Spring: Nature’s New Year

Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Winter in New England is not for the faint of heart. Bitter nights, heavy snow and short gray days settle in for months at a time. Life carries on, but beneath it all we are counting the weeks until daylight lingers a little longer, the air softens and the ground begins to thaw.

Then, almost imperceptibly, the shift begins. Crocuses push through cold soil. Birds return to bare branches. Farmers start warming greenhouses and tuning up tractors. The land remembers itself. Spring is nature’s new year, a season of regrowth, reinvention and quiet optimism.

Eating locally at this moment requires balance. Storage crops and winter roots remain abundant while tender greens emerge, herbs grow under glass and citrus from the West and South brings brightness to the table. Together, these ingredients help us transition—not rushing the season, but welcoming it as it comes.

The recipes that follow live in that in-between space, where winter and spring overlap. They lean on roots and preserved warmth while inviting freshness, color and renewal back into the kitchen.

ORANGE & THYME PICKLED GOLDEN BEETS
Golden beets are sweeter and less earthy than their red counterparts, with a color that glows even after cooking. Pickled with orange and thyme, they brighten winter storage crops with a clear nod toward spring.

Makes 2 pint jars

2 pounds golden beets
2 cups cider vinegar
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs

Boil beets until tender, then cool in an ice bath. Once cool, slip off skins and slice beets ¼ inch thick.

Combine cider vinegar, water, sugar and several thyme sprigs in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Toss sliced beets with orange zest until evenly coated. Place a sprig or 2 of thyme in each of 2 sterilized jars or heatproof containers and add beets.

Stir orange juice into the hot vinegar mixture, then ladle over beets, fully covering them. Cool, then refrigerate. Let sit at least 24 hours before serving.