I know I said that spring was here a few weeks ago — and then we promptly had a big fat blizzard. Well, spring really is here now. As the last of the grimy snow piles finally melts, it’s time to start thinking about all things spring.

To me the true harbinger of the season in this area is Hadley aparagus. With the warm days ahead, the spears will be poking their little tips through the soil very soon. Yes, that moment is still a couple of weeks away, but soon.

I see so many recipes for asparagus I would like to make, like shaved raw asparagus salad with feta and lemon. I haven’t tried it yet but I have big plans.

Recently, I saw a recipe for spring vegetable ragout, that Michael Symon made on the TV show “The Chew,” that had chopped asparagus, fava beans and ramps. I actually tried to make this one, but the asparagus was from Mexico and didn’t have much spunk, and there were no ramps or fresh fava beans available. I used green beans instead of favas and scallions instead of ramps. It was good despite the substitutions. But when the growing season starts you can bet there will be a re-enactment with the fresh stuff.

My problem with all these asparagus recipes is I get so busy joyfully eating fresh, local asparagus in its simple form sometimes I forget to use it in a fancy recipe. I look up from my plate and the season is over.

But don’t despair, there will still be the strawberries, the snap peas, the baby lettuces, the radishes, the rhubarb, the tender spinach …

P.S. If you want to look up the ragout recipe online, Google Michael Symon’s Grilled Chicken Paillard with Spring Vegetable Ragout and you should come up with it.

— LUCY

Speaking of asparagus, here’s a helpful hint I heard recently:

If you are thinking about steaming your asparagus in that little plastic container that fits in the top of your otherwise excellent rice cooker, please don’t answer the phone and become involved in a conversation that makes you forget the asparagus and return 20 minutes later to find that your beautiful asparagus spears have turned to grayish-green baby food that you might as well just mush into the just-cooked rice, call it Brown-Gray-Green Rice Casserole and be done with it.

Like I said, I heard about this. It didn’t actually happen to me (Typed while fingers crossed).

— LOU