In many southern and midlands areas of the Kingdoms, the First of Spring (equivalent to our Earth’s northern-hemisphere spring equinox) is a traditional target date for “unclamping”. This is the time when the earth-built above-ground fruit and vegetable storage facilities called “clamps” are most enthusiastically cracked open so that people can start concentrating on emptying them out, using up the last-season veg that’s still good, and clearing the site to “air out” for the summer months. This leaves the ground clean for building a new clamp to store late summer and early autumn crops.

In the more northerly regions, of course, the earliest-cropping root vegetables will already be ready to harvest—first as “baby” vegetables, but within a very short time as full-grown ones. This fresh new produce is considered far too choice to store, but is routinely eaten just out of the ground—either cooked or raw.

When the vegetables in question are this new, the usage of the word “pickled” routinely means something much more lightweight and flavor-friendly than the aggressive brine-based pickles used to keep vegetables (and also sometimes meat) edible for prolonged periods through the winter months. While recognizing  the relationship between the dressing and the “winter pickles”, both the Arlene and Darthene words for vinegar-dressed recipes like this (Arl. aikheindei, Dar. amdelsiet) are used to emphasize the lack of salt and the addition of fresh spices, herbs, and aromatics.

Recipes of this kind are also seen by cooks in the Four Realms as an opportunity to showcase more sharply-flavored or aromatic root vegetables like common salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius), black salsify/scorzonera (Pseudopodospermum hispanicum), parsley root, and parsnip.

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