For most Americans, the centerpiece of Easter dinner is baked ham accompanied by fresh spring greens and winter roots. (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

Spring has arrived with winter’s last hurrah. Crocuses have blossomed but snow covers the ground. Next Sunday brings Easter.

In the U.S., Easter is not as big a holiday as it is in many parts of Europe. That’s because the Puritans rejected the customs associated with Easter: flowers, bunnies and colored eggs, all of which date back to pagan celebrations of spring.

Early Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ with a lamb because Jesus is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In the Middle East, spring is the time for new lambs. Lamb was the meat on the Passover table and corresponds to Christ, the Lamb of God, so it naturally became a symbol of Easter and the Resurrection.

As Christianity spread to northern Europe, Pascha was replaced by Easter, the pagan springtime festival to the Norse and Saxon fertility goddess, Eastre (also spelled Eostre, ostara).

While lamb is a common meat in the Middle East, in Europe pigs were more prevalent. Although first domesticated in 4900 B.C. in China, by 1500 B.C. pigs were common in Europe and were considered a symbol of luck.

Pigs are easy to raise. They have large litters, and the piglets mature quickly — within one season. They’re efficient in terms of feed, can eat table scraps and can fend for themselves to supplement their diet. Every part of the pig can be used, making them a perfect domesticated meat source. Before refrigeration, pork was cured with salt to preserve it. The curing process can take several months, and the first hams were ready in spring.

The arrival of spring, the festival of Ostara marked an end to eating food stored for the long northern European winter. With the arrival of spring, root vegetables were replaced by eggs and fresh greens. Along with ham, these became a natural choice for Easter dinner.

For most Americans, the centerpiece of Easter dinner is baked ham accompanied by fresh spring greens and winter roots. Today, many hams at the supermarket are precooked and come with cooking directions. For example, a spiral-sliced, bone-in ham offers a dramatic presentation while being easy to serve. It is easy to prepare and only needs to be heated through — and is often served with a glaze or sweet sauce to enhance flavor.

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Maple Glaze for Ham

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It’s also maple season. Here’s a maple glaze for your ham dinner.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

About 3 Tablespoons drippings

Directions:

About 30 minutes before serving, combine maple syrup, mustard, cinnamon, cloves and drippings from bottom of the crock pot. Spread glaze over ham and continue cooking.

For a honey glaze, substitute honey for the maple syrup.

For a fruity sauce, use 1/2 cup jelly (apple or currant jelly is good) and 1 Tablespoon vinegar, plus spices (1/4 teaspoon each dry mustard, cloves and cinnamon) if you wish.

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Roasted Root Vegetables

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Colorful, seasonal root vegetables can be prepared ahead of time and roasted in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon basil

8 cups mixed, cut-up root vegetables (red-skinned potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, onions, fennel bulb, celeriac. Beets will need to be roasted separately because they will make everything turn red.)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup or more broth

Directions:

In small bowl, add crushed garlic and basil to oil. Set aside.

Peel celeriac. Cut potatoes, sweet potatoes, celeriac and turnips into one-inch chunks, carrots and parsnips into one-inch lengths, onion into wedges. Cut fennel bulb into quarters lengthwise; discard core. Then cut bulb into 1-inch pieces. You can vary the type and amount of these root vegetables; I like to mix sweet roots (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes) with stronger flavors.

Place in large mixing bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a little pepper and mix well to coat (hands work best). Sprinkle with the oil and herbs, and mix to coat again. Prepare a baking pan by coating with oil. Arrange vegetables in baking pan, cover, pour broth over and roast.

Check and stir every 20 minutes or so, adding a little more broth if needed, until cooked through so that a fork goes in easily. It should take about an hour oven time. Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, fennel or dill. Serves 6 – 8.

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Root Vegetable Medley

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The sweetness of the carrots and parsnips offset the more pungent turnip.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tablespoons butter

1 leek

1 parsnip

1 small carrot

1 turnip

1/2 teaspoon salt

A little black pepper

1/2 cup chopped minced parsley

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

Melt butter in skillet. Slice leek in half, wash to remove sand and slice thin. Cut parsnip, carrot and turnips julienne, or shred coarsely. Place vegetables in skillet, season with salt and pepper, stir to coat with butter, cover and cook on low about 7 minutes until tender. Toast walnuts and mince parsley; add to vegetables.

This makes a nice side dish or a bed for roasted or fried chicken or fish.

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Spring and Winter Salad

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A mix of winter roots and fresh spring greens.

Ingredients:

1/2 lemon

2 kohlrabi (or 2 celery roots, or one of each)

1 orange

2 carrots

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic

1 or 2 teaspoons olive oil

10 ounces fresh spring greens, like spinach or lettuce

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional (or another cheese)

A few olives, sliced (optional)

Directions:

Squeeze lemon into bowl, remove seeds. Peel and grate the kohlrabi and/or celery root in food processor or with a large hand grater and coat immediately with lemon to prevent it from browning. Peel the orange, remove seeds, slice across sections to release juice and add. Wash or peel the carrots, grate and add. Sprinkle with salt and toss to combine.

Grate garlic with microplane or crush in a mortar or garlic press. In small bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon (or a tablespoon cider or balsamic vinegar). Stir into the shredded veggies and toss to combine.

Allow to stand for 30 minutes or longer to blend flavors. Just before serving, stir in 10 ounces fresh spinach (or a combination of spinach and lettuce) and garnish with crumbled feta and olives, if uing.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: Writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: @yvonawrites.