Spring Tuna Salad and Rhubarb Lunch

On a recent foray in Union Square market, I almost tramped on a school of third graders. Walking two by two and well chaperoned, the little gourmets took in the seasonal bounty as I did. There were a wealth of greens, nicely bunched in bouquets, green asparagus a galore as well as ramps, the new darlings of the in chefs and all the variety of potatoes produced in America. On the sweet side rhubarb stems and apples were nicely tucked under bright awnings. But the palm for diversity went to the florists. The season after all has just started and is still low-key. I came home happy with just the right mix to toss a spring tuna salad for 4. Instead of my usual pairing of rhubarb and strawberries, I decided to be a pure locavore and to forego the berries for the apples. I was happy to find on my way back a tiny shop, called Macaron on 36^th street between Broadway and Seventh and splurged on lychee and rose macarons as well as chocolate. Yum!

A Versatile Sauce and Lobster Soufflé

A sauce can transform a dish drastically. To celebrate her 90^th birthday in style, my mother asked for a beef Wellington. I usually cook it for Christmas or New Year and insert a mushroom, foie gras and truffle mixture between the crust and the meat. To make it really special, I decided to add a Perigourdine sauce and to insert the mushrooms and shallots, which flavor the sauce in place of my usual mixture. What gives the sauce its name is a generous addition of black truffle pieces, an import from the Southwest of France, hence the regional attribution, to a Cognac, wine and cream emulsion. More than happy with the sauce and enamored with its voluptuous Cognac taste, reminiscent of a lobster bisque, I then decided to put it to another creative use: the basis for a lobster soufflé. Forget the black truffles, cut one-inch pieces of lobster and replace the milk by the richer Cognac-cream emulsion. The dish will serve 4 as a starter or 2 for lunch with a green salad on the side.