The sweet, tender stalks of asparagus placed temptingly just inside the front door of area grocery stores are the first dependable sign of spring. Bundled in bunches, wrapped in string or rubber bands and displayed upright, like a box of tulips or daffodils in the flower market, they herald a return to sunshine and blue skies. Whether the vegetable is served as a side dish at Easter dinner, grilled with steaks for the first meal on the patio, or chopped and blended into eggs for a Saturday morning omelet, the taste is unique. In the coming weeks look for fresh asparagus at your area winter farmers’ market:

Community Building Winter Farmers’ Market: Organic artisan breads, pastries, fruits, vegetables, and free-range eggs and beef, plus local arts and craafts and live music. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays. Community Building Lobby, 35 W. Main Ave.; 509.232.1950

Community Roots Winter Market: This monthly winter market is the second Sunday of each mont, and will transition to a weekly Sunday market in late spring. Brouth to you by PEACH/People for Environmental Action & Community Health, a non-profit dedicated to creating a “Buy Local” economy by connecting local foods and goods with local people. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 19. Fresh Abundance, 2015 N. Division; 509.533.2724.

Local Market CdA: Kosher beef, lamb, chicken, wild caught salmon, fruits and vegetables, homemade bread and pasta, tofu, salsa, coffee, tea, honey and eggs, plus arts & crafts. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays through April. Inside the Plaza Shops at 210 Sherman ave., Coeur d’Alene; 208.659.4213.

Millwood Farmers’ Market: Locally raised chicken, beef, winter vegetables, artisan breads and pastries, and local craafts. Noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays. Crossing Youth Center, just east of the Millwood Presbyterian Church parking lot, 8919 E. Euclid Ave.; 509.924.2350.

Yes, it looks shockingly like a pastel drawing, but don’t be fooled. The chicanery of Spokane über-photographer Dean Davis may resemble fine art, but it is, in fact, a very fine photograph (pictured above) that Davis snapped at Zola (a local hot spot with one of the most deliciously filling happy hours around). See Davis’ remarkable photo technique applied to a bevy of local landmarks in the April 2009 issue of Spokane Metro Magazine. And don’t miss the larger series, dubbed “Spokane Interiors,” on display now through the month of May at Barrister Winery. Spokane Metro invites you to join our staff and to meet Dean Davis during a reception at the winery on Friday, May 1, 5-10 p.m. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave.

4/2 • Spokane Metro‘s April issue: It is here, it is gorgeous, and if you’re not a subscriber, it is available at a newsstand near you. Also, don’t miss our amazing April 2 magazine release party at The Lincoln Center just north of downtown Spokane. We’ll have decadent delicacies from Simply Gourmet, two no-host bars provided by Downriver Grill, and free Mountain Dome sparkling wine for Metro subscribers. Musical guests Cris Lucas and Karli Fairbanks will be on hand, and Metro‘s April cover artist Ed Gilmore will create a “live” painting during the event. Also, Metro shooter Jed Conklin will debut his new project, The Northwest Photo Booth, offering free snapshots for party goers. 6-9:30 p.m. Free. The Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln Street.

Metro Editor Cheryl-Anne Millsap was in China this past week. For those of you not keeping up with her on Facebook, here’s a glimpse into her experience.

3/20 • Don a t-shirt, grab a beer and enjoy the scintillating sounds of the Spokane Symphony as they rock the Knitting Factory tonight. Conductor-in-Residence Morihiko Nakahara will lead the orchestra in an invigorating collision of progressive symphonic music by several modern composers, including Huang Ruo, Ingram Marshall, Derek Bermel, Steve Reich, Aaron Jay Kernis and Michael Daugherty. 7:30 p.m. Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague Ave.

3/21 • So you snagged a pair of tickets to the k.d. lang show March 21 at The Fox. But a twangy Canadian alone does not an evening make—you still have transportation, dinner and post-concert drinks to plan. Since you’ve already shelled out a few dollars for the seats, why not skip your date-night standard and try something new? We’ve got a few tips for making it a night to remember—on any budget.

k.d. lang plays The Fox Saturday, March 21. 8 p.m. $33-$66. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave.; 509.624.1200; 509.325.SEAT.

The Corner Store Deli and Espresso has been open for about a month, in the former Andy’s Teriyaki location inside the Price Rite on Garland and Post. It’s too bad the Price Rite isn’t a little more ambitious—it’s a great location and the store itself reminds us of neighborhood bodegas in cities on the East Coast: Crowded corner stores started by Puerto Rican and Dominican entrepreneurs in the 60s and 70s. They typically offer just enough of a selection for neighborhood residents to get by without hopping on the bus or hoofing it to a larger chain grocer. This one even offers a very limited assortment of fresh produce, although the bananas were a tad old and the tomatoes weren’t overly ripe.

