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Cooking with Mother Goose: Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes.

Jack Sprat

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean.
So betwixt them both, you see,
they licked the platter clean.

My eating mood this spring has matched the weather. On any given day, I'm not really sure whether I want to eat something hot or cold, something wintery or something springy. The only thing I am sure of is that I want to take advantage of all the great spring produce that is beginning to pop up.



Last week, I bought some of those harbingers of spring -- ramps -- and some asparagus at the same time. And I got it stuck in my head that I wanted to serve them together. If you haven't tried ramps, they grow wild in these mid-Atlantic states and have a fresh, garlicky flavor. They can go into pesto, an omelette, or sprinkled over a salad.

Thinking about pairing them with eggs brought to mind a spring soup that we made years ago. It was an asparagus straciatella, an Italian soup with egg and parmesan whipped in. For years, it was the only way that Olivia would eat asparagus, but we hadn't made it in a long time. My ramps were a bit banged up, too, so throwing them into a soup seemed like a good solution.

The ramps added great flavor to the soup which suited my mood this cool spring: a hot soup with spring flavors. Olivia was happy to see the soup, but the other two kiddies, not so much.

Oscar didn't want to eat the asparagus, but poked around it with his spoon to get to the eggy broth. Chloe didn't like the broth, but picked all of the asparagus out with a fork. Neither of them finished an entire bowl of soup, but between the two of them... Well, you get the idea.

Next time they'll only get one bowl. No doubt, the writer of "Jack Sprat" had children.

2009: Asparagus with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
2010: Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata
2011: Ramp Pesto
2012: Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella

Serves 6

15 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

If you can't find ramps, substitute spring onions or garlic scapes for a similar flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds fresh asparagus, cleaned, ends snapped off, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large bunch ramps, rinsed, ends trimmed, and diced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 large eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for serving

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the asparagus and ramps and cook just until the asparagus begins to soften about 3 minutes. Scrape the vegetables out of the pot onto a plate.

Add 10 cups of water to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of ramps or asparagus that are stuck to the pot. Bring the water to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan and stir again. When the water has begun to boil, whisk the egg mixture in. Add the asparagus and ramps back to the pot and cook until the egg has cooked and the vegetables have heated through, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a bit more parmesan.

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Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad

I always get a little thrill when I see a new vendor at the farmers' market. Last week at the Silver Spring market, I zeroed right in on the new mushroom stand, North Cove Mushrooms. I zipped over there faster than Buddy runs when he hears food drop off the dining room table.

There were two types of mushrooms, dried oyster mushrooms and fresh shiitakes. I went for the shiitakes with the thought that Gabe and I could add them to a kid-friendly meal to dress it up a little.

Gabe had bought a beautiful bunch of watercress, though, and I started to think that the peppery crunch of the watercress would make a nice contrast to those earthy, tender mushrooms. To add another contrast to the salad, I decided to make a hot dressing and pour it over the watercress to wilt it just slightly (I had that amazing shiitake and spinach salad from Sushi Ko in mind).

When I first served this, the mushrooms and dressing had cooled by the time we ate. It was better the next time, when we ate it while the mushrooms and the dressing were still hot.

We skipped back over to the mushroom vendor again this week and bought even more mushrooms this time. They're still in their brown paper bag in the refrigerator. What should we make next?

2009: Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
2010: Artichokes with Quick Hollandaise Sauce
2011: Simple Crusty Peasant Wheat Bread
2012: Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad

Serves 4 as a side salad
15 minutes preparation time
15 minutes cooking time

1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large bunch watercress, rinsed (about 6 heaping cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, sliced into a few big pieces
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons puffed rice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and spread them as evenly as possible across the pan. Let them sit for a minute or two until the mushrooms sear slightly. Keep cooking, stirring only occasionally so that the mushrooms become golden brown, until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set them aside.

Just before you are ready to serve the salad, snip the watercress with scissors into bite-sized pieces and arrange it on a platter. (I prefer using scissors rather than a knife because it better keeps the shape of the cress).

If the mushrooms are no longer hot, heat them again in the pan over medium heat just long enough to get them piping hot. Scrape them out of the pan onto the watercress.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits of mushroom. When the oil is hot, remove the pan from the heat. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper, and whisk. Drizzle the dressing over the mushrooms and watercress. Sprinkle the puffed rice over the top and serve immediately.

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Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

I've been seeing recipes for shaved asparagus pop up here and there. They are made with raw asparagus shaved thinly and mixed with any number of ingredients. I finally decided that I better try one to see what all the fuss is about.

I used parmesan because I thought the nutty saltiness would complement the freshness of the asparagus and I wanted to shave it to mirror the shape of the asparagus. Parmesan and pine nuts go well together so I added pine nuts to my list. I decided to keep the dressing simple, using lemon and chives to enhance the freshness of the raw asparagus.

The result was very refreshing. Leaving the asparagus raw brought out the green, new flavor rather than highlighting the sweeter side that you would get from blanching or roasting. That bright new flavor was perfect for spring.

Shaving the asparagus is a bit fiddly, but it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. Just dig in and give it a try and by the third one, you'll be a pro. If you want some more tips, Amanda and Merril at Food 52 offered this helpful tutorial. The only change I would make is that I keep the ends on my asparagus before I shave them as a handle.

Oscar doesn't like asparagus and Chloe can't tolerate much lemon, so they weren't fans. But Olivia joined the adults at the table in giving it two thumbs up.

2009:  Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes with Tarragon
2010:  Olivia's Warm Goat Cheese Salad
2011:  Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

Fatter asparagus will be easier to shave than the ultra thin ones, although the thin ones still work. I like to leave the shavings long because they look pretty curled into a tangle in the bowl. They are too long to be bite-sized, however and if you'd like to save your dinner guests some work, cut the lengths into thirds or quarters after shaving them.

Because the asparagus shavings are more sturdy than lettuce greens, they can be tossed with the dressing ahead of time and they will not wilt. I'd wait to add the pine nuts and cheese, though, or they will lose their texture.

Serves 4 as a side dish
20 minutes preparation time2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 bunch asparagus (about a dozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresm lemon juice
1 tablespoon chives
chunk of pramesan for shaving

Put the pine nuts in a single layer in a pan over medium-low heat. Toast until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden, 3-5 minutes.

Rinse and drain the asparagus. Leave the ends on. Lay an asparagus stalk on a cutting board. Using a potato peeler, begin shaving the asparagus lengthwise from the base, beginning where the aspargus stalk starts to change color from white or pale green to a deeper green. Depending on the shape of your potato peeler, as the stalk gets flatter, you may need to shift it to the edge of the cutting board to get a better angle. Continue all the way to the tip so that the result is a long thin sheet of slightly curled asparagus. Discard the handle end of the stalk (or save it for stock).

Keep shaving until the asparagus is too thin to yield another piece. Repeat with the remaining stalks. Toss the curled asparagus pieces into a shallow bowl. If there are any short pieces or tips that didn't get curled, toss then in as well.

Put the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk it together and, while you are whisking, slowly add the olive oil. Using a pair of scissors, snip the chives into the dressing, pour the dressing over the asparagus, and mix gently.

Just before you are ready to serve, sprinkle the pine nuts over the top of the salad. Using that same potato peeler (rinse it if you must), shave some parmesan over the salad. Use as much as you like, but I'd count on at least 12 to 16 pieces to ensure that each serving gets three or four pieces of parmesan.

Gently mix the salad and serve.

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Oscar's Strawberry Milkshakes

Rhubarb-Grapefruit Jam

Ricky and Lucy. Gracie and George. Tom and Jerry. Felix and Oscar. Sonny and Cher. Donny and Marie.

Unlikely pairs that make magic together. (Ok, maybe they weren't all magic, but they were all entertaining).

Rhubarb and grapefruit may seem like an odd couple, too, but they are delicious together. The rhubarb is tart right off the bat, hitting immediately with an intense burst of flavor. The grapefruit hangs back and as soon as the rhubarb begins to retreat, it comes on with its bitter flavor. Of course it is all mellowed by the sugar in the jam, but the combination is excellent.

I like it spread on toast or swirled into yogurt. The rhubarb flavor isn't super assertive so it didn't stand up to the peanut butter in a sandwich.

Now Gabe is feeding me more names. Abbott and Costello. Mary Matlin and James Carville. Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie. . .

2009: Rhubarb-Thyme Compote
2010: Rhubarb-Mint Popsicles
2011: Rhurbarb-Apple Turnovers

Rhubarb-Grapefruit Jam

Makes about 4 cups of jam
10 minutes preparation time
about 30 minutes cookig time

I use about 4 tablespoons of grapefruit juice for each cup of finished jam. It may seem like a lot, but the grapefruit flavor mellows over time.

8 cups diced rhubarb (about a pound and a half)
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (from about 1 grapefruit)

Mix the rhubarb and sugar in a medium-sized sauce pan. Cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat until the rhubarb begins to release its juices, about five minutes. Remove the lid and cook the jam until the rhubarb is meltingly soft and has thickened, about 25 minutes. Stir in the grapefruit juice.

Pour the jam into airtight jars for short-term storage or can them if you want to keep them longer. (For some links about canning see this post).

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Rhubarb Shortcakes

You know how your mind wanders and you go from Shakespeare to rhubarb to crossdressing?

Sometimes you are just sitting, innocently minding your own business, watching your daughter perform in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Just watching, soaking in her enthusiasm and joy, watching her recite lines that you saw in the beat up script that she carried around for months but didn't mean much to you on the page. Now listening, hearing those words come to life.

Then you hear it: "rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb."

What the?

But there it is, clear as day, "rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb." Two characters, mumbling, saying that word of all words.

And not just any characters, mind you. It is one boy playing a boy playing a girl and another boy playing a boy playing a boy, mumbling through a girl playing a boy playing a wall. And it gets you thinking about how Shakespeare only used male actors to play all the roles so that there was lots of crossdressing going on. And you think how much funnier it is to watch those gender roles all scrambled than it would be if it were just boys playing boys, girls playing girls, and walls playing walls.

And in a way, you think, Rhubarb is a very Shakespearian vegetable. Sure, tomatoes are botanically fruits that we more commonly treat as vegetables (as are beans, squash, corn, etc., all of whom carry their own seeds within themselves, but for some reason nobody talks about them being fruits).

But I can't think of any other vegetables that masquerade as fruits. Rhubarb, then, is special.

Also, rhubarb is delicious. Even all by itself as the star of the show.

Your mind does wander like this, too . . . doesn't it?

2009: Candied Ginger Scones
2010: Monday Rhubarb Streusel Cake
2011: Green Rhubarb Galette

Rhubarb Shortcakes

Inspired by Anne Dimock's recipe for Straight-Up Rhubarb Pie on Food 52

The individual components for the dessert can be made several hours in advance and assembled just before serving. When I served these on Saturday, I halved this recipe and also made a separate strawberry topping for those who wanted a more traditional dessert. I used about a quart of strawberries, and loosely followed this recipe. Most of us opted for open-faced shortcakes with strawberries on one side and rhubarb on the other.

Serves 12
35 minutes preparation time
15 minutes baking time

For the shortcakes:
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup milk
cream for brushing (a tablespoon or less)

For the rhubarb:
5-6 cups rhubarb, trimmed, washed, and diced (about a pound)
1/4 cup sugar
small pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

To make the shortcakes, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl  Mix in the butter with your fingers, mashing it into the flour until the mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal.  Slowly stir in the milk a bit at a time, using just enough to get the mixture to hold together.  Knead the dough for about a minute.  Roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disk.

Flour a work surface and roll the dough out until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut it into 2-inch rounds (or hearts or diamonds...).  After you have cut one batch, re-roll the dough and cut again. When you are left with small scraps, shape them into a final disk. It will be lumpy, but it will still taste good. Arrange the shortcakes on the cookie sheet and brush them with a bit of cream. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the cakes turn a pale gold color. Remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool on a rack.

Toss the rhubarb, sugar, and cinnamon together in a small saucepan. With the lid on, heat the rhubarb over medium-low heat until the rhubarb releases its juices, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and let the mixture simmer until the rhubarb is very soft, about 15 minutes.

