With the first signs of spring, memories of my Gramma working in her garden start to appear. She used to grow all the vegetables for the cooking during the whole year.
Granpa was in charge of doing the preparations of the soil, and Gramma was planning where she'll put this year carotts, where will be tomatoes and where to put rhubarb. Little plants were carefully planted and were standing in her garden like the soldiers in a parade. They were all green and fresh and later when there was more and more sun in the garden, plants were giving that fantastic explosion of colors and taste.
However, my springs were begining with the flowering of one big yellow bush in front of Gramma's kitchen. The light and joy of tiny, little flowers chased off the coldness of the winter and suddenly everything started to look much nicer. I was watching all the spring flowers flowering in Gramma's garden, bringing the whole variety of pink, violet, red, green and yellow colors and perfumes.
Gramma used to cook her fresh veggies, baby carrots and green peas with butter, green beans with creme fraiche, fresh cottage cheese with polenta, lots of fresh salads, like small, red radishes, baby onions, ruccola and horseradish. The kitchen looked like fresh, sunny garden.
First strawberries of the spring were always „booked“ just for me. I love so much strawberries, and my Gramma always had some nice surprise with strawberries for me. I knew that she'll reward me with strawberry muffin, strawberry icecream or simply strawberries with whipped cream.
She used to make preserves from strawberries too. Not only strawberries, but from sweet and sour cherries also.
I loved to watch her filling small glass jars with that sparkling, full of aroma, red preserve and then putting them to shells in her pantry.
Spring, in the whole fullness of colors, was real burst of life after long, cold winter and such a happy time in a kitchen of my Gramma.