by Estela Dela Fuente

Created on: May 08, 2008

Winters can be hard in Arkansas. The last official day for a hard freeze is May 1. But long before May 1, we began to see signs that life is returning to earth. The forsythias bloom first, their bright yellow flowers herald spring even when the temperatures are in the low 20's and nothing else seems alive. Next come the crocuses and daffodils. The white and pink dogwoods bloom in unexpected places, as do the redbuds, which grow wild in Arkansas. I look at my garden, but all I see are dead leaves, dry mulch, and the brown stems of perennials. The only herb in my garden that shows any signs of having survived the winter is a large rosemary bush that grows in the one spot in the flower bed that gets sunshine both in both winter and summer. The rosemary has been there a long time, and most of its branches have old leathery leaves that don't have much fragrance or taste.

But in the spring, new branches and new leaves appear on the rosemary, and as I brush against it on the way to the mailbox, the fresh aroma of rosemary lets me know that now is the time to serve rosemary potatoes. I boil new red potatoes without peeling them. I choose the smallest ones I can get, the smaller the better. After they are boiled, I cut them in half or in quarters, depending on their size. What I'm after is a bite-sized piece of potato. I put a couple of tablespoons of real butter in a skillet and I put in a tablespoon or so of fresh garlic into the butter, heating it until the garlic turns a little opaque and releases its fragrance into the kitchen. I take fresh rosemary sprigs and chop off the needle-like leaves; I discard the stems and woody pieces, and throw the leaves into the garlic-butter mixture. I stir this for a minute or so, then add the boiled potato pieces. I make sure the potatoes get coated in the rosemary-infused butter, and serve the potatoes as a side dish. If I want the potatoes as part of a single-dish meal, I will use them in a nicoise salad, tossing them into a bowl of greens along with Greek-style black olives, slices of grilled fresh tuna steak, tomatoes, steamed green beans, capers, and sliced boiled eggs. I dress the whole in oil and vinegar and serve it with a crusty artisan bread and a crisp white wine. Ahhh, spring is definitely on the way!

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