was delicious. I would go back and just order from that menu next time. Hopefully I can go with several people so we could sample many of the dishes. There was eggplant, stuffed cabbage, fava beans and many others. Everything was in the $5 range.

- by celinabean on May 19, 2008 at 5:43 PM | link

Thanks for asking her - The Moosewood recipe is the only one I have ever made - I can try using Anne's herb suggestions. Do you have any other favorite recipes using fresh herbs?

- by Tamara on May 27, 2008 at 1:10 PM | link

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