MENU FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 5, 2010

This Easter Season has been unusually – and happily – warm with temperatures in the high 70s. My own daffodils are flourishing (I can’t do tulips here because the herds of deer in the area consider them salad). The fruit trees are bursting with color and we are starting to see signs of other foliage.

Good news/bad news. The birds (yes, robins too) are back. The bad news is that a beautiful cardinal has found himself into my garage.  Way up in the rafters where we can’t get to him, he is repeatedly flying into a window way up there (why there is a window way up there is another question…) At the moment, I have the garage door open and the outside flood light on, hoping it the light will attract him as it grows darker inside.  At least this is the country – there w as the time when we were living in Park Slope in Brooklyn when a crow somehow got down the chimney.  One can imagine how I felt having to call my husband (then with one of the three networks) and leave a message that he had a damned crow flying around our living room. In Brooklyn!

Last week I found lettuce seedlings on sale and finished hardening them off.  They are in their pots near the kitchen door waiting for me.  As quite a few were of a good size, I should be able to start picking off leaves by next week.  Now that’s Spring!

Mon.           Pan Sautéed Perch with Lemon

                   Fresh Pasta with French Tomato Sauce

                   Sautéed Zucchini 

Tues.           Easter Turkey Dinner Revisited 

Weds.        Grilled Pork and Mushroom Marinated Skewers RG 148

                   Lebanese Couscous Risotto with Asparagus, Carrots, Green

                   Beans and Red Peppers BA 4/95 

Thurs.         Pasta Shells with Turkey Cranberry Sausages, Red Onions,

                   Red Peppers and Fresh Basil

                   Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Lemon

                   French Bread 

Fri.              Shabu-Shabu Fondue

                   (Japanese One Pot with Beef Fillet, Napa Cabbage, Bean Sprouts,

                     Tofu, Radishes – etc)

                   Steamed Rice

                   Sesame Dipping Sauce

                   Tossed Salad with Ginger Dressing 

Sat.             Grilled Shrimp Marinated in White Wine

                   Grilled Chicken with Red Wine Marinade RG

                   Red Potato Salad with Black Olives BA 6/99 116

                   Tossed Salad 

Sun.            Patricia Wells’ Capanata with Fresh Roasted Tortilla Chips PWT 9

                   Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Hoisin and Balsamic

                       Vinegar CJ 170

                    Loaves and Fishes Orange Rice Salad with Dried Cranberries

                   Sautéed Cucumbers with Sesame

Cookie of the Week:  Ginger Snaps