There may be no season as lovingly anticipated as spring, whose arrival is a time for celebration and an inspiration to cook. We've waited months for this moment, when the sun reasserts itself, winter's chill wanes, and farmers' markets begin to deliver on nature's annual promise of spectacular flavors, textures, and colors. From a crisp start to a sweet finish, our springtime menu highlights the best and brightest from the farm stand: French Breakfast and Easter Egg radishes, globe artichokes, young peas and their tender shoots, firm green asparagus, and new potatoes. Its centerpiece is a succulent braised lamb. When the raw materials are this alluring, they invite us to gather for a meal -- the finest rite of spring we know.
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