Spring is here. Asparagus, strawberries, and artichokes become abundant and abundantly beautiful this time of year. Bright fragrant herbs break the soil and pop their tender leaves making for delicious salads, lite soups, and added seasonings to almost anything we cook or bake. Summer will bring a whole host of different fruits and vegetables.

Did you know that there is a season for fish and shellfish? Salmon season runs from May through September. Lobster season is late September through March. We are in the end of Atlantic sea scallop season now. They taste best before summer spawning.

Combining all of nature’s current best gives us the best opportunity to enjoy the moment. I had the pleasure of catering for an intimate dinner party in mid-town Sacramento last evening. Their loves were beef, any seafood, and all things hot and spicy, but didn’t necessarily want Mexican food. That’s when I get excited and my creative juices get flowing.

Starting with a green salad of spring butter greens, tender, but crisp, spring peas, shaved fresh jalapenos, adding roasted beets and roasted carrots and dressed with a cashew sour cream dressing, we moved into a dinner with a sous vide and then seared rib eye, huge and delicious Atlantic scallops finished with a pan sauce of fresh tart cherries, balsamic vinegar, and chipotle adobo peppers with a bit of fresh rosemary and thyme.

The best of Spring was on the plates. There is no reason to fight the seasons for delicious seasonings. It will always taste best, cost less, and be readily available.