First Asparagus of the Season

Asparagus.
Hadley is known far and wide for this early spring, stalky green crop.
And boy, did I hate it when I was a kid.  But somehow, I now love it; I look forward to the spring when I know I can pick up local asparagus from a stand in someone's front lawn on the way home from work.

Tonight, it was a bedtime snack(!).
This is how I fix it:

Baked, with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder at 350 for 15 minutes, give or take, depending on doneness (I like the stalks to still have some crunch to them).  Sometimes I add shallots to the mix.

So simple, it doesn't even seem worth writing out as a recipe.
How do you like your asparagus?  I'm looking forward to trying it grilled someday soon....

Hadley asparagus.  Currently available at your local roadside stand.

Almost Famous

Last week, a colleague of mine mentioned seeing this blog featured in the newspaper (Daily Hampshire Gazette).  This, of course, made me curious -- I knew nothing about being in the paper.  So after work the following day, I made my way to the library.  I was headed to the library anyway -- I needed to pick up a few new books and drop off those I had already read.  Upon arrival I headed off to where they keep the newspapers and found the current DHG.  However, much to my disappointment, the entire middle section had been removed, and was nowhere to be found.  I checked a few other days worth of papers, but there was no mention of Madley Hadley, and so I decided to cut my losses and be content with the library books.
To make a long story short, the librarians actually had the article at hand (they were quite pleased with it), and made me a copy of it.  (Click on the picture to see it.)

Perhaps you, dear reader, are one of those who saw the article in the paper and stopped by to see what all the fuss was about, or was one of those to whom the link was forwarded -- there was a record number of hits on the blog the day of and the day after the article.  If you have visited once, are visiting again, or are here to stay, welcome!  Please peruse, leave comments; for a little more (or a little less) you can even follow the twitter feed.  Thank you for visiting.

Thanks to the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Phoebe Mitchell for discovering and spreading word about the blog.

Special thanks to my colleague and the librarians at the Hadley public library.  If not for you, I would have missed my two days of fame!

This blog is also featured on Pioneer Valley Local Greenie -- more on that in a later post.

I should make note here that the bread picture in the article was taken by Mr. Madley.

Spring has Returned from a Long Winter's Rest

Spring has been late in coming to our house this year -- last year at this time, blossoms had already been on the apple trees for a couple of weeks, the viburnum and lilacs were thick with blooms, and young plants were much further out of the ground.  But this week has finally brought the warmth and rain and sun needed for spring blooms and growth.  Every day (at least twice), I walk the perimeter of the house and notice new shoots that have appeared from the earth and fresh colours that have opened to the sky and new leaves that have unfurled.
Spring has returned from its long winter's rest, and it feels, smells, and looks wonderful!
(For a clearer, larger image, click on the picture.)

Violets decorating the lawn.

The ostrich fern unfurls.

Vinca blooms blue.

More fern unfurling.

A lone grape hyacinth.

A single narcissus.

A cluster of vinca.

The forsythia sunshine.

Rhubarb!

Happy May Day -- it's sure to be a glorious month!

PS -- the birds have also decided it's spring -- the catbirds are back!

Annual Town Meeting: May 5

This is your friendly neighbourhood reminder that the Hadley Town Meeting will be Thursday, May 5, at 7pm at the Hopkins Academy (gymnasium).  That's only one week away!
You can get a copy of the warrant by visiting Town Hall or by emailing the Town Administrator at admin@hadleyma.org.
Posted at the Town of Hadley website.

Farm Stands, Ice Cream, and Asparagus -- oh my!

Spring brings out some of the best of the Valley -- the ice cream places that closed for the winter open up again, usually around mid-April, and shortly thereafter a few farm stands put out pussy willows while awaiting the first early crops of asparagus and strawberries.  Hadley asparagus, or Hadley grass as it's known, has a reputation far and wide of being superb asparagus -- and it definitely stands up to its reputation.
Find out more about Hadley farm stands, local ice creameries, and Hadley grass on the new permanent pages to the right.

Library Joy

I discovered the greatest thing last week -- great, because I am a librarian and an avid library user and supporter, and because I've been waiting for this since we moved to Hadley.  Last week I discovered that the Hadley library, the Goodwin Memorial Library, has finally started circulating materials within the C/WMARS lending network.

I'm not even sure I can begin to explain how utterly wonderful this is.

I ashamedly admit that before last week I had not quite found the motivation to visit the library since moving to town.  I was keeping myself somewhat occupied and nearly content with using the Jones Library in Amherst, the Clapp Memorial Library in Belchertown, and the South Hadley Public Library.  However, what I really wanted was to take advantage of and support the Hadley library, my local public library, but I request so many books online that it just didn't seem entirely worthwhile, since they weren't completely networked yet.

Then last week, on a whim, I checked the system catalog to see if I could find and order a particular book.  And there it was, in the drop-down menu listing the options of library pickup locations -- Hadley!  I just about shouted for joy (and probably would have, had I not been in a library at the time).  Instead of shouting, I tried it with another book, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, and then I sent Mr Madley a highly enthusiastic email with my discovery.  Afterwards I searched around online to find out if there was any further information.  I found this on the library page:

Q. Is Hadley's library a member of the Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing network (C/WMARS)?

A. Yes. Hadley has been a member for many years. As of January 25, 2011, Hadley began officially circulating within the system. This major accomplishment allows patrons with C/WMARS cards to order items from the comfort of their homes and have them delivered to Hadley or other convenient libraries.

I got very very VERY excited.
That same afternoon, Mr Madley and I made our first outing to the Goodwin Memorial Library to scope the place out and meet the librarians -- and hopefully leave with a few books.

What a beautiful little library, stuffed full of books and magazines, videos, and computers.  The children's area upstairs had a great collection, as did the young adult area downstairs (those were the only two areas I really paid attention to -- I was having WAY too much fun -- but I did hear very positive comments about the video collection and today I enjoyed perusing the new books table).  The downstairs/basement reminded me of the library I used to visit when I was a kid, so I felt right at home and very comfortable.

Fireplace reading room.

Young adult collection/basement.

It's very exciting to have Hadley as part of the C/WMARS lending network -- it means you can order any book within the Western Mass Regional System from any computer with internet access and have it delivered to the Hadley library for you to pick up -- just think how much that virtually expands the size of the library!  All those books, right at your fingertips!
Don't forget the programs the library has, too -- chess and knitting and poetry and story hour and more.  They have fliers at the library and programs are also listed online.  Plus there is parking and it's conveniently located.

So without further ado, get thee to the library!
But not on Sunday or Monday -- that's when it's closed.



(If you live in Hadley, you probably received a page with your motor vehicle excise bill about how to become a friend of the library.  Becoming a friend is a great way to support the library, and it doesn't even have to cost very much.  Plus, it's a phenomenal value for the money.)

Hadley Votes

Hadley' annual town election:
Tuesday, April 12, 9am-8pm @ Hopkins Academy

Positions for town moderator and school committee are on the ballot. I believe there's also a selectman....
(If you know of more positions open for the election, feel free to post a comment.)

Hadley schools are closed on April 12; teachers have a curriculum day.