To make the cream mixture, whip the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together until it is the texture of whipped cream.

When they are cool enough to handle, split them horizontally with a large knife. The shortcakes are firm and this is easier to do than it initially seems it will be.

To serve, place the bottom of each shortcake on a platter. Spoon about two tablespoons of the rhubarb mixture on top, and then layer on the whipped cream. Gently place the cake top on the whipped cream. 

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Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

It happens every year. Spring arrives and I become obsessed with making picnic food. With a few notable exceptions (like this and this), I don't seem to like repeating the same picnic salads. I'm always trying to come up with a new grain-veggie-protein combimation to make the perfect dinner-in-a-bowl picnic food.

And so, when the days get longer and warmer, I start getting excited about picnic dishes.

For some of you, spring might be the opportunity to debut a cute new pair of sandals or a sweet little summer dress. Or to play baseball or ride bikes again.

As I wrote that, I thought, "Those things sound great! Why can't I be obsessed with one of those?!?!"

But that's the thing about obsessions, isn't it? You don't get to choose them. They choose you. Every once in a while, they will even choose two of you at once. This year, quinoa has chosen to make its mark on both Gabe and me. Something about that nutty chewiness has gotten to the two of us and we are enjoying it more and more. And so it has made its appearance on several buffet tables over the past couple of months.

Cross the quinoa obsession with the picnic food obsession and you get this very tasty salad. I love the contrasts of the soft avocado with the crisp radish, and the tart lime with the sweet basil.

I think this may be one of those picnic salads that we do end up making again and again.

At least until a new obsession moves in.

2009: Taco Frittata
2010: Arugula Pesto Quinoa
2011: Ramp Pesto

Avodaco and Radish Quinoa Salad

To make the salad in advance, cook the chick peas and quinoa up to a few days ahead. Chop the vegetables a few hours before you are ready to serve.

30 minutes preparation time, plus a couple of hours to cook the chick peas
Serves 6

1/3 cup dried chick peas
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 lemons)
2 ripe avocadoes, cut into large chunks
6 radishes, preferably a mix of mild and hotter, sliced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 cup basil, torn into bits
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Put the chick peas in a small saucepan and cover them generously with water. Add a pinch of salt and bring the beans to a boil. Reduce them to simmer and let them cook until they are tender, a couple of hours. Check occasionally to be sure that they have enough water and, if needed add more. When the chick peas are soft, drain them and set them aside to cool.

To cook the quinoa, heat a teaspoon or so of the olive oil in a skillet.  Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.  Let it boil for about 1 minute.  Turn off the heat, cover, and let the quinoa sit until it is soft and the round grains have opened up, 12 to 15 minutes. When it is done, remove the lid and stir the quinoa with a fork. Set aside.

Squeeze the limes into a large bowl and add the avocado. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

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Green Apple Fizz

We've just returned from Spring Break in California. My head is still in the clouds and I'm finding it hard to adjust to east coast time. I will sort through the gazillion photos that I took and soon I'll do a post for you recapping the highlights. In the meantime, though, I have a little something bubbly for you.

I love the idea of having a frou frou drink for a party, something fruity and refreshing. It would be something special for the nondrinkers and it could be spiked for those that care to indulge.

For me and the fancy drink, though, idea and execution rarely meet. I lie in bed dreaming up all kinds of fabulous concoctions, but often I forget to put the needed ingredients on the shopping list. Or I buy the ingredients, but run out of time for the actual preparation.

This time I thought I was golden. I had that green apple syrup prepped in the morning, hours before our guests were to arrive. Gabe did run out at the last minute because we had forgotten the seltzer and ice. But by the time the curtain went up, it was all assembled: ice, seltzer, and syrup were on their own table, ready to be mixed for our guests. And then our friends arrived, and I began chatting and eating, and drinking. I forgot all about my sweet drink.

A few must have tried it out because there was a bit missing from the pitcher, but, without a host to do the mixing, most people didn't know what to do with it.

So there were leftovers. Which we thoroughly enjoyed. The green apple is crisp and refreshing, a perfect drink for the spring, before the berries are out, but when a cool, sweet drink hits the spot.

Next time, we need a bar tender. I'm thinking those kiddies are old enough.

Green Apple Fizz

Makes 8-10 drinks
30 minutes preparation time, plus several hours for chilling

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
4 Granny Smith apples, plus extra slices for garnish
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from about 6 limes)
2-3 quarts seltzer water

Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool.

Cut the apples into quarters and remove the cores. Grate or shred the apples (I used a food processor, but you could also use a grater). Pour the shredded apples into a large pitcher (or two, if you don't have one large enough). Add the lime juice and, when the syrup has cooled to room temperature, add it too.

Let the mixture sit for several hours or overnight to allow the flavor of the apples to steep into the sugar syrup. Before serving, pour through a strainer into another pitcher, mashing the shredded apples with a back of the spoon against the strainer to remove all of the juice.

To serve, fill a 12-ounce glass with ice. Add about 1/3 cup syrup and top off the glass with seltzer. Stir. Taste and add more syrup, if you want a stronger flavor. Garnish with a slice of apple.

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Oscar's Tasty and Juicy Strawberry Pie

Okay, that's Oscar's title, but I was going to call it "Not Quite Perfect Strawberry Pie." Here's the back story.

A couple of years ago, when we went strawberry picking, we were dreaming of all of the things that we would make with them. Oscar was very specific about wanting strawberry pie. I had made cherry pie, blueberry pie, peach pie, lots and lots of other pies. But never strawberry pie.


"Um, Oscar, how about a nice strawberry tart?"

"No, it should be a pie."

"Well, a pie is like a tart, just no top."

"No, it should be a pie, just like a blueberry pie, with a top."


Okay, then, pie. I gave it a go. I have lost track of how many strawberry pies I  have now made. I tried several with two crusts, some with ground nuts, some with ricotta. But I wasn't happy with the color, texture, flavor. There was always something. I finally decided that the top crust just wasn't going to work. The steaming of the strawberries just made them lose their vibrant color and cooked them too much.

So this year when we gave it a try, I decided to leave off the top. I still made it like a pie, deep, in a pie plate, but left off the top. I kept some of the berries uncooked and made others into a syrup. Again, we've given it a few tries. Our last attempt, the pie still didn't set as firmly as I would have liked.

But here's the thing. Oscar loved it. And it was delicious. Just not perfectly set. In fact, I think Oscar loved all of these pies, and we have had a great time making them together. The last pie we made, Oscar helped me every step of the way, and even took over the naming. "I'm going to say 'tasty'. You've got to make it sound good!"

So, even though it's not perfect, I'm going to share this recipe with you. Because sometimes, the planning and the making are more important than the end result. And perfection isn't the point. Getting into the kitchen, spending time with one (or more!) of my children, that's what I love and what I want to remember.

We'll keep at it, though, until strawberry season is over, and I'd love to hear your ideas for tweaking this recipe. I promise I'll come back and update the recipe when I get it perfect. If we ever do.

 

And just in case you were keeping track of the pie versus tart conversation, Oscar was not fooled by this recipe. I thought maybe he'd forget about that conversation we had a couple of years ago about the top of the pie, but when he realized that we weren't going to cook it after we poured in the berries in syrup, he hesitated. "But I wanted a pie, not a tart!"

Then he remembered that there was a bit of dough left from the bottom crust, and pulled it out of the refrigerator. We decided to shape it and place it on the top. Not quite a double crust pie, but enough to make him happy. And, really, that's what I'm after.

Second Helping:  Cherry Galettes
Thirds: Strawberry Shortcake (Mmm- I'm thinking we'll take a break from the pie and make this next)

Oscar's Tasty and Juicy Strawberry Pie

Serves 10
45 minutes preparation time
35 minutes baking time, plus a few hours for chilling

for the crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2-4 tablespoons cold water

for the filling:
10 cups whole strawberries, stems removed, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

First, make the crust. You can make the dough either by hand or in a food processor.

If you are making the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the butter and mix it into the flour mixture quickly with your fingers until it ranges in size from tiny pebbles to cornmeal.

If you prefer to use a food processor, add all the ingredients except the butter and water into the food processor bowl and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the butter is broken into small pieces, ranging in size from cornmeal to tiny pebbles. Turn the flour mixture into a large bowl. 

Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix with a fork or your hands.  If the dough does not hold together after you have mixed in the water, add one additional tablespoon of water at a time until it does.  Form the dough into a ball with your hands.  Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. 

Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes and up to a couple of days. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on lightly floured plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Roll the dough until it is about 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pie plate.  Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie plate.  Push the dough down into the sides of the pie plate until it fits snugly.  Trim any dough that hangs over the edge with scissors. Remove any excess dough. Pop any excess into the refrigerator to make a shape for the top, if you like.

Place a piece of foil over the dough in the tart pan.  Press the foil into the pan so that it sits tightly on top of the dough.  Fill the pie plate with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake the crust for 25 minutes.  Remove the weights and the foil and bake until the crust is lightly brown, about another 7 minutes. 

While the crust is cooking, make the filling. Reserve about two dozen perfect berries for the top.  Halve or quarter the remaining berries, depending on their size. In a small pot, gently mash 2 cups of the berries with the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture thickens and the cornstarch is clear, about 5 minutes. Set it aside (in the refrigerator or freezer) to cool to room temperature.

With the exception of the two dozen perfect berries, spread the remaining berries into the pie crust. Pour the cooled strawberry mixture over the top. Slice the remaining two dozen berries in half lengthwise and arrange them over the top of the pie in a circular pattern. Chill for at least two hours until firm.

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Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

I haven't been at all creative in the kitchen lately. In fact, I've barely been in the kitchen lately. The end of school year activities, along with overlapping sports seasons (soccer/baseball/softball/swimming) have left my head spinning with very little time to think, let alone to cook. And I find it very difficult to be creative without some time to sit and let my thoughts percolate.

It was just this past weekend, then, when I finally had a chance to go to the farmers' market and get inspired to get going again. I also had a chance to do more than crack the spine of Vegetables from an Italian Garden, which Gabe had given me for Mothers' Day. The book is beautiful with lots of creative recipes organized by season.

I flipped to Spring and found this lovely little recipe that I immediately tried. It was very quick and the result was excellent. Adding the cannellini beans made the salad more hearty, so that it could be eaten as a side salad or as a main course.Olivia suggested that we have ours with a fried egg on top which I thought was fabulous plan. It made for a perfect, quick Spring dinner.

Best of all, I feel much more balanced after having had some time in the kitchen.

Second helping: Lemony Potato Salad
Thirds: Linguine with Garlic Scape and Pea Pesto

Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

Adapted from Vegetables from an Italian Garden

Serves 6 as a side dish
20 minutes preparation and cooking time

2 bunches of asparagus
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 of a lemon)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (a small handful before chopping)
1/4 teaspoon salt
 a few grinds of fresh pepper
fried eggs (optional)

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, and rinse them. Salt the boiling water with a few dashes of salt and add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is tender and still a vibrant green, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus in a colander as soon as it has finished cooking.

While the asparagus is cooking, drain the cannellini beans and rinse them under cold water.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the cannellini beans and stir. When the asparagus has finished cooking, toss it into the bowl and stir again. Serve warm or at room temperature. A fried egg on top is optional.

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Rhubarb-Apple Turnovers

One of the cookbooks that I have been using frequently of late is Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. The book is full of fairly simple but delicious recipes that are perfect for either a casual dinner or a fancier dinner party. It has been an excellent source of inspiration, especially for our Sunday Suppers.

It is natural, then, that I turned to Greenspan's book to give me some ideas for rhubarb, my current obsession. I had already made a galette a few times, as well as a variation using filo dough. This weekend I also made rhubarb-thyme compote, throwing in some strawberries for good measure.

We had gotten some apples from the farmers' market along with our rhubarb and I thought the two would be delicious together. Greenspan's book has a recipe for Compote de Pommes, and in the margin, she gave instructions for turning the compote into apple turnovers. A few minor tweaks and I had a lovely variation that uses rhubarb. These sweet little turnovers are just big enough to hold in your hand, the perfect little hand pie.

The puff pastry gives the turnovers a light, crunchy texture which is a nice contrast to the sauce in the filling. Because they are made with prepared puff pastry dough, they don't take too long to put together and are perfect for a snack or a party.

As obsessions go, I'm definitely enjoying this one.

Second Helping: Rhubarb-Mint Popsicles (hmmmm, apparently, I was gorging on rhubarb last year, too)
Thirds: Candied Ginger Scones

Rhubarb-Apple Turnovers

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table
Makes about 18 turnovers
30 minutes preparation time, plus a couple of hours to defrost the puff pastry)
approximately 20 minutes baking time

1 14-ounce sheet puff pastry dough (I used Dufour)
3 large stalks of rhubarb, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten

If your puff pastry comes frozen, put it in the refrigerator to defrost for a couple of hours before you need it.

Put the apples and rhubarb in a small stockpot with a splash of water to keep them from sticking. Add the sugar and stir. Put the pot over medium heat, cover it, and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until the fruit is meltingly soft, about 15 minutes. Mash the fruit slightly with a bean masher or a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla and butter, and stir. Set the mixture aside while you roll out the dough.

Lightly flour a work surface. Unfold the puff pastry dough and lay it out on the work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin until it is very thin. The thinness doesn't matter too much, but the thinner it is, the better the ratio of dough to filling will be, and the more you will be able to make.

Cut the dough into approximately 4-inch circles using the edge of a saucer or whatever other implement you have handy. (I made mine 3-inches, and I think a larger size is better because it will allow more filling per pastry).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop a tablespoon of the rhubarb-apple mixture onto one half of each circle of dough, leaving about a half inch border around the edge. Brush the border of the circle with egg and fold the dough over to make a half circle. Using the tines of a fork, press the dough onto itself to seal it.  (If you don't seal it completely, the sauce will ooze out as it cooks. This happened with lots of ours which actually is not the worst thing in the world.

Sprinkle the top of each turnover with a bit of sugar and poke a couple of holes in the top of each turnover.

Bake the turnovers until they are golden brown and the filling begins to ooze out of the steam holes, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Ramp Pesto

Ramps are only available for a short time each spring, making them one of those foods that marks the season. They have a mild onion-y flavor, which is fresh and bright, capturing perfectly the taste of spring.

I got the idea to make a pesto out of ramps from this recipe on Food 52, but of course I had to change it up a bit. I added some of the whites of the ramps, which pack a punch. Tasting a sliver raw reminded me of tasting a raw garlic clove. Because traditional basil pesto usually includes garlic, I thought that adding some of them would have the same effect as adding a pungent flavor to the pesto.

I also used pecans instead of walnuts or pine nuts because I made the mistake of looking away while I was holding down the handle on the bulk bin at Whole Foods. $24 later, I began thinking of ways to consume lots of pecans. The combination of the green freshness of the ramps and the sweet nuttiness of the pecans was very tasty. 

This pesto would be excellent on pizza or a sandwich, but being the pasta lovers that we are, we had it with pasta. It can be made in the time it takes the pasta to cook. For us, it was the perfect quick meal before heading out to baseball practice. Spring indeed.

Second Helping: Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
Thirds: Pressure Cooker Saffron and Artichoke Risotto

Ramp Pesto

 

Makes approximately 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta
20 minutes preparation time 

 2 cups coarsley chopped and loosley packed ramp leaves (about 1 bunch)
2 teaspoons ramp whites, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated parmesan

Put all of the ingredients except the olive oil and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is well-incorporated, but still a bit chunky.  With the food processor running, pour in the olive oil until it is completely incorporated. Add the parmesan and pulse once or twice. Serve with the carb of your choice.

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Green Rhubarb Galette

We went away for one week and the farmers' market went from ho-hum to fantastic. Not only were there ramps and asparagus, there were also lots of herbs, spring onions, and morel mushrooms. And there was rhubarb.

As always, when I visit the Silver Spring farmers' market, my first stop is Koiner's Farm, which offers produce grown in downtown Silver Spring. Koiner's is the life's work of Charlie Koiner, who is now 90 years old and still going strong. We should all be so lucky as to find work that sustains and energizes us so that we stay committed to it untll we are (at least 90). He is an inspiration to us all. If you want to know more about Koiner and his farm, check out the documentary about him, The Corner Plot, reviewed here.

The rhubarb that Koiner had this week was not the traditional red, but a green variety. Although it looks like celery, it's got the citrusy tang of rhubarb. We were having family over for dinner, so I threw together a  quick galette. I thought about adding strawberries to the galette, too, but I was so excited to see that first rhubarb that I just wanted to have it straight up, at least for the first time this season.

Second Helping: Monday Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Thirds: Rhubarb-Thyme Compote

Green Rhubarb Galette

Although I used green rhubarb for this recipe, the red variety would work just as well and maybe would be even a bit prettier.

Makes 1 galette (serves 6)
30 minutes preparation time
approximately 25 minutes baking time

For the crust:
2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons ice water
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cold butter

To make the crust, first whisk together the sour cream and water in a small bowl and set it aside. In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture has pieces that range in size from small pebbles to grains of sand. Stir in the sour cream mixture and stir using your hands until the mixture comes together into a soft dough.

Roll the dough into a ball, and flatten it into a disk. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or as long as a couple of days.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the filling by mixing the rhubarb with the 3 tablespoons of sugar. When the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it is about 15 inches in diameter. Don't worry about making the galette perfect, but do patch any holes in the bottom of the dough so that the filling won't leak out. Move it onto the baking sheet.

Spoon the filling onto the dough, leaving an inch or two border. Break off small bits of the butter and distribute them over the filling. Fold the edge of the crust up over the filling, working around in a circle to give the dough a pleated look.

Brush the edges of the galette with water and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the edges. Bake until the galette is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with a scoop of ice cream.

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Green Lasagna

Before we left for our spring break, the farmers' market was loaded with greens, but not much else. We decided to make this lasagna with it, which is loosely based on a lasagna that my sister and brother-in-law have made many times for us. I love the flavors because the greens and the basil give it a freshness that suits the season, even if it is a cheesy, comforting lasagna. It has become one of our family favorites.

Although we made the dish in spring, it really is perfect for fall and winter too, when those greens are abundant at the markets. I'm not going to say too much more. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I'm looking forward to heading back to the farmers' market this weekend to see what's available now. Ramps? Asparagus? I can't wait.

Second Helping: Velvety Ramp and Watercress Soup with Crispy Shallots
Thirds: Kale Chips

Green Lasagna

1 pound lasagne noodles*
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
12 cups fresh spinach leaves, carefully washed
16 ounces ricotta
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
4 1/2 cups whole milk
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
olive oil for the pan
1 large bunch of basil
1 half pound mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the lasagne noodles for a minute less than the time called for on the package. When they are done, drain them in a colander and rinse them with cold water. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon as you rinse to keep them from sticking together.

Put the spinach in a large stock pot and add enough water to nearly cover it. Bring the pot to a boil. Cook until the spinach wilts but is still a bright green. Drain the spinach in a colander, mashing it with a wooden spoon against the side of the colander to remove any remaining water. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool and dry out while you make the bechamel sauce.

In a small stockpot, heat the milk over low heat. It should be warm but not boiling. (You could even heat it in the microwave in a glass measuring cup if you don't want to get another pot dirty.) In a larger sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the flour, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the milk and stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth. Add a few pinches of salt and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture has thickened and you feel a lot of resistance against the spoon as you stir. Stir in the nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and set it aside.

In a large bowl, mix the cooled spinach with the ricotta and parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread a bit of oil over the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch lasagne pan and place a layer of noodles over the bottom. Add enough of the spinach mixture to cover the noodles thinly. Add a layer of basil leaves. Don't be tempted to skimp on the basil; it is the secret ingredient that sets this lasagne apart. Repeat with another layer of noodles-spinach-basil.

Ladle enough of the bechamel sauce over the second layer to cover it. Keep adding more layers of noodles-spinach-basil until you run out of spinach mixture. Pour the remaining bechamel over the top of the lasagne, letting it drip down the sides if you have enough. Add mozzarella to the top.

Bake until the lasagne is lightly browned on top and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

 * Am I the only one that always has way too many lasagne noodles left over? You will not need the full pound, but I make them all anyway because I'm never sure how many I will need. If you  are feeling crafty, you can always cut the extras into strips, toss them with some olive oil and butter, and serve them to any pickier eaters who won't eat the lasagne because it has green stuff in it.

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Leek and Goat Cheese Frittata

 
I am feeling completely stuck in winter. The calendar says it is spring. Some days it even looks like spring, at least from the inside looking out. But other days, the forecasters are talking of more snow (!) and, once outside, I feel the chill of winter hanging on.

In my head, I'm ready to move on from the heartier dishes of winter, all those soups and stews, but on a cold night, they still provide comfort. This weather has me in food limbo!

We all need something that can bridge the seasons, and this frittata does the trick. Leeks are able to travel between the seasons nicely, offering a heartiness to the soups of winter, but also adding freshness to spring dishes. This frittata features those leeks front and center, throwing in some tangy goat cheese along with the eggs. Eggs, symbols of new life, always make me think of spring. And chickens begin to produce more bountifully now that the days are getting longer. 

We most often have this frittata for dinner, but it would also be excellent for brunch or lunch. And it's good hot or at room temperature. As the days warm up, I might even take it on a picnic.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Second Helping: Cacio e Pepe
Thirds: Creamy Turnip Slaw

Leek and Goat Cheese Frittata 

Serves 5
15 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

2 large leeks (about 3 cups sliced)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
8 eggs
1 cup parmesan
5 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the dark green tops off the leeks and discard them (or save them for stock), keeping only the white and light green parts. Slice the leeks lengthwise and then across into half moon slices. Rinse the slices in a colander, shaking the leeks with your hands to ensure that any soil rinses away.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large, ovenproof sauté pan. Add the leeks and sauté them for a few minutes until they soften. Stir the leeks and cover the pan, cooking until the leeks are quite soft, another 7 or so minutes.

While the leeks are cooking, scramble the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add the parmesan, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. When the leeks are done, transfer them to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and swirl it around the pan so that it covers the sides as well as the bottom of the pan.

Add the leeks to the egg bowl and whisk them together immedediately. Add the egg mixture to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook on the stove top until the edges of the frittata have set. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook it until the center of the frittata is firm and it is golden brown.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Remember that the handle is hot! Run a rubber spatula around the sides of the pan. Place the pan next to the serving dish and carefully lift the frittata and slide it onto the plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Black Sesame Carrots

I'm not sure why, but even many children who are picky eaters seem to like carrots. Our children prefer them dunked in copious amounts of Ranch dressing, and presented that way, they will munch through a lot of them. This recipe is an attempt to change the humble carrot into something a bit more interesting for those of us that like to deviate from the Ranch dip once in a while.

I was inspired to make this recipe by a food52 contest, and my approach was to give those carrots an Asian twist, tossing them with sesame seeds, five spice powder, and sesame oil. They are cooked on the stove top so they do not get mushy, the kiss of death for cooked carrots. I loved the way they came out, slightly blackened from cooking at high heat, and laced with sesame flavors from the oil and the seeds. I think they will be even better with the first spring carrots that will soon be available.

We ate these carrots as a side dish on their own, but I think they would also be an excellent addition to a noodle salad or a stir fry.

As for the children, they all tried the carrots, resulting in the usual range of reactions from enthusiastic to lukewarm. I'll definitely make them again and try to win the children over so that I can eat them more often. The carrots, that is.

Black Sesame Carrots

Serves 6 as a side dish
10 minutes preparation time
10 minutes cooking time

2 teaspoons black seasme seeds
1 teaspoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil (untoasted)
10 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on a diagonal
salt to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in thin slivers
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Place a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast them by cooking them for about a minute, tossing them a couple of times so that they cook evenly. Add the five spice powder and toast it until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Use a clean paper towel to wipe out the pan.

