At the end of the month, we snipped every peony we could find for a garden wedding at Nino’s! Congratulations to Caitlin Morelli and Robin Tuscano, who were wed Saturday, May 26th. Their two daughters, Coco and Lola, served as flower girls, and the entire wedding was adorned with silver mercury glass vases filled with gorgeous pink peonies. It was a beautiful evening, and we were so glad to be a part of the celebration!

Flowers and decor by The Laurel Garden.
Photography by Mark Rawlings.

For the second year in a row, Nino’s participated in the Flavors of Westmoreland Gala for the American Liver Foundation. Our five course dinner featured ingredients dalla terra e bosco–from the earth and forest. With local farmer’s eggs, asparagus, wild chives, ramps, and nine pounds of locally foraged morels, we celebrated the bounty of spring in Pennsylvania!

We also made our way to the annual Mason Dixon Ramp Festival on April 29th to procure two bushels of ramps. By the time we navigated the back roads of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the festival had sold out of ramps, but luckily a kind forager agreed to deliver some to the restaurant! Look for these wild leeks on the menu at Nino’s, but only for a limited time. Spring edibles are delicious and fleeting.

In Italy, fresh baby artichokes are a sign of spring. Every April, this member of the thistle family is celebrated in Tuscany at the Sagra del Carciofo Artichoke Festival. Our nod to the spring artichoke took the form of an artichoke tortino, which we served as our first course. A tortino is similar to a frittata, but thicker, usually with the addition of cream, cheese, or flour. We made fresh ricotta to accompany the artichokes in our tortino. Ricotta is easy to make and only requires whole milk, vinegar, and salt. Fresh, homemade ricotta has a sweetness that I’ve never tasted in the store-bought varieties. It gave an airy richness to the eggs, and we also added grated pecorino romano for a hint of salt. Alongside the tortino, we served a few baby artichokes sautéed with white wine and capers.

Our second course was perciatelli carbonara. Perciatelli is a delicious noodle, similar to a thick spaghetti, but hollow: with a hole through the middle like a straw. For the pasta carbonara, I browned bacon, then carmelized shallots with a teaspoon of garlic. To the bacon and shallots, I added sweet peas and butter. The carbonara sauce consists of butter, parmigiano reggiano, and egg.

Eggs are a longstanding symbol of spring. On her blog, School of the Seasons, Waverly Fitzgerald explains “eggs are one of the symbols of this [equinox] festival since they represent new life and potential.” She goes on to describe a Sicilian tradition that inspired other elements of our meal:

“Seeds are like eggs. While eggs contain the promise of new animal life, seeds hold the potential of a new plant. In ancient Italy in the spring, women planted gardens of Adonis. They filled urns with grain seeds, kept the in the dark and watered them every two days. This custom persists in Sicily. Women plant seeds of grains — lentils, fennel, lettuce or flowers — in baskets and pots. When they sprout, the stalks are tied with red ribbons and the gardens are placed on graves on Good Friday. They symbolize the triumph of life over death.” (schooloftheseasons.com/spring.html)

Our salad course featured fennel bulbs, thinly sliced and included in fresh spring rolls filled with roasted duck breast, mint, cilantro, and pickled dandelion greens. The spring rolls were served with an apricot marmellata over a bed of fresh, local watercress and arugula. Sprouting chard from the garden garnished our plates.

For the main course: lamb chops. We prepared them as we do in my family each year for Easter, seared in olive oil then braised in a light tomato sauce with rosemary and oil cured black olives. Lentils were another symbol of spring we incorporated in to the dish: French green lentils cooked with carrots, onion and sage, served with mint yogurt.

As I cleaned artichokes, stirred ricotta, and braised lamb, I felt connected to these signs of spring. As we embark upon a new season, it’s fitting to reflect on the cycles of the year, and also the cycles of traditions we engage in year after year.

Menu, flowers, and decor by The Laurel Garden.

We also had a fabulous time last Monday at our cooking class! We prepared homemade ricotta gnocchi with pesto, chicken saltimbocca, and a shrimp, fennel, and blood orange salad in our kitchen. Of course, wine and hors d’oeuvres accompanied the lesson, and afterwards, everyone enjoyed a three course meal of the dishes we taught. Thanks to all who attended! And a special thanks to our great teachers: Nino, Linda, Kelly, and Micki. I hope everyone is now rolling gnocchi at home.

Last but certainly not least, Happy 65th wedding anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett! Pictured below is the cake and custom floral cake topper from their anniversary party at Nino’s. Also pictured, a lettuce wrap with rice vermicelli and i.think.i.can’s pickled carrots which we made for Rachel and Ian’s wedding tasting. Next month, check back for a look at what is sure to be a beautiful May wedding!

One of the most popular features of our seasonal menu is our antipasto cart. Each Friday and Saturday evening, we fill the antique cart in the center of our dining room with an ever-changing variety of antipasti. Antipasto before dinner is an Italian tradition, and to me, the perfect showcase for the seasons. Local salami, house marinated mushrooms, and imported olives are featured weekly, along with both hot and cold specialties for sampling before dinner. At the peak of tomato season, a highlight is our Caprese Salad with fresh mozzarella, red and yellow tomatoes, and basil. Lately, in the cold, locally-made hot Italian sausage has warmed us up!

Look for seasonal antipasto recipes forthcoming here on our blog. We’ll celebrate winter as we wait for spring.