A Taste of Spring

It was cool and damp for two days but spring returned yesterday afternoon and today promises to be even better.  The flowering crab apple tree in the yard where the squirrels tend to hang out is in full bloom, as witnessed by the photo above.

Last night there were four, large day boat scallops from the east coast.  They were dried, seasoned and then seared quickly on each side in some butter and olive oil.  When they were warmed through they were removed from the heat and some lemon juice and lemon zest added to the butter in the pan.  As soon as that reduced to a glaze it was poured over the scallops.  Simple and delicious.

It would be a hard choice for my favorite spring wine, Chablis or German Riesling. Last night we went with the Chablis, a 2007 Vincent Mothe.  There was citrus, apples, some crisp pear in the nose.  Full bodied, yet steely and full of minerals.  The fruit was well balanced by the other parts of this wine.  It finished crisp, refreshing and tasting of spring.  At $18 a bottle a true bargain.  There are two more in the cellar, and a couple bottles of Mothe's Grand Crus Bougros.  I'll wait a couple years on the grand crus, but I'm not sure the other two will last until summer.

All chardonnay should taste this good.