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Around March 21

Spring Equinox

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Spring Equinox 
Equinox: the "edge" between night and day,  the northern and southern hemispheres are equally illuminated. 

The word comes from Latin Aequus, meaning "equal", and Nox, meaning "night".

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The spring equinox is often considered a symbol of rebirth and renewal, as it welcomes a season when plants begin to grow and flowers start to once again bloom. In ancient Italy, it was tradition for women to mark the occasion by planting seeds in the gardens of Adonis on this day.

The custom still persists in Sicily. Seeds are like eggs. While eggs contain the promise of new animal life, seeds hold the potential of a new plant. Ladies would filled urns with grain seeds, kept the in the dark and watered them every two days. They plant seeds of grains — lentils, fennel, lettuce or flowers — in baskets and pots. When the plants sprout, the stalks are tied with red ribbons and the bunches are placed on graves on Good Friday.

This symbolizes the triumph of life over death.

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Recipes

Flower Lollipops

Preparation time: 30 minutes 
Servings: 15 lollipops

 

Ingredients
 

  • 225 grs granulated sugar

  • 60 ml water

  • 100 ml glucose

  • lollipop sticks

  • a few drops of your favorite extract

  • edible flowers
     

Directions:

  1. Cut a few edible flowers and clean them to get rid of any bug or dirt.

  2. Mix the sugar, glucose, and water at medium heat, use a pastry brush to get rid of any sugar on the side of the pan. Take out of the fire once the mixture reaches 154ºC.

  3. Add a few drops of extract (I used lavender)

  4. I a prepared tray with a silicone mat or baking paper do a circle with the sugar mixture, put the lollipop stick and the flower and then pour more sugar on top.

  5. You have to be really fast and careful to not burn yourself, I didn’t use a mold, but if you want the perfect round you will need a mold, but it is not necessary.

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Pansy Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:
 

  • 1 1/4 cups flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/2 cup room temperature butter

  • 1/4 tsp vanilla

  • 1 TBS dried egg whites

  • 2TBS  water

  • Pesticide free Pansies or violas


Directions:
 

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  2. Pick flowers, rinse and pat dry. Put on paper towel to finish air drying.

  3. Put flour and sugar in a large bowl. Mix together. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter and vanilla until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together.

  4. Gather up crumbs into a ball and kneed together until smooth.

  5.  Roll out dough just scant of 1/4″ thick. Cut with cookie cutter. I used a fluted  2 1/2″cookie cutter.

  6. Put cookies 2″ apart on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the bottom and sides are just starting to slightly brown and center of top is firm.

  7. Take out of oven and cool on baking sheet. 

  8. Combine dried egg whites and water in small bowl. When cookies are cooled brush egg white mixture on one cookie at a time and top with pansey. Use your fingers to press the pansy down in the middle and smooth out all petals so they are firmly stuck to the cookie. Put a thin layer of egg white mixtrue on top of the pansy and smooth. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Return to parchment lined baking sheet.

  9. Bake at 325 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. With your finger smooth out any petals that have shrivelled up. Set out on a cooling rack until the top of the cookie is completely dry.

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Scotch Eggs

Ingredients:

 

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup finely crushed corn flakes

  • 7 ounces (¾ cup) fresh breakfast sausage, casings removed (if necessary)

  • Vegetable oil (for frying)

  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

  • Mustard

Directions:
 

  1. Place 4 eggs in a small saucepan; add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 3 minutes. Carefully drain, then fill pan with ice water to cool eggs. Gently crack shells and carefully peel under cold running water. Place eggs in a bowl of cold water; cover and chill until cold. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

  2. Place flour in a wide shallow bowl and crushed corn flakes in another wide shallow bowl. Divide sausage into 4 equal portions. Pat 1 portion of sausage into a thin patty over the length of your palm. Lay 1 soft-boiled egg on top of sausage and wrap sausage around egg, sealing to completely enclose. Repeat with remaining sausage and eggs.

  3. Whisk remaining 2 eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Working gently with 1 sausage-wrapped egg at a time, dip eggs into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in egg wash. Roll in corn flakes to coat. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated, uncovered.

  4. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of a large heavy pot. Pour in oil to a depth of 2” and heat over medium heat to 375°. Fry eggs, turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature of 350°, until sausage is cooked through and breading is golden brown and crisp, 5–6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to paper towels to drain. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve warm with mustard.

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