Return the pan to the stovetop and raise the heat to high. Add the sesame oil and when it is hot, swirl it around the pan. Add the carrots and let them sit for a minute or two without stirring so that they brown. Add the slivers of garlic.

Stir the carrots or, if you are feeling chef-y, shake the pan so that the carrot slices flip and land on their opposite sides. Continue to cook, stirring or tossing so that the carrots brown evenly, until they are tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and five spice powder as well as the toasted sesame oil and stir to coat the carrots evenly. Serve immediately.

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Fresh Broccoli Lemon Pasta

After that recipe for pecan bars (and after polishing off the last of our stash), I am definitely in the mood for something healthier. And what is healthier than broccoli? Amazingly, our children will all eat broccoli. Actually, it's more accurate to say that none of them will reject pasta just because it has broccoli in it, although I often find that they have eaten the pasta and left a heap of broccoli behind.

Broccoli, trimmed and ready to go.

There are beautiful heads of broccoli at the farmers' markets now, so this is the time to make the most of it. We have been making a broccoli pasta with sour cream for years and love it, but the night I first made this we didn't have any sour cream and I will go to great lengths to avoid going to the grocery store. Instead, I made this version of a broccoli pasta with the ingredients that I had on hand. (Incidentally, I thought I had posted that broccoli sour cream pasta recipe a long time ago, but I can't find it in the archives. Does anyone remember reading it? Have I lost my mind?)

The broccoli in this recipe is so good that I had to stop myself from eating it right out of the pan. The garlic and parsley get chopped together into a persillade which is just a fancy French word for . . . well, at its simplest, it just means garlic and parsley chopped together. The lemon zest adds a bit of brightness that nicely complements the heartiness of the broccoli.

The lemon-parsley combination. Can you smell it?

If that's not enough to convince you, then you should also know that it only takes about 30 minutes to make. Chop the broccoli first, then you can prep the rest of the dish while the pasta water boils and the broccoli sautés. Also, with the broccoli and pasta in one dish, you don't even need a vegetable or salad on the side.

I polled the family after we had this pasta to see how they liked it compared to the original broccoli-sour cream pasta. We had a split decision, which admittedly is not easy to do in a family of 5. Everyone said that they liked both, but two preferred this new version, two preferred the family classic, and one liked them both so didn't choose a favorite.

Second Helping: Roasted Beet, Cucumber, and Feta Salad

Just add pasta.

Fresh Broccoli Lemon Pasta

 

Serves 6
10 minutes preparation time
about 25 minutes cooking time

2 small heads broccoli (about 6-8 cups of florets)
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 pound short pasta such as penne or farfalle
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
freshly grated parmesan for serving

Set a large pot of water to boil.

Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. I use the stems, too. If they are very thick, peel off the outer layer; if they are small, don't bother. Slice the stems across into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick).

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes and sauté, stirring occasionally so that the broccoli browns but does not burn. Cook until the florets are tender to the bite, which, depending on the size of the pieces, will take about 20 minutes.

While the broccoli is cooking, chop the parsley and garlic cloves together and zest the lemon. When the broccoli is tender, remove the pan from the heat, add the parsley, garlic, and lemon, and toss it together. Set the pan aside.

When the water has come to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta until it is al dente; for me this is usually 1 minute less than the time called for on the box. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. (I remind myself to do this by setting a measuring cup in the colander while the pasta is cooking. When I pour the pasta out to drain it, I pour a bit in the measuring cup first.) Drain the pasta and return it to the pan.

Immediately add the broccoli. If you like, add a bit of the pasta water to give the mixture a bit of a sauce. Serve hot and add parmesan at the table.

Jobs for children: Children can zest the lemon, wash the broccoli and parsley, and peel the garlic. Older children can chop the broccoli, garlic and parsley, too.

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Pea Shoot, Feta, and Olive Sandwich

In addition to this blogging thing, I have a day job. I'll be hanging on to it for some time because this blog isn't exactly paying the bills. Scratching that creative itch, definitely. But bringing home the bacon? Um, no.

The day job has many benefits, but one of the best is its flexibility. My schedule allows me to work at home a couple of days a week. It's an excellent perk for a working mother, especially because my office is an hour away from home. I love this arrangement, but it also has a down side.

As I'm sure many work-at-home parents can tell you, it can be a bit, well, lonely. When the kids were little, I could still hear the occasional giggle or footsteps from my basement office. But now that they're in school all day every day, it's just me and my Buddy. Thank goodness for my shaggy friend, who gives me an excuse to chatter without feeling like I've completely lost my mind.

Usually on these days at home, my lunch is a fairly dull affair. I somehow have inherited my grandmother's Depression-era mentality and I cannot bring myself to waste food. So I feel compelled to eat that half-eaten sandwich that Chloe didn't eat in her lunch. I've been tempted to keep sending it back in her lunch box day after day in the hopes that one day she will eat it, but at this point, it's more important to me that she eat something for lunch to avoid her having a complete melt down by the end of the school day. I eat it for lunch. Maybe I doctor it up a bit or reheat leftovers from the previous night's dinner. Not very exciting.

The other day, though, I just needed something to get me through the afternoon, and those random bits in the fridge were not going to do it. So I got a (new!) loaf of bread out of the freezer, thawed and toasted it, and added lots of my favorite toppings. The result was this sandwich and it was delicious. The saltiness of the olives and feta played well off the greens, and the onion added a bit of crunch. The tomatoes were a nice, sweet note, but the sandwich would have been just as good without them.

When I had lunch that day, I sat down with a napkin on my lap and a dog at my feet and ate the whole sandwich. I didn't get up even once to get someone something for someone and I didn't field a single complaint about the meal on the table. Quite a treat.

Okay, it didn't quite make up for the absence of those little feet, but it was a very good start.

Second Helping: Wacky Sandwiches (make sure to check out the comments for more sandwich ideas)

Pea Shoot, Feta, and Olive Sandwich

1 slice of baguette about 4 inches long, sliced lengthwise (or 2 thick slices of another crusty bread)
olive oil for drizzling
1 generous handful pea shoots or spinach
6-ish cherry tomatoes, halved
6-ish kalamata olives, halved
1 teaspoon chopped red onion
a tablespoon or two of feta, crumbled

Toast the bread. Drizzle it with olive oil. Load the greens on top of one slice of bread. Add the remaining ingredients and top with the other slice of bread. Get a fork out of the drawer to clean up anything that falls out of the sandwich.

Sit down, turn on the radio, pull out a good book, or just sit in silence. Enjoy.

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Cooking with Mother Goose: Mulberry Gelato

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes -  just one more way for me to hook the children into the kitchen.

Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush;
Here we go round the mulberry bush
so early in the morning.

Maybe you have a mulberry bush or tree in your yard.  If you do, you probably have cursed it at least once for dripping berries onto something you didn't want stained dark purple.  Maybe you cut it down. I know the sentiment. I have walked through the park behind our house many times and stepped carefully around those berries so that I don't get the juice all over my shoes.

But as they have in so many areas of my life, my daughters have given me a different perspective.  They love those mulberries.  As do the squirrels, who go to amazing gyrations, hanging upside down from the branches, to fill their bellies with berries.  Buddy goes crazy watching them.

And because I am a food-obsessed nut, I have wondered for years if I could cook with mulberries.  I had thought of making a pie or tart with them, but since I usually use about 10 cups of fruit in a pie, it seemed like it would take forever to collect enough. Then, last year, when I read Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, she described making mulberry ice cream. Of course mulberries were out of season by then so I had to wait a year.  But now they're back, spilling their black-purple ink all over the sidewalks.

Adding to my mulberry fever, this past weekend on our long car trip, we listened to Linda Sue Park's Project Mulberry, a story about two kids who set off in search of a mulberry tree for a silkworm project.  In the book, one of the characters describes mulberry ice cream as the best ice cream ever. 

With our Italy trip still very much in mind, gelato sounded even better.  Gelato usually has a lower fat content than ice cream, which according to Gourmet Today, makes the fruit taste more prominent.  Interesting.  I found a recipe in Gourmet Today for cherry gelato, and with a bit of fiddling -- more fruit, some vanilla bean -- I adapted it for mulberries.

The other day, I set off with the children to the park to collect mulberries.  I wish I could tell you that the promise of homemade gelato, made from berries we foraged ourselves, would motivate the children to happily gather as many mulberries as they could.  Instead of skipping along singing while we gathered berries -- okay, not really my vision, but wouldn't that have been nice? -- it was more like this:

"Mulberry picking is stupid.  I don't even like mulberries."

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"I'm thirsty."

"It's so hot."

"I'm tired."

"I just got attacked by ants. AAAHHHHH, they're killer ants!!"

"I think we have enough."

"Can we go now?"

You get the idea. But somehow we did manage to collect a small basketful of berries. I had brought a small stool, and I used it to reach the branches and pull them down low enough so that the kids could pick the berries.

Then we whacked a couple of the higher branches with a long stick and gathered the berries that fell. And soon, without anyone dying of thirst or being swarmed by deadly ants, we had enough for our gelato. 

One note about the berries. There are at least two varieties of mulberries around here, the dark purple ones and the white ones. I always thought that the white ones were just unripe, but friends of ours clued me in that they are actually a different variety and even sweeter than their purple cousins. Just look for the ones on the tree that are tinged slightly pink.

By the time we got home and cooled off, the children were willing to pitch in to make the gelato, picking the stems off of the berries and helping measure and mix. 

And  they were eager to try the finished product. I thought it delivered a pure mulberry flavor. The children loved it, too. Oddly, though, they all thought it tasted a bit like banana. Even though the picking process was somewhat challenging, I hope that by the time the mulberry juice has faded from their fingers, they will have forgotten the cranky bits of the day and remember the picking, making, and eating fondly. I know that's what I plan to do.

So now, when I see those mulberries all over the place, I have a new attitude. If life hands you mulberries. . . make mulberry gelato.

 

Mulberry Gelato

Adapted liberally from Gourmet Today
Makes about 5 cups
40 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time, plus several hours for chilling

1/2 vanilla bean
3 1/2 cups whole milk
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fresh mulberries

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and put them, the vanilla bean pod, and the milk in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately remove the pot from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean pod.

Whisk the 1/2 cup of sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of the milk mixture to the cornstarch and mix until it is smooth. Then add the cornstarch-milk mixture back into the saucepan.  Return the saucepan to the stove, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Simmer, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour it though a strainer into a heat-proof bowl.  The straining might seem to be a bit fussy but it only takes a couple of extra minutes and will result in a creamier gelato. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has cooled, about an hour.  Then cover the bowl and refrigerate until very cold, about 3 hours.

While the mixture is cooling, prepare the mulberries.  Remove the stems and reserve a few mulberries for decoration if you like. Add the mulberries and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a blender or food processor.  Let the mixture sit for at least half an hour and then pour it through a sieve. Again, this straining will be quick and will be worth it in the end. 

When the milk mixture has cooled, stir in the mulberry juice. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.  When it has finished, transfer it to an air-tight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

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Picnic Parade

Seasonal cooking for me involves the use of ingredients available at the various times of year, but there is also more to it.  I  turn to lighter dishes in the spring and summer, dishes that are simpler, and less fussy.  As much as I love to cook, I don't want to stand over a hot stove and stir or make complicated sauces once the weather warms up.  Well, maybe once in a while, but not regularly.

We also end up eating out of the house many nights this time of year, and I like to create dishes that are portable, can be eaten at room temperature, and, ideally, contain a starch or grain, some vegetables, and a bit of protein.  A complete meal in a bowl.  It makes those evenings at the side of the baseball diamond or at the swimming pool that much more appealing.

Since summer officially begins this weekend -- or the picnic season anyway -- here are a few ideas from the archives of dishes that you may want to take along with you wherever you wander.

Appetizers:

Edamame Rice Balls

Basil Hummus

Edamame Dip

Radish Tartines

Smoky Deviled Eggs

Side Salads:

Asparagus with Shallot-Champagne Vinaigrette

Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes with Tarragon

Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Creamy Turnip Slaw

Main Course Salads:

Arugula Pesto Quinoa

Moro Bean, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Lentil and Feta Salad

Minted Bulgur with Tomatoes and Roasted Chick Peas

Corn, Tomato, and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Egg Dishes:

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

Taco Frittata

Egg Salad with Tarragon and Shallots

Desserts:

Oscar's Brownies

Strawberry Shortcake

Blueberry Pie

Peach Pie

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Beverage:

Mint Limeade

Cheers!

