There were no tomatoes this time, and there was a minimum number of little herb or spice condiments, but – wonderful to relate – it was still really enjoyable, in the assembling and in the eating.

The very special tender spring garlic mustard was the guest performer, but the great eggs, bacon, and one small head of chicory were stars as well.

• the entire cast: some very fresh eggs from pastured chickens and bacon from pastured pigs, both from Millport Dairy Farm, the eggs seasoned with Maldon salt, and not just pepper, but a mix of black pepper and other things that had gotten together accidentally when I was preparing a dry marinade for a meal a while back and then decided to hold onto for an occasion like this (black pepper, fennel seeds cumin seeds, coriander seeds, star anise, white peppercorns, and whole clove), finished with a pinch of dried fenugreek from Bombay Emerald Chutney Company (purchased at the Saturday Chelsea Farmers Market last fall); one small roughly chopped chicory rosette from Campo Rosso Farm sautéed in olive oil with 3 ramp bulbs (and served under their leaves), from Mountain Sweet Berry Farm, finished with a drizzle of Columela Rioja 30 Year Reserva sherry vinegar; some wonderful garlic mustard from Alewife Farm; Sicilian Selezione olive oil from Trader Joe’s; Organic Valley ‘Cultured Pasture Butter’; lightly toasted slices of 2 terrific Lost Bread Co. loaves, ‘table bread’ and ‘Pane di Tavalo’ (a creation modeled on a famous bread from the town of Genzano, near Rome)
• our Sunday music was a recording of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s 1776 biblical oratorio, ‘Giobbe’, in a performance by the Rhenische Kantorei/Das Kliene Konzert conducted by Hermann Max