I think I appreciate my mother exponentially with age. Honestly, with every coming year and glowing, growing cycle of my life, my appreciation for her quadruples. Not only do I regard her in the highest, but I also see the warming and lightening effect on those around her. All in all I’m a little biased, but come on. Mom rules. And I’m sure yours does too.

So in anticipation for girl-time this Sunday, I offer a fun dessert to make and eat together. Every piece is an experience. As you dunk a spoon through the chilled mango and down to the dark, creamy rice, take a second to admire how the sunny yellow pops against the purple swirl of pudding. The contrast continues on the tongue, with the satiating duo of cool, chopped fruit on top of the hot rice. Definitely a dish to share with someone close.

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Ramps are an intriguing root, balancing the sharp flavors of onion and garlic in a scallion-like body. My favorite savory flavor, with limitless possibilities. So after waffling over how to use it (savory pancakes? bruschetta? just pickled?), I pinned down the idea of pesto pasta. Not only is the recipe simple to make, but I can use it on everything. Pasta. Eggs. A slab of thick sourdough. The pungent spread spices up anything in a beautiful way.

Although I had my mind set on making pesto, I observed different restaurant menus for inspiration. This past weekend my boyfriend and I wandered into Buvette, where I tried a glorious tartine. Over thick slabs of crusty bread reigned a decadent, walnut mint pesto. I tried not to grab every piece with all ten fingers, and I’m sure my boyfriend appreciated the minor show of self-control. (Right, silverware.) The flavor was so rich I almost drowned, but I bobbed back up with a spike of mint in every bite. I really liked that brightening contrast. Remembering how mint lifted up the dish, I added a few leaves to the ramp pesto experiment. Success! The heavy garlic and onion flavor lightened with just a few leaves. (If you don’t have any at home, the dish still tastes great without.)

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Surrounded by Hispanic co-workers, I grasp a little bit of Spanglish and cultural insights here and there. Along with the different ways to say “pancakes” in Spain versus the Dominican Republic versus Puerto Rico, I learn about the integral ingredient in all savory food: limón. I have come to covet this fruta verde, incorporating it into more and more of my dishes.

With spring afoot, I have been eyeing the fresh Vidalia onions at the market with lime in hand. Onions roasted are divine, but seared with lime juice is the next step up. The blackened root imparts a tangy taste that I love, especially atop savory tacos.

To accentuate the flavor in the onions, I tried two methods of cooking: pan-searing and roasting in the oven. The latter takes a good half hour – and I couldn’t wait that long. Long before that batch was done cooking at 400°F, I was nibbling on strips from the cast-iron.

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What I love about this drink, even more than the refreshing taste, is the mind-numbing simplicity. Rinse ingredients. Cover with water. Place in direct sunlight. Sound good?

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