This week at les collines, spring has been ramping up…yeah, a partial pun as ramps are locally coming in, though not yet in the les collines repertoire! Anyways, spring is in the air, broke 70 here today, the buds are close to popping– those that survived the cold snap and snow two weeks ago, at least. Fingers crossed for the apples and all other affected crops.
We are still quite a ways out from local rhubarb, our first spring fruit, coming in. But in the kitchen this week, a few lasts-of for their seasons: summer 2015 Shiro and red sugar plum juices combined for a new favorite color and flavor, 
and, the last of autumn 2015’s beautiful quince juice for that very special quince jelly. Also a batch of Meyer lemon rosemary jelly that almost wasn’t– a close call with near burning after the second sugar addition and a moment’s near catastrophic distraction, yee gads– and, another thankfully event-free batch of sour cherry preserve. The plums and the sour cherries from wonderful Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook; the quince from individual sources in Berkshire County, MA and Dutchess County, NY.
We are looking forward to a week of several near 70’s days, buds opening to flowers and more and more bird songs in the dawn hour. And hoping from here on out for only good news for our local farmers and orchards xo