Spring in Oklahoma

Howdy y'all!
Well, it turns out spring in Oklahoma is quite lovely. It also happens to be tornado season. Who would think tornados have a season, like tomatoes or asparagus? People here watch the Doppler radar this time of year like a soap opera. For the first time ever I got to evacuate at work to a "safe room" because of tornado warnings. Spring here means the most spectacular thunderstorms & rain; we are in the middle of a 4-day stretch of storms right now. Last night the thunder was so loud I woke up at 2 am thinking something in the house had crashed. It kept waking me up the rest of the night. Other than my poor old dog having a minor nervous breakdown over the thunder, we've haven't had any damage. Some of the impact nearby has been quite spectacular though, esp. in Sweetwater and just north over the Kansas border in Greensburg. That poor town looks wiped out.

But of all the seasons here, spring here is my favorite, besides the tornadic thunderstorms and 30-40-50+ mph winds. Days are in the 70's and 80's, & the mosquitoes aren't out in full force yet, so you can actually stand to be outside. It's gorgeous & green right now from all the rain we've had. Flocks of migratory birds have returned for summer--blue jays, kingbirds, robins, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, scissortailed fly catchers (the Oklahoma state bird that will be gracing the back of our new state quarter). They are furiously nesting, pairing off, hunting and staking out their territories. I have a marvelous time watching them, esp. the kingbirds that hunt and catch bugs in mid-air. Our farms-turning-to-subdivisions community still has fields of wheat planted all around; right now it is hip-high & dark glossy green, but the tops are just beginning to turn yellow. The roads I walk on here wind through wheat & hay fields, past wetlands & a small river, so I see all kinds of wild activity out on my walks: snakes, turtles, cattle and great egrets, herons, etc.

The growing season here is already well underway, so spring also means fresh food! A trip to the OSU-OKC farmer's market Saturday really made my weekend. It was SO MUCH FUN! Even if you're not a tree hugger like me, it's worth going for the spectacularly good food. If like most of us you've been raised on grocery store produce , the difference in flavor is ASTOUNDING. The asparagus I bought was BY FAR the best i've ever had. I sauteed it w/some freshly picked onions & parsley, a hothouse tomato, & then tossed it w/some fresh linguine. That w/a grating of parmesan & drizzle of olive oil was a simple yet divine spring dinner. The spinach I sauteed tonite with just a sprinkle of salt & tiny dab of butter. Even 3 days after picking it was sweet and flavorful w/none of the strong, bitter overtones of storebought spinach.

Besides vegetables, there was homemade soap & candles, local honey, bread and baked goods, & the most spectacular orchids. My favorite local rancher w/grass-fed organic beef, Cattle Tracks, was there. A fabulous local dairy, Wagon Creek Creamery, had the most amazing yogurt cheese. Sadly they were sold out of yogurt already, but I did get some of their fresh cream & ricotta . We used the cream that night to make fresh vanilla ice cream The ricotta is destined to be be mixed with fresh herbs to make homemade ravioli one night this week. That drizzled with a little sauce from vine-ripened tomatoes will be a spectacular dinner. I think even the kids might eat it (if not, well then, more for me)! Pretty soon the peaches, strawberries & pecans will be in season, & the kitchen will be taken over for a weekend of jam-making and canning. I'll put my fork down now to say if you get a chance to visit your local farmer's market this month & support your local food growers, I highly recommend it (burrrrrppp!!)

Hope you're enjoying a beautiful spring! xoxo,

Layla