Mussels are my go-to & favorite meal for Spring & Summer. Although brothy, it's definitely not a soup. Those days are thankfully over. This meal is effortlessly light, filled with flavor and best served with french fries and/or bread for dipping. If you live in a place where you can eat it outside and enjoy a (gluten-free) beer with it, you're even luckier. Mussels are a meal best shared, so make plenty and eat with good company. Happy Spring!

MUSSELS WITH MEYER LEMON, MARJORAM, FENNEL & TOMATO JAM BROTH (Gluten-free)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced

3 small spring onions, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large leek, thinly sliced

2lbs. mussels

1 1/4 cup white wine

3-4 tablespoons tomato jam (I used BLUE CHAIR's jam...)

1 meyer lemon, juice & zest

3 tablespoons marjoram leaves, de-stemmed

1 tablespoon tarragon, roughly chopped

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Rinse and clean mussels well -- Soak in a large mixing bowl of clean, cold water. Drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water, using a brush to remove all sand. Make sure to remove any beards from the shells, and discard any mussels that are not tightly closed or are open. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat your olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, fennel and leek -- sautee until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Pour in white wine carefully, then stir in tomato jam, lemon juice, zest and fresh herbs. Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then bring mixture to a boil.

Add mussels and cover for 6-8 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened. Make sure to shake the pot well once or twice during cooking to make sure mussels are evenly dispersed. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and top with extra fresh herbs.

Add mussels to shallow bowls making sure to include plenty of broth. Serve with crusty bread and/or french fries - enjoy!