Rhubarb-Mint Popsicles

One of the things about trying to eat seasonally is that I find myself gorging on whatever is in season because I know it won't last.  This is a good news, bad news situation.  On the bad news side, I am probably buying and eating more that I need.  This spring, I have been buying oodles of strawberries at the market with the intention of baking with them, but they disappear from the refrigerator in a couple of days.  So I haven't baked with those strawberries yet. 

 
I really don't mind, though.  The berries are sweet and delicious and I'm glad that the children appreciate that.  When the season is over, they'll have bellies full of strawberries, sticky, pink fingers, and good memories.  And we'll all be ready to move on to something else.  Blueberries, maybe?  That's the good news. 

We've been mowing through the rhubarb, too.  We have had lots of rhubarb streusel cake, and I have a stash of rhubarb-thyme compote in the refrigerator.  Our latest project, though, was popsicles.  This is a super simple project that the children helped make.  We added a bit of mint and the combination is excellent -- the tart flavor of the rhubarb works nicely with the brightness of the mint.  I didn't purée the mixture so the popsicles are loaded with chunks of fruit.

I couldn't resist helping myself to more rhubarb stalks at this week's market along with a few quarts of strawberries.  I know what I want to make with the strawberries.  But should I stick to an old favorite with the rhubarb or try something new?  What would you make?  

Happy Monday!

Second Helping:  Radish Tartines

Rhubarb-Mint Popsicles

The mint and the rhubarb in the recipe as written create a popsicle with a lot of flavor.  We liked them this way, but if you want to tone it down, add a bit more water and use less mint when you add it at the end.

Makes 5 popsicles
10 minutes preparation time
25 minutes cooking time

5 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mint, minced and divided
1 cup water

Put the rhubarb, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of mint in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer with the pot covered until the rhubarb is meltingly soft, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the remaining mint.

Let the mixture cool.  Pour it into popsicle molds.  If you don't have popsicle molds, you can use a standard Dixie cup.  The mixture is thick enough that it will even hold a popsicle stick.  Freeze until the popsicles are frozen solid.

Print Recipe

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

 
Our children are loving the Diary of A Wimpy Kid books these days, and, truth be told, I find them hilarious myself.  They are part comic, part novel and they are written from the perspective of Greg as he begins his life in middle school.  I'm not sure I can quite convey what I find so funny about them.  I think it's Greg's voice.  He thinks he has it all figured out, but his overconfidence gets him into trouble time after time.

Anyway, if you have read them, you know about the cheese touch.  If you haven't read them, the cheese touch is a piece of American cheese that somehow gets left on the playground to mold and turn bizarre colors.  Any child who touches it is immediately ostracized by the rest of the middle school until he passes the touch on. 

When I put something on the table that my children don't like, it's a lot like the cheese touch.  One of Oscar's least favorite foods is asparagus.  When I put it on the table, he gags and makes awful faces.  If I put some on his plate, he moves all the remaining food away from it so that it doesn't get contaminated. 

The rest of us love it, though.  For me, asparagus is one of those foods that I can't pass at the farmers' market and not buy.  Their flavor is fresh and green, the quintessential taste of spring.

When I made this frittata for dinner recently, Oscar pulled his usual tricks, isolating it on the plate.  Eventually, though I convinced him to eat some of the egg that was in the frittata even though it had touched a piece of asparagus.  A small victory, certainly, but I'll take it.

Second helping: Asparagus with Shallot-Champagne Vinaigrette

 

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

8 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch asparagus (about 10 large)
1 large scallion (about 1/2 cup), chopped
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Slice the asparagus diagonally into one-inch segments, reserving a 2-inch tip of about 10 of the asparagus. 

Heat a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat for a minute or two until it is good and hot.  Add the oil and swirl it around the pan to make sure that it coats the sides.  Add the asparagus segments (holding out the tips) and spring onions and saute until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the egg mixture and cook until the edges set, about 5 minutes.  The center will still be runny. 

Arrange the remaining asparagus tips around the frittata and crumble the goat cheese on top.  Move the pan to the oven and cook until the frittata has firmly set and is golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Let the for a couple of minutes out of the oven.  Then, with an oven mitt over the end of the handle (I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten this and burned myself), run a rubber spatula around the edge of the frittata.  Lift the pan over a serving plate and use the spatula to slide the frittata onto the plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Print Recipe

Monday Rhubarb Streusel Cake

Sometimes you just need a little cake, a little just-because cake.  You know, like a just-because-I-had-the day-off-and-felt-like-baking cake.  Or just-because-it's-Wednesday-and-we're-half-way-through-the-week-cake.  Or just-becase-we're-all-home-for-dinner-with-nowhere-to-rush-to-or-from cake.  Or one of my favorites, just-because-it's-Monday cake.

In general, we try to eat healthy foods, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and not too many sweets.  But treats are one of the great joys of childhood.  If we weren't meant to have a bit of butter and refined sugar in our lives then why do they taste so darn good together?  OK, I know that's riduculous reasoning, but what could be better than biting into a lovingly homemade treat?  That's got to count for something in the health department.  Right?

 
In that spirit, then, here is a recipe for one of those perfect just-because cakes.  It's not at all fancy, just homey and rustic.  It could be dessert, a snack or, if you really need a pick me up on Monday morning, breakfast.  And with rhubarb in season, this is the perfect time to make it.  

Happy Monday.

Second Helping:  Rhubarb-Thyme Compote

Monday Rhubarb Streusel Cake

The rhubarb in this cake is not agressive; it adds a tartness to contrast with the sweetness of the streusel, but it's not overpowering.  If you want a more assertive flavor, add more rhubarb, more lemon, or both.

2 cups diced rhubarb
1/3 cup sugar
zest from one lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
juice from 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

For the topping:
3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter

For the cake:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter, softened 
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, making sure to shake out any excess flour.  I usually do this by turning it upside down over my sink and gently tapping it on the top of my faucet.  But then again my faucet has begun to leak, so mayber a whack with the heel of your hand would be better.

In a small bowl, stir together the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Set aside.

Make the streusel topping by whisking together the flour and sugars.  With your hands, work in the pieces of butter by pinching them repeatedly until they incorporate into the flour and form large clumps.  Set aside.

To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In another small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the sour cream and vanilla.  

Beat the butter and sugar together using a mixer at medium-high speed until it is pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add one third of the flour and, with the mixer on low, combine just until the flour has blended in with the butter mixture.  Add one third of the sour cream and mix briefly.  Continue alternating the flour and sour cream, mixing each time just until the new ingredient has incorporated.  

Spoon the mixture into a pan and smooth it evenly across the pan.  With a slotted spoon, remove the rhubarb and distribute it evenly on top of the batter, leaving any remaining liquid in the bowl. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the top of the cake.  If you have remaining liquid, drizzle it over the top of the streusel.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the streusel is golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then cut it into squares for serving.

Print Recipe

Arugula Pesto Quinoa

This time of year, we begin spending more and more time outside at dinner.  With the kids at various practices for softball, baseball and, soon, swimming, we seem to be always in search of a portable meal.  We are still trying to have a meal together each day and so often this means that we bring our dinner to the baseball field and eat on the sidelines after practice. 

On a side note, it seems so cumbersome to always say "baseball and softball."  "Grab your baseball and softball gloves."  "Let's practice throwing the baseball and softball."  Yes, we really are that lazy that we feel the need to come up with a hybrid name:  baftball?  saseball?  safeball? 

But I digress.  This dish fits the bill as one of those portable, room temperature, everything-in-one-bowl kind of meals that is perfect for a picnic.  And it is tasty too.  If you think quinoa is one of those wacky grains that only hippies eat I encourage you to give it a try.  Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, very easy to cook, and has a delicious nutty chewiness.  The arugula adds a peppery flavor that tastes of spring.  I added the green beans to boost the veggie content in the dish, and the radishes add texture as well as a burst of color.  But you can substitute any other vegetables that suit you.  Think of the pesto-quinoa mixture as a base on which to build.  (Did I really just write "base"?  First base?  Third base?  Sometimes I do not know where those puns come from.)

Second Helping: Asparagus with Shallot-Champagne Vinaigrette

Garden Variety, Take Two

 
As you may remember, last year, I entered into a joint venture with my sister and my friend Mary to grow vegetables in a large plot at Sarah's vineyard, Black Ankle.  (Mary has since started a website, The Abundant Backyard, about her adventures in her yard -- please check it out!)  Honestly, Mary and Sarah did most of the work, and somehow I got fresh vegetables delivered to my door on a regular basis.  Not a bad deal at all. 

I wasn't sure whether anyone would be game to do it again this year.  But, Monica, another high-powered friend, got the ball rolling and, we are at it again.  Monica, Sarah, and Mary have done a lot of work getting the plot ready and doing some initial planting.  I finally went up this past weekend to help out, too. 

We prepared another couple of rows by digging out weeds and adding compost.  The cows were initially quite proprietary about sharing the compost which, after all, they helped create.  But eventually they scattered and we helped ourselves.

 
We planted tomatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, but sadly, it seems like the cold this week killed off the tomatoes.  We now have asparagus, strawberries, lettuces, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, squash, carrots, corn, herbs, and more planted (what did I forget?).  Mary harvested some asparagus and cooked it up for us to have for lunch.  There really is something to eating such fresh produce.  Even the littlest farm hand agreed.
 

 
I have a few San Marzano tomato plants that we decided not to plant because they were too small yet.  These are my favorite sauce tomatoes and I ordered them online (from Sweet Corn Organic Nursery and Local Harvest) so I am glad that they were spared.  Now I just have to keep them alive inside until the danger of frost has passed and they are hearty enough to take the hot sun up there.  Monica ordered potatoes and they will go in this week or next.

 
This year we are trying to control the weeds a bit by lining the rows with burlap.  We have both black plastic burlap sheeting and conventional burlap, and we will see whether either of them helps.  I hope that I am able to find the time to get up there and work more often this year.  It was hard to imagine that I could have any other pressing concerns when I was standing in that garden seeing all of those sprouts pushing through, signs of so much potential.

I brought Buddy with me and he had a fantastic time running all over the place.  He ran into the cow pasture until they chased him off of their turf. Not before he rolled in a good bit of cow manure, though.  Then he ran through the vegetable garden until he charged over a tomato plant and we chased him off of our turf.  

Just when he seemed to have settled down, the real excitement began.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him take off like a shot behind the barn.  He soon returned and I was horrified to see that he was clutching one of Ed and Sarah's chickens in his mouth.  The chicken was floppy in his jaws and I was sure that he had killed her.  Sarah and I started screaming, and Sarah somehow got Buddy to drop the chicken, although I'm not sure how.  It's all a blur. 

Eventually, dog and chicken were separated and the chicken toddled off. He chased her one more time, we screamed again, and he dropped her again.  Somehow she survived.  She lost a lot of feathers, but within minutes smaller birds were swooping down to collect those feathers for their nests.

The jury is still out as to whether Buddy gets to go back to Black Ankle.  And whether I will get any eggs this year.

 

Coeur à la Crème

I was thrilled to find strawberries at the farmers' market this past weekend.  I think that they are available earlier than usual this year because of the warm weather we have had this spring.  Whatever the reason, though, there they were, ushering in berry season and signaling that yes, another year really has passed. 

Chloe had come with me to the market and she suggested that I buy one pint for each of us.  I laughed at first at the thought of so many strawberries, but when I looked at her face I realized that she too was caught up in the possibilities that so many strawberries signaled.  So five pints of strawberries it was.  We are going through them at a quick pace so I think it was a good call.

