Spring

To clean fresh morels, dunk them into a bowl of cold water; drain them on a clean kitchen towel. You can substitute 8 dried morels for the fresh: Cover with hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of the mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let the mushrooms stand until soft, about 20 minutes, then lift them out of the water. Using paper towels, gently press out excess liquid, and let the mushrooms drain on a clean kitchen towel.

Cooking blintzes takes a bit of practice. A nonstick skillet is a great help. The first blintz is almost never perfect; just discard it and start again. The blintzes can be made through step 4 up to 2 hours ahead.

Draining the rhubarb keeps the cake from becoming soggy.

This sauce can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat over medium-low heat, or bring to room temperature before serving.

The extra tablespoon of flour, sprinkled into the center of each pastry circle, helps thicken the rhubarb juices as the tartlets cook.

Unlike many ice cream recipes, this one does not contain eggs.

Quickly grill ramps to make the most of their wild, earthy flavor.

To clean the mushrooms, simply wipe the caps with a damp paper towel; do not rinse, as they will become soggy. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden.