When I start building the Mother's Day menu, I start with what's growing in central Virginia the week of the event. This year that meant spring peas, Meyer lemon, asparagus, and the first strawberries from Chiles Peach Orchard.
The first course had to be light — something to start the meal with a smile. I landed on a cold spring pea soup with mint and crème fraîche. It's brilliant green, the kind of color that photographs beautifully with a glass of sparkling in the frame.
For the main, we're offering four choices including a vegetarian risotto with wild spring mushrooms. We wanted every mother at the table to have a dish that felt like it was for her — no one ordering the 'default.'
And for dessert, a strawberry shortcake built on our buttermilk biscuit. The first strawberries of the year on top of a biscuit that's been on our breakfast menu for five years. Both classics. Together, a Mother's Day memory.