I was particularly eager to use the berries in a recipe that Merrill Stubbs had posted on food52 for coeur à la crème with strawberries.  I did not know what coeur à la crème was before I saw this, but it is similar to a custard, although made differently, with a combination of ricotta, sour cream, cream cheese, heavy cream, egg whites, and sugar.  Olivia and I joked that it was all of our favorite white foods with a splash of vanilla.  It seemed to be a fancy version of classic strawberries and cream, and I thought it would be fantastic for Mother's Day. 

 
When I say that I thought it would be perfect for Mother's Day, I envisioned sitting on the couch reading while the children buzzed around in the kitchen whipping it up for me.  It didn't quite happen that way, but they did help out quite a bit.  Olivia's friend even pitched in; in fact, she stayed on after my own children had lost interest. 

 
The result was delicious.  The creamy flavor with a bit of tang from the sour cream was the perfect complement to those perfect berries.  Follow this link for the recipe and see my notes below if you are interested in trying it.

A few notes about the process.  I made the dish in a colander, not a heart-shaped mold, so it was more dome than coeur.  But because the mixture is so pliable I probably could have formed it into a heart shape with the cheesecloth.  In fact, I shaped it a bit as I was removing it from the colander and it held its shape well.

I placed the colander over a bowl because I understood that the whey would drain off when it was refrigerated, but it didn't work that way for me.  I wonder whether my cheesecloth was too thick.  It didn't matter in the end, though.  The texture was light and airy and quite delicious. 

To remove it from the colander, I just gathered the cheesecloth at the top and lifted the mixture in the cheesecloth out of the colander and onto a plate.  There, I peeled back the cheesecloth and placed my serving plate on top of the coeur.  I then quickly flipped the plates over so that the serving plate was on the bottom.  Finally, I removed the cheesecloth, and we decorated with the strawberries. 

Second helping:  Strawberry shortcake

Artichokes with Quick Hollandaise Sauce

I have written this before, but I have a theory that children are more willing to try something new if it involves eating with your hands.  My kids love edamame, carrot sticks (much more than carrots cut up in a salad), and dumplings.  Dips, too, seem to have an allure for kids that extends beyond ketchup and ranch dressing.  With their leaves that peel off, artichokes are the ultimate dipping food.  And the pointed tips on the leaves make them look like the claw feet of some medieval creature.  Good stuff.

 
I have to admit that I was skeptical when a friend asked if our children liked artichokes.  But after they had helped prepare them and saw how they were served, they were hooked.  Now that spring is here and they are plentiful, I am hoping that they make a regular appearance on the dinner table.  Or maybe even in the lunch box.  I wonder how that would go over in the cafeteria?

  
As for the dipping, the simplest way to serve them is with melted butter, and, at least around here, everything is better with butter.  A little lemon juice or minced tarragon added to the butter is also delicious.  But my favorite accompaniment is a hollandaise sauce.  This version is adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and is very quick because it is made in a blender. 

Happy dipping!

Second Helping:  Homemade Ketchup

 
Artichokes with Quick Hollandaise Sauce
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Serves 6
15 minutes preparation time
25 to 40 minutes cooking time

6 whole fresh artichokes
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
salt and pepper

Fill a very large pot with enough water to submerge all of the artichokes.  Bring it to a boil.

To prepare the artichokes, rinse them while they are still whole.  With a large serrated knife, cut the top inch off of the artichoke, cutting through all layers of the top leaves.  Use scissors to trim the remaining prickly tops off of the lower leaves.  When the water has begun to boil, add the artichokes.  Boil them until the bottom of the artichoke can be pierced easily with a knife.  Depending on the size of the artichokes this could take anywhere from 25 to 40 minutes. 

While the artichokes are cooking, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, a few sprinkles of salt and a couple of twists of pepper into a blender.  Cover the blender and blend the egg yolk mixture for a couple of seconds just until combined.  Uncover the blender and drizzle the butter in veeeerrrrrrryyyyy sssslllloooowwwwwlllllyyyyyy.  You can drape a towel around the top of the blender to keep it from splattering.  Keep drizzling until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream.  Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if you like.  Transfer the hollandaise to a small bowl and keep it slightly warm by placing it inside a larger bowl that holds just a bit of warm water.

When they are tender, drain the artichokes upside down in a colander.  When they are cool enough to touch, remove the choke, which is that fuzzy bit in the in center of the leaves.  Pull by the top of the fuzz and it should detach easily.  If not, scrape out any remaining fuzz with a spoon.

To eat the artichoke, pull off a leaf, dip the bottom end in the sauce, and scrape the lower part of the leaf between your teeth to remove the flesh.  After you have eaten all of the leaves, the heart, which is pure goodness, will remain.  You can, of course, cut this up with a knife and fork, but dipping and eating with your hands is still acceptable.  Miss Manners might not agree, but sometimes we have to relax those etiquette rules in favor of fun. 

Print Recipe

Velvety Ramp and Watercress Soup with Crispy Shallots

Everywhere I turn these days, I see members of the onion family -- ramps, scallions, chives, shallots, even my garden is popping with onion grass.  This recipe combines delicate ramps with sweet caramelized shallots, and mild, tangy chives.  And the watercress?  Its pepperiness is just one of my favorite flavors.  Spring in a bowl.

 
This recipe is inspired by my friend Andrea's trip to Restaurant Eve last week where she had a ramp veloute.  This soup is smooth, creamy, and delicate.  Yes, it's a bit fussier than a lot of the recipes I post, but I wanted something smooth with pure, clean tastes.  This soup fits the bill.

And those shallots on top are so good, they could top anything.  In fact, you may want to make some extras to have on hand.  And I'm not the only one who loves them.  Check out this homage to "crispies" from another mom dedicated to cooking with her kids at dash and bella.

Ramp and Watercress Soup with Crispy Shallots 

This soup has a delicate flavor so be sure to use a wine that you love and good quality stock.

Serves 4
10 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 cups diced ramps
3 cups coarsley chopped fresh watercress
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cream
2 large shallots
canola oil for frying
chives for garnish

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium stockpot.  Add the ramps and cook for 1 minute.  Add the watercress, white wine, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until the flavors have been well-incorporated and the liquid has reduced significantly.  Puree the mixture with an immersion blender (it will remain quite chunky).  Pour it through a sieve, mashing the vegetables against the sieve to remove all of the liquid.  Discard the vegetables and reserve the liquid.  Return the liquid to the pot and keep it hot while you make the roux.

In a separate stockpan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat.  Whisk in the flour and stir for about 2 minutes until the flour is completely blended, but don't let the mixture deepen in color.  Remove the roux from the heat.

Add the hot vegetable liquid all at once, and whisk until the roux is completely incorporated.  Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil for one minute, whisking continuously until smooth.  Set aside while you fry the shallots.

To fry the shallots, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a small, deep saucepan.  Peel the shallots and cut them crosswise.  Separate the rings so that they look like the tiniest onion rings you have ever seen.  Prepare a plate with newspapers topped with paper towels to drain the shallots when they are done. 

To test the oil to see if it is ready, toss in a small piece of shallot.  If it sizzles and begins to turn golden, the oil is ready.  Remove the test shallot, and add the other slices (the shallots should not be too crammed into the pot, so, depending on the size of your pot, you may want to do this in more than one batch).  Fry until the shallots are golden brown.  Don't wander too far because if the oil is hot enough, they will be ready in a minute or two.  Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and drain them on the paper towels.

Just before serving the soup, add the cream and gently heat it.  Serve in individual shallow bowls topped with the crispy shallots and a few chives snipped over the top.

Print Recipe

Happy Dance Greens & Basil Risotto

 
Maybe you saw it, but I had a recipe featured in the Washington Post Food section yesterday.  Okay, okay, so it didn't have my name on it, but it was my recipe.  Here's the back story.

A couple of years ago, my sister, Sarah O'Herron (who, as I have written before, owns Black Ankle Vineyards with her husband, Ed Boyce) asked me to develop a recipe for a booklet that they were putting together for the Frederick Wine Trail.  She wanted something that would complement their white wines.  Develop a recipe?!?!  Of course!  Even in those days before hidethecheese, that was right up my alley. 

I developed a recipe for risotto with fresh greens to suit the season and to complement Black Ankle's Gruner Veltliner, one of my favorites.  I sent it to Sarah who forwarded it on, and I thought that was the end of it.  But sometime later, when Lucie Snodgrass put together her book, Dishing Up Maryland, she asked Sarah if she could use the recipe.  Sarah asked me and off it went.  Sarah tried to get my name included in the book, but there was some legal mumbo jumbo about a waiver and what not (and this coming from me, a lawyer!).  The long and the short of it is that my name did not make it into the book or the Post's article. 

But you, readers of this blog, you know the identity of the "sister of winemaker Sarah O'Herron."  And the cookbook, with recipes and stories gathered from Maryland's farms, looks to be a treat.  I'm eager to get my hands on a copy.

So here's the recipe for Risotto with Fresh Greens and Basil.  We just made the recipe the other night using spinach, but with one twist.  We used ramps in place of the onion.  If you can get these mild onions at your farmers' market, they are a treat and add some fresh spring pop to the dish.

 
To make this substitution, use about 6 ramps.  Separate the green ends from the bulbs and chop both.  Add the chopped bulb at the beginning instead of the onion and the tops at the end with the greens and basil. 

 

P.S.  Did I mention that I have a recipe in the Washington Post Food section?  Eeeeeek!  I may just have to open a bottle of Gruner Veltliner to celebrate.

Second Helping:  Egg Salad with Tarragon and Shallots

Pressure Cooker Saffron and Artichoke Risotto

I bought a pressure cooker years ago for Gabe because I had heard it was great for making beans, and we loved to make Cuban black beans.  But I was afraid to use it.  I don't know whether I had a repressed bad pressure cooking experience in my youth or if it is just my active imagination, but I always picture the pot exploding all over the kitchen, and splattering hot food all over my innocent children.

But when my friend Andrea told me about her technique for making risotto in a pressure cooker in 7 minutes I knew I had to dust that cooker off and put it to work.  Andrea is a fantastic and creative cook, and I completely trust her judgment and recommendations about anything to do with food.  Now I have conquered my fear of the pressure cooker.  Sure it whistles and hisses, but the lid stays firmly locked on until I am ready to remove it, and I no longer worry about it combusting.

Making risotto in a pressure cooker is not only fast, it is easy.  There is no standing over a hot stove stirring slowly.  Instead, almost everything goes in the pot up front and, after a few minutes of checking e-mail or typing on the blog, the risotto is ready. 

I am looking forward to making this risotto with fresh artichokes and peas when they come in at the farmers' market, but for now, the frozen versions are mighty tasty.  But I still keep the children out of the kitchen once that cooker starts sounding like a steam engine.

Second Helping:  Homemade Ketchup

 

Pressure Cooker Saffron and Artichoke Risotto

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

3 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
2 small onions, diced (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in the pressure cooker and add the onion and garlic.  Cook until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes. 

Add the rice and stir to coat it with the oil.  Add the saffron, lemon zest, artichoke hearts, and mix again.  Add the white wine, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper and stir again.  Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and lock it on.  Bring the pressure up.  Follow the directions of your pressure cooker, but in mine, this is when the cooker will begin to make a hissing noise.  

Cook the risotto for about 6 minutes.  Each pressure cooker will cook a bit differently, but it shouldn't take less than 6 minutes.  You can always cook it a few minutes longer with the top off.  It's much harder to come back from an overcooked gloppy mess.

Release the steam and stand back.  When the pressure has been released, remove the top.  Add the peas and stir.  If the risotto still contains a bit more liquid than you would like, let it sit for a minute or two.  Stir in the butter and parsley.  Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

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Strawberry Preserves, Lemon Optional

One of our favorite outings is going fruit or vegetable picking.  For those of you that are local, our favorite place is Larriland Farms, a pick-your-own farm in Woodbine, Maryland.  We went last week and loaded up with strawberries.  As we were picking, we were dreaming of all of the things we were going to make.  Strawberry shortcake topped the list, of course.  Olivia suggested strawberry sorbet, Oscar wanted a strawberry pie, and I wanted to make strawberry preserves.  I love it when the children come up with these ideas and I try to make good on them.  The more we fantasized, though, the more strawberries I realized that we would need. 