Back to the deli: We stopped in the other day and picked up the special: Reuben on marbled rye with a cup of chicken-n-rice soup for $6.75. Definitely one of the better Reubens we’ve tried. And the soup was pretty good — homemade, white meat chicken, with fresh-cooked carrots, a nice addition. The menu also offers Black Angus beef burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, sodas, hot and iced tea, and coffee. We’ll have to go back and check out the espresso bar. They serve Boyds. Corner Store Deli and Espresso, 733 W. Garland Ave.; 509.327.1025. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free delivery on Garland between Howard and Monroe streets.

Is it just us, or does the new Wells & Co. development in Hangman Valley bear a strong resemblance to the suburban-like village of houses inhabited by “The Others” on ABC’s Lost? Given that the starting price for these one-bedroom, one-bath dwellings is $119K, perhaps not. But the 10 single-family homes situated around a common green-space (or at least it will be once the landscaping goes in) are similar to cottage-style infill developments in Portland and other cities. Several of the 550-square-foot homes include porches, and there’s plenty of outdoor space for socializing with neighbors. Maybe some of that open green space will be set aside for a community garden?

When we dropped by the other day, some of the dwellings were still under construction. Peeking through one or two windows gave us a rough idea of the layout. The bathroom/laundry room/closet area is only accessible through the bedroom. The kitchen includes a small space for a table and a couple of chairs. Each home has at least four good-sized windows. And the porches are a nice touch, though not every home has one. Other details include:

10 single-family 1-bed, 1-bath cottages

2 2-bed, 2-bath town houses

Granite kitchen counters

Ceramic tile floors in bath and kitchen

Home price includes full washer and dryer

Off-street parking

Energy efficient vinyl windows

Low-maintenance vinyl siding

Landscaping/snow removal provided by owners’ association

High frequency sonic fence to keep out the smoke monster

Located five minutes from downtown, if that.

Spokane Mayor Mary Verner’s much-anticipated Sustainability Task Force report is hot off the presses and on its way to city council members this week. Sources familiar with the long-range strategic plan say the document contains broad policy recommendations, rather than step-by-step mandates for addressing how climate change and peak oil will affect city government operations, services and programs.

Led by Roger Woodworth, Avista’s vice president of sustainable energy solutions, the study was funded with a one-year, $75,000 state grant and incorporates input from a dozen local sustainability experts. With the task force recommendations complete, the city is expected to work with the public over the next few months to determine which recommendations to implement and how.

On Wednesday Woodworth said the report consists of about 20 pages from cover to glossary, summarizing the task force’s package of recommendations that include four core principles to consider moving forward, eight strategies on which to focus core tactics, and some 50 ideas spread across them.

Woodworth says the report offers the city an invitation to look at rules and regulations in updating its comprehensive planning, though it is framed to lead with incentives, rather than mandates. “The idea for the city is to model the behavior you’re hoping to achieve yourself,” he said. Those behaviors could include:

Set goals for continuous improvement across all categories (renewable energy, clean mobility, etc.).

Emphasize renewable energy

Support clean mobility by directing the comprehensive plan accommodate mass transit center and corridors, the electrification of transit and alternative fuels.

Enabling optimal land use – the city has a lot of land that it doesn’t put to any particular use, so this could mean pea-patch gardens or other larger applications.

Conserve water. Pumping water, treating water, pumping it some more – all of this consumes extraordinary amounts of energy that could be put to other use.

Maximize energy efficiency

Optimize operating practices – everything from supply-chain management to bundling different services, perhaps electronically, so city staff isn’t driving around to make things happen.

Prepare through planning – although the city can’t anticipate the future, if they are thinking about it in terms of climate change and peak oil, it can minimize risk and maximize opportunities for what the future might bring.

According to one source familiar with the document, the task force recommends the city obtain 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, increasing the percentage of renewable energy use each year until that goal is achieved. Although 50 percent of the city’s current energy use is drawn from hydro power, the study suggests other sources as well. These could include everything from buying green tags or renewable energy credits to purchasing wind power, photovoltaic energy and bio-fuels.

With the task force’s work nearing completion, it will be up to elected officials and the public to set implementation goals. City staff will conduct a financial, technical and legal review and develop implementation guidelines, and Mayor Verner and the city council will determine how to fund them. In the meantime, public input on the process is welcome, beginning with the presentation of the recommendations during the March 30 city council meeting. We’ll post a link to the report as soon it becomes available online in the next couple of days. For more information visit www.greenspokane.org