A taste of spring

You can tell that spring is coming, not only by the riot of roses on every fence and the enchanting scent of the blossom on the orange and lemon trees, but also by what is going on in the kitchen. Spring spells the end of the slow-simmered casseroles, the dried beans and hearty meat stews. The kitchen literally acquires a lighter character as the sun gets warmer and the days get longer. By the end of February, there is hope in the air. There is a Greek proverb which goes: ‘O Flevaris kian Flevisi kalokeri tha myrisi’ (‘No matter how bad February can become, it will always bring the scent of summer’).