It took us a while, with breaks for lemonade and the bathroom, but we managed to take in quite a haul.  By the time we got home and refreshed with a much-needed dip in the pool, it was too late to make preserves (although I had already made a shortcake biscuit, so it was very easy to assemble a strawberry shortcake with those just-picked strawberries).

A few days later, we tackled the strawberry preserves.  The most laborious part was hulling the strawberries, but I had a couple of helpers, at least for a little while.  After that, it was just a question of cooking the strawberries until they thickened, with lots of stirring so that they didn't stick and caramelize in the pan.  I made a large batch and had three pots going.  For some reason, the amount of time it took to thicken was different for each.  In the end, it seemed to me that the pan with the widest mouth worked the best, perhaps because the larger opening allowed the water to evaporate more quickly. 

Preserves require a good bit of sugar to bring out the flavor of the strawberries, but I used much less than other recipes I have seen.  I really enjoy the berries sweet with just a hint of tartness, much as you would get from eating a fresh strawberry.  Olivia had the idea to make some of the preserves with lemon, which was an excellent variation for those who would like a tarter jam.   

I had never tried real canning before-- that is, putting jam into a jar with an appropriate seal for long-term storage -- but thought I would give it a shot for these preserves.  I was inspired by Polly Horvath's My One Hundred Adventures which had kept us all entertained on a long trip (although it touched on some themes that were more appropriate for 10-plus year olds at the end).  My favorite part was the way that Jane's mother made jam to mark the passing of the summer, first strawberry, followed by blueberry, raspberry, and finally blackberry.  What a lovely idea.  I'm not promising to keep up, but this was a nice start.  

Check this very helpful site to find a pick-your-own place near you, and for basic canning instructions.  The United States Department of Agriculture also puts out very thorough canning guidelines, if you'd like more detail.  If not done properly, botulism is a risk, although people have been canning successfully for centuries.  If I just stop posting one day, you'll know it was the preserves. 

I know that I have posted lots of strawberry recipes lately, but I just can't help myself since they are so delicious this time of year.  And this is a great recipe if you picked more strawberries than you know what to do with.  Not that I know anything about that.  I promise not to post another strawberry recipe. . .  at least not for a little while.

Strawberry Preserves

To make the strawberry-lemon preserve variation, add the zest of one lemon, an extra half cup of lemon juice, and a cup less of sugar.

Makes about 6 cups
20 minutes preparation time
approximately 30 minutes cooking time

7 pints strawberries, hulled
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Put a couple of plates in the refrigerator to chill. 

Gently mash the strawberries in a pot with the sugar.  Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add the lemon juice and let the preserves simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently and skimming off the foam as it forms.  Cook the strawberries until they thicken, at least 20 minutes.  To make the process go faster, you can divide the preserves into two pots.

To test for doneness, put a teaspoon of jam on one of the chilled plates and return it to the refrigerator for one minute.  After a minute, remove it and tilt the plate.  Most of the preserves should remain in the center of the plate, while some of it -- especially the more liquid portion -- will slowly spread out towards the edge of the plate.  When the preserves have firmed up to this extent, pour them into storage jars.

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Summertime and Strawberry Shortcake

 

I feel like we have been waiting forever for this school year to end.  Maybe it's the unusually cool and rainy weather, but summer seems so late in coming this year.  But now, finally, school is out and I am really looking forward to some lazy days. 

 

The children woke up yesterday to find some summer reading on their beds in the hope that we will have many days of reading and lounging.

 

 

And I hope for lots of time to do little else but stare at trees and sky, a view that always inspires.

 

 

Of course I have to mark the beginning of summer with a celebratory dish, too.  For me, the start of summer is the time to make one of my all-time favorite desserts, strawberry shortcake.  This recipe is just the way I like it.  The cake is really a biscuit, dense and not too sweet.  The combination of the cake with the sweetness of the oozing berries and the lusciousness of the cream is fabulous.  And now -- when the local markets are bursting with strawberries -- is the time to make it.

 

There is nothing as delicious as a local, in-season strawberry.  Those gigantic grocery store strawberries taste pretty good in January when the memory of a full-flavored strawberry has faded, but put one side-by-side a strawberry that has just been picked, and it doesn't stand a chance.

 

There are lots of opportunities for little hands to help with the recipe, mixing the flour and butter, kneading the dough, mashing the strawberries, and whipping the cream. 

 

 
The first time I made this recipe this year, I don't think I used enough strawberries or had enough cream.  It really needs a generous amount of each to balance out the shortcake.  And since it is much better the first day it is made, you may as well finish off that last piece tonight.

  

 

Happy summer!  Now if only the weather would cooperate. . .

Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 8
25 minutes preparation time, plus time for the strawberries to sit
15 minutes baking time

For the shortcake:
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup milk

For the strawberries:
3 pints of strawberries, rinsed, trimmed, and larger berries cut in halves or quarters
1/4 cup sugar

For the cream mixture:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. 

To make the shortcake, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl  Mix in the butter with your fingers, mashing it into the flour until the mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal.  Slowly stir in the milk a bit at a time, using just enough to get the mixture to hold together.  Knead the dough for about a minute.  Press it into the cake pan, pushing it gently up to the sides of the pan.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the cake turns a pale gold color.

Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it onto a cooling rack.  When it is still warm, but cool enough to handle, split it horizontally with a large knife.  Carefully remove the top with the knife and a spatula.

About an hour before you are ready to serve the cake, gently mash the strawberries with the sugar.  The strawberries should be mashed enough to release some of their juices, but still maintain their shape.  Let the mixture sit for about an hour.

To make the cream mixture, whip the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together until it is the texture of whipped cream.

To assemble the cake, place the bottom of the shortcake on a platter.  Spoon the strawberry mixture on top, and then layer on the whipped cream.  Gently place the cake top on the whipped cream.  Slice with a sharp knife.

 

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Linguine with Garlic Scape and Pea Pesto

I love to discover something new at the farmers' market.  So when we saw these garlic scapes at Calvert's Gift, I was very excited.  Garlic scapes are the flower stem of the garlic root bulb.  Their flavor is milder and more subtle than bulb garlic.  Calvert's Gift calls the scapes garlic pigtails, which is indeed what they look like. 

The first week we bought them, we tried grilling them.  The flavor was good, but they ended up a bit tough.  I bought more the next week because I love garlic and the thought of making something delicious with this mild garlic was just too tempting.  I was still thinking it over when we made our way to Twin Springs' stand, and was intrigued when I saw that that they recommended making them into a pesto.  Hmmmmm. . .

Although I'm sure that Gabe and I could happily polish off a pesto in which the main ingredient is garlic, I thought the flavor would be too strong for the children.  So I threw in some green peas (I used frozen, but once fresh peas appear at the market, I will definitely try them) and a handful of basil.  The result was very tasty.  The pesto was creamy, with the green, fresh flavor of the peas, and a nice balance between the zest of the garlic and the sweetness of the basil.  It was a big hit with the little ones.

The scapes will only be around for another week or two, but if you see them, stock up.  They will last a few weeks in the refrigerator.  I think I'll cook up a big batch of pesto this week and freeze it for those nights when we need a quick meal.

Linguine with Garlic Scape and Pea Pesto

Serves 6
25 minutes preparation and cooking time

1 pound linguine
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 bunch garlic scapes, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
parmiggiano reggiano for serving

Set a large pot of water to boil.  When it begins to boil, generously salt the water and add the pasta.  For al dente pasta, let it cook for 1 minute less than the time called for on the package. 

If you are using frozen peas, thaw them (they do not need to cook thoroughly) by boiling them or putting them in a microwave for one or two minutes.  Put all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and blend.  With the engine running, slowly add the olive oil, and let the processor run until the mixture is that of a thick puree.

Scoop a couple of tablespoons of the pesto into a large bowl.  When the pasta is ready, toss it into the bowl and add the rest of the pesto. Serve with grated parmesan.

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Yellow Indian Woman Beans with Lemon and Dill

It's been a while since I posted a recipe using the beans from my Rancho Gordo shopping spree.  This recipe is perfect for spring, with the flavors of lemon and dill that reflect the lightness and freshness of the season.  The beans themselves are mild and creamy, and maintain a  firm texture in the lemony broth.  The dried beans are a beautiful dark yellow, and when cooked, they mellow to various shades of rich brown.  And don't they have a fabulous name?  Cannellini beans would make an excellent alternative.

The first time I made these beans, I added more lemon than this recipe now calls for.  The children found it a bit too strong, so when I made it again, I toned it down a touch.  I recommend serving the beans with an extra wedge of lemon and sprinkle of dill, at least for the adults.

We served these beans on a piece of toasted crusty sourdough bread for that classic combination of beans and toast.  The bread absorbs the broth from the beans and at the end, you have a few delicious bites of bread that have the intense flavor of the dish. 

With warm weather finally here, we ate these beans outside on the porch that has waited far too long for us to return.  We're back!

Yellow Indian Woman Beans with Lemon and Dill

Serves 6
10 minutes preparation time, plus time for soaking the beans
40 minutes cooking time

1 pound dried Yellow Indian Woman Beans or cannellini beans
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges for serving
1/2 cup (or more) chopped dill, divided
2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste)
2 small tomatoes, diced

Soak the beans overnight or quick soak them.  Although the Yellow Indian Woman Beans are dried, they are fresher than those on the grocery store shelf and so will take less time to cook, so if you have not soaked them, you can just bring them to a boil and let them simmer about an hour before you begin the recipe.  This would also work for cannellini beans, but they will take more time, I'd say about an extra hour. 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add the onion and saute until the onion is soft, 7 to 8 minutes.  Add the beans with their water, the lemon zest, half of the dill, and the salt.  Let the bean mixture simmer until the beans are quite soft, approximately 30 minutes.  Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.  Just before serving, add the rest of the dill and the tomatoes and stir just until the tomatoes are warm.  Taste the beans and adjust the flavors to your liking, adding more dill, salt, or a few squirts of lemon juice.  Serve over toast with a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of chopped dill for those who want a little extra.

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Grilled Grape Leaves Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts, and Rosemary

A few weeks back, my sister, Sarah, (who I have written about before, she of Black Ankle Vineyards fame) sent me a flyer saying that Maryland's Governor, Martin O'Malley, is hosting a "Buy Local Cookout" and inviting Maryland cooks and farmers to team up to submit recipes.  The best recipes will be selected, and the winners will be invited to serve them at the Cookout.

I was thrilled.  This is up my alley in so many ways:  promoting local farmers, cooking with local ingredients, cooking delicious food, eating delicious food, and a huge party to celebrate . . .

So, of course, the wheels began turning immediately.  My problem is that Black Ankle wine is way too delicious to use for cooking.  Yes, yes, I know that there's a whole theory about cooking with the best possible wine, but after seeing the years and years of hard work that have gone into getting that wine into a bottle, there's just no way I can bring myself to cook with it.  Anyway, I'd much rather drink it.

There are some possibilities for other dishes originating at Black Ankle, though.  They have chickens that they keep at the farm as a pest management system.  The chickens eat the bugs so the bugs can't eat the grapes.  Well, that's the idea anyway.  So there are lots of fresh eggs.  And, of course, where there are grapes, there are grape leaves.

So Black Ankle Vineyards and hidethecheese.com are submitting two recipes:  my taco frittata and this new recipe for stuffed grape leaves.  These aren't just any stuffed grape leaves, though.  They are made with nearly all local ingredients.  In addition to Black Ankle grape leaves, they are made with a chevre from Maryland's own Cherry Glen, and rosemary that I bought at the farmer's market.  To finish them off, I grilled them until they were nicely browned and the cheese inside was melted.  Delicious!  They would be excellent paired with Black Ankle's 2007 Bedlam or their 2006 Syrah.

If you have access to fresh grape leaves, you will need to blanch them first to soften them.  It is best to use grape leaves that are on the vines now, before they get too large and tough.  And be sure to use leaves that are organic or cut them before they have been sprayed.  If you can't get leaves from a vineyard or don't have a neighbor with a vine that is willing to part with a few leaves, you can buy grape leaves in a jar.

