Easter Dinner thoughts....

I love Easter for oh so many reasons, and food is high on the list. World famous rolls are, of course, included, but more on that later. First I want to discuss that underrated item, the side dish. So neglected, or relegated to gooey concoctions of marshmallows or canned soup and weird fried onion bits we would never dream of serving them any other time of the year, but somehow feel honor bound to foist them on our loved ones at holidays in the name of "tradition". Bah!
I say screw the traditions, let's eat good food!!! Seasonal, fresh, simply prepared, and delicious, if I do say so. What do you suggest, one might ask?

Asparagus Tips with Lemon
Choose very young, small asparagus tips, about 1 lb, and use immediately. Rinse gently, pat dry. Bend the stalks to break off the tips- where they naturally break is where they stop being tender. Throw the bottom half into your compost bin.
Heat 2-3 TBS of olive oil in a heavy saute pan, over medium heat. Toss in the asparagus tips, along with a few pinches of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Heat for a few minutes, keeping the tips moving at all times. Add 4-5 slices of fresh lemon, and the juice of 1/2 of the lemon. Just before serving add a tablespoon of vegan or real butter and toss again.

Redskin potatoes with garlic and dill-
Boil 2 lb of redskin new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces, in salted water, for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain, toss with vegan butter, 1-2 TBS minced garlic, 1-2 TBS dill, sea salt and pepper to taste. Mash slightly, if desired.

Spring peas-
Choose nice, firm, filled pods- and shell them immediately. Rinse the peas, and add to a pot with just enough water to not quite cover them. Add a few pinches off sea salt, some fresh ground pepper, and some vegan butter. Fresh peas need nothing else- don't sully the flavor!

Carrots-
Carrots are sweet enough on their own, so I do not want to even consider a glaze. And I HATE mushy carrots! I like to choose the multi colored ones, slice them into rounds, and then just saute them slightly- maybe with some lemon to balance the sweet.

So as soon as I find some batteries for my camera..... step by step instructions on ROLLS!!!!!!!!