Edible Delmarva: Spring 2021
Has there ever been a Spring more eagerly anticipated than this one?
As we dream of warmer weather and more daylight, of outdoor dining and abundant farmers markets, this year there’s an extra layer of hopeful anticipation as we long to reconnect with our families, our friends, and our communities.
To get an early start on the season, foraging for fiddleheads and dandelion greens is well worth the effort, and learning where the local spots are (and trying to remember them!) can yield some of the best dishes to start the season. This is also a great time to enjoy the warmer days by making time for a picnic lunch, with our helpful guide to takeout options and beautiful park settings across northern Delaware.
Our cover story celebrates local start-up The Cinnamon Bun Exchange, launched by two friends early in the pandemic, which found love and success serving up sweet relief to essential workers. With renewed optimism and a mission for building community, they’re looking ahead to what’s next as demand grows across the region for their beyond-delicious buns.
Few names are more iconic in our business than Jacques Pépin, who was so generous with his time in sharing insights from his latest cookbook, Quick & Simple, with an energy that belied his 85 years. His return to a focus on the simple foods and techniques of his early years, seasoned by decades of experience in kitchens around the world, is just what we need right now. We were so sad to learn that his wife of nearly 55 years, Gloria, passed away just a few weeks after he spoke with us. Jacques and his family are all in our thoughts.
Local writer and photographer Jenna Chapman has a way of getting right to the heart of the matter with her personal essays and evocative photos. In this issue, she shares how caring for horses at a local farm brought home, in a very tangible way, the transformative healing of caring for something larger than yourself, trusting in the power of silent communication, and nurturing the seeds of dreams that come from taking time to just breathe.
There is a comfort in knowing that the calendar marches forward one day at a time, in blissful oblivion to the chaos and uncertainty of the outside world. The sun rises and sets, the tides ebb and flow, the land warms and awakens.
So as spring moves across our region, and we joyously return to the work of rekindling our relationships and reconnecting our communities, we celebrate the imagination and inspiration that mark this season of renewal and rebirth and are grateful for the fresh, abundant feast that is Delmarva.
