After an unusually long winter, spring has finally arrived on the North Fork. Crocuses and daffodils are blooming, chives and mint are growing in the herb garden, and it's "thyme" to rake away last season's dead leaves.

Some vineyards have finished pruning already, but we haven't. Hoping for a slightly delayed budbreak to help us catch up from all the missed workdays this past winter due to snow.

Popovers are so easy to make, and use the most simple of ingredients. Try them the next time you have guests over and want to make something homemade for breakfast. Very light and slightly savory - they're good plain, or with jam. Makes about a dozen muffin-sized popovers.

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
•  1/4 sour cream or heavy cream
• chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin pan with the oil and a paper towel.  (Tip - use nonstick muffin pans if available - the popovers get stuck easily and will tear if you try to force them out.)

Put the eggs, flour, salt, and pepper into a food processor or blender. Blend for about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides.  Stir the milk and sour cream or heavy cream and chopped chives together in a measuring cup. Then, slowly pour the milk/cream liquid into the egg/flour batter while the processor is going.

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full, and bake 40 minutes till golden and puffy.

Tree Dilworth is the owner of Comtesse Therese Bistro and Le Clos Therese Vineyard in Aquebogue.