This was my first time rolling grape leaves.  It's a bit like a burrito, so the concept wasn't too complicated.  The kids loved helping with this part.  I wish I could say that the lumpy ones were theirs, but they did a great job.  Mine, on the other hand, would send a shudder up the spines of Greek grandmothers everywhere.

Now just keep your fingers crossed that these recipes are a hit at the Governor's mansion.

Grilled Grape Leaves Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts, and Rosemary

If you would like to make this recipe in advance, you can do everything but grill the grape leaves ahead of time.  Pop them on the grill just before you are ready to serve them.

approximately 20 fresh grape leaves (or grape leaves from a jar)
1 cup Cherry Glen chevre (or substitute another mild, creamy chevre)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
a splash or two of olive oil, if desired (I used about 2 to 3 tablespoons), plus more for brushing

If you are using fresh grape leaves, bring a pot of water to boil.  Add salt and the grape leaves one at a time.  Turn off the water and let the grape leaves sit in the pot, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes.  The best way to test whether they are done it to scoop out a leaf, tear off a corner, and test it.  The leaf will be done when it is easy to chew.  When the leaves are tender, drain them into a colander, and run cold water on top to cool them.  Carefully remove the leaves one at a time from the colander and lay them out flat on a dry kitchen towel.  Briefly press another towel on top of the grape leaves to dry them, then remove it and let the leaves air dry.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  Mix together the goat cheese, rice, rosemary, and pine nuts.  Taste and add salt and pepper.  If the filling seems a bit dry, add a few splashes of olive oil and mix again.

Lay a grape leaf with the vein side up on a cutting board and remove any stem from below the leaf (do not remove the central vein of the leaf itself).  Add about 1 tablespoon of the filling towards the bottom of the leaf.  Fold up the bottom and the sides and then tuck down the top.  It may seem like it won't stay together, but just tuck in all the ends, and they will hold well.  Repeat this process until you have used all your leaves and filling.  Brush both sides of each grape leaf with olive oil.

Heat the grill to medium-high heat.  Arrange the stuffed grape leaves on the grill with the seam side down and cook until they are slightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn and cook on the other side.  Serve whole or sliced diagonally in half.

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Radish Tartines

This time of year, radishes are abundant at the farmer's market.  Some have a kick to them, and some are mild, like my favorites, the white-tipped French breakfast radishes.  We eat them in salads of course, but one of our favorite ways to eat them lately is on a tartine.  Tartine is just a French name for an open-faced sandwich, usually spread with butter and topped with something else. Tartine sounds so much more elegant and appetizing than "open-faced sandwich," doesn't it?  Especially when feeding children, marketing is key, so we're sticking with the tartine tag.

We returned back from our Memorial Day weekend away to a bare refrigerator and the week was rolling before we had time to catch our breaths or shop.  I love the challenge of those weeks, trying to make meals out of whatever is left in the cupboard and the refrigerator.  Fortunately, we had a baguette in the freezer, President butter in the refrigerator, and a few of those fabulous radishes in the vegetable bin.  So these became the sandwich -- oops, I mean tartine -- of the week.

Because there are so few ingredients and the flavors are simple, it is very important to use the best quality ingredients that you can find:  fresh, crunchy radishes, preferably from a local farmer; a good quality butter such as Presidente or Plugra; a crusty baguette; and coarse sea salt.  And don't be timid with the butter.  I'm not sure whether you are familiar with Sally Fallon, who has written books advocating the value of traditional fats, among other things.  I don't agree with everything she espouses -- she lost me with the copious amounts of organ meats -- but I love what she said about butter.  She suggests spreading it thick enough so that you leave teeth marks when you bite into it.  This is the perfect recipe to test her theory. 

I thought the additional sea salt sprinkled on top enhanced the flavor, but it was too strong for Chloe, so you may want to omit that for your children, or let them add a small bit on their own.

Olivia was kind enough to write up the recipe for me, so here, in her words (and original spelling), is our recipe for radish tartines. 

Radish Tartines

For 1 serving

What you'll need:  salted butter, radish slices, bread and course sea salt.

What to do:  butter the bread with the salted butter.  Place the radish slices on the buttered bread.  Sprinkle the course sea salt on top.  Eat!

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Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes with Tarragon

For some reason, tarragon is an excellent complement to many spring dishes.  Of course, I love it in egg salad, but it is also perfect with those tender spring vegetables like asparagus and peas.  For this dish, I paired it with asparagus and new potatoes that I oven roasted.  With a bit of crunch from the onions, the combination was wonderfully fresh and delicious. 

We ate this dish at room temperature as a main course, but it would also make an excellent side dish and it could be served warm or chilled.  Because it is so portable, it makes a great picnic or pool side dish.  That seems to be what I am craving more and more on these (finally!) warm spring evenings.

I have to admit that Oscar and Chloe had a bit of Jack Sprat and his wife going on: Oscar picked out the asparagus and ate the potatoes;  Chloe picked out the potatoes and ate the asparagus.  But they both enjoyed the tarragon flavor, and Gabe, Olivia, and I loved the entire combination. 

Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes with Tarragon

The proportions in this salad are not set in stone, so you needn't follow measurements exactly.  You really can't go wrong.

Serves 5
10 minutes preparation time
25 minutes cooking time

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
approximately 25 small new potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
1/2 vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Snap the ends off the asparagus and reserve them for another purpose.  Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a few grinds of pepper, and a sprinkle of salt.  Roast the asparagus until they are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.  In a separate pan (or in the same pan if you have time and want to save dirtying another pan), toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast them, too, until they are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

While the vegetables are cooking, slice the onion and mince the tarragon.  When the potatoes are done,  let them cool enough to handle.  Cut them in half or in smaller pieces if they are large and toss them in a large bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and the white vinegar.  Add the asparagus and tarragon.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.

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Rhubarb-Thyme Compote

 

Rhubarb is out at the farmer's markets this time of year, and I love it.  My mother often made a rhubarb sauce to have on hand as a treat, usually with vanilla ice cream.  Today it would be given the fancier term compote, which is a thick sauce of fruit in a sugar syrup.  Compote is extremely easy to make and can be used in a number of ways.  This rhubarb and thyme compote is delicious spooned over ice cream, on toast, over pound cake, or on pancakes.  It is also delicious on its own as a snack, although you may want to double the recipe so that you will have more of it.  My favorite way to eat it these days is swirled into plain yogurt. 

 

Because rhubarb is tart, it is often paired with strawberries, which add a balancing sweetness.  It is delicious that way, but this time, I wanted to try something a bit different, so I added the thyme. Although thyme is usually served in savory dishes, it is a nice complement to tart flavors like lemon, and I thought it would go well with rhubarb too.  It adds an earthiness and depth of flavor that elevates this compote from sweet treat to a more sophisticated flavor.  The thyme flavor is subtle because I still wanted the rhubarb to be the star of the show.   

Chloe tried the compote right out of the pan and gave it a thumbs up.  Just wait until she tries it over vanilla ice cream!

Rhubarb-Thyme Compote

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups
15 minutes preparation time
25 minutes cooking time, plus chilling time

5 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  This will pull some of the liquid out of the rhubarb so you will need less water when you cook it.

In a small saucepan, mix the rhubarb with the lemon zest and thyme.  Add a few tablespoons of water to make sure that the bottom of the pot is entirely coated with water.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer until the rhubarb is very soft, about 20 minutes.  Check the pan every few minutes to make sure that there is enough liquid to maintain a simmer.  If needed, add more a bit more water.

When it is done, scoop it into a jar and let it cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

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Asparagus with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette

I love this time of the year at the farmer's market.  Every time I go, there is something new making its appearance for the season.  When I first saw asparagus there a couple of weeks ago, I nearly did a little dance.  Local, fresh asparagus are so delicious.  There are so many different things that you can do with them, and I hope to offer a few more recipes before the season ends, but the first time I have them for the season, I really want to savor the pure taste of asparagus.  One of my favorite ways to do this is to quickly blanch them and serve them at room temperature with a vinaigrette.  This dish is perfect for a dinner party because you can do it in advance and asparagus are always a treat.

We bought both green and purple tipped asparagus at the farmer's market.  Olivia wanted to try white asparagus too, so I picked up a bunch of those when I saw them at Whole Foods.  The purple color turned to green when cooked so we couldn't tell whether there was any difference in flavor between the purple and green asparagus.  The white asparagus were milder in flavor, crisper, and jucier than the green.  

There are lots of different theories out there about how best to trim asparagus.  In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child recommends peeling them with a knife to penetrate deeper than a potato peeler would.  Harold McGee wrote a fascinating piece for the New York Times saying that his research showed that the most effective method was to cut the asparagus 6 to 7 inches from the tip.  He then cut all but the very end of the stalk into very thin rounds and cooked and ate those too.  Personally, I have always been a snapper, and I just can't break myself of the habit.  There is  something organic about bending that stalk and letting it snap on its own that feels right to me.  Coincidentally, it seemed that I did get about 6 or 7 inches of tip left.  And I saved the stalks to try cooking them later.

The dressing that I made is a favorite basic vinaigrette.  The recipe makes more than you need for the asparagus, but I just keep the extra on hand and we use it for other salads.  It was perfect to drizzle over the asparagus.  Everyone tried them and the girls were definitely won over, although Oscar still needs a bit more convincing.  Fortunately we made a huge plate of asparagus and, when no one was looking, I polished them off.  Aaaaah, spring!

Asparagus with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette

Serves 5 as a side dish
15 minutes preparation and cooking time

approximately 1 pound fresh asparagus
1 medium shallot, minced (3-4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (red or white wine vinegar may be substituted)
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

Set a large pot of water to boil.  Snap off the ends of the asparagus and reserve then for another purpose.  When the water boils, generously salt the water and add the asparagus.  Let the asparagus boil for 4-6 minutes, until you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  Whisk together all of the ingredients except the olive oil.  Continue whisking while you slowly add the olive oil.  It is important to add the olive oil very slowly so that it emulsifies (incorporates into the vinegar mixture). 

When the asparagus have finished cooking, drain them in a colander and immediately run cold water over them to stop the cooking.  Arrange them on a platter and drizzle some of the dressing over them.  Reserve the remaining dressing for another purpose.

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Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

For some reason this winter seems to have dragged on longer than usual.  Perhaps it is the unusual number of rainy days, or the dearth of warm sunny ones, but I feel like winter has been hard to shake.  I know that in a few weeks it will be blazing hot and the humidity will have me wilting, but right now I am really craving some warm spring days.

At least spring has come to the farmer's market.  Among our favorite treats in early spring are pea shoots.  These are actually the vines of young peas.  They are delicate, with the sweet, green flavor of young peas, but crunchier.  And they have these fabulous little curly tendrils that are almost too cute to eat.  We picked these up from Calvert's Gift Farm, one of our favorite stands at the Takoma Park farmer's market, but I'm sure you can find them at many markets this time of year. 

My sister and brother-in-law have been making pasta with lemon and cream to go with the pea shoots, and I love that combination of flavors. 

In my attempts, though, I have not been satisfied with the texture.  At first, I was cooking the pea shoots, but, even if I cooked them only briefly, they would end up in a tangled clump that was hard to distribute over the pasta.  They are so delicate that they are delicious raw, so this time I left them raw, topped the pasta with them, and we mixed them in bite by bite as we ate. 

I thought the children might balk at the pile of greens on top of their pasta, but they all loved them.  Chloe even picked out the pea shoots and left the pasta!

Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

Serves 5
10 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

1 pound spaghetti or linguine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons unbleached wheat flour
1 cup pasta water
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds fresh pepper
approximately 8 cups pea shoots, chopped coarsely

Put a large pot of water to boil.  When the water boils, add a generous amount of salt and then add the pasta.  Cook for 1 minute less than the time given on the box.

Meanwhile, make the lemon-cream sauce.  Melt the butter in a large skillet and when it begins to foam, whisk in the flour.  Whisk until the flour is completely incorporated.  Scoop a cup of water out of the pasta pot and add it and the lemon juice to the flour mixture.  Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the lemon zest, cream, salt, and pepper.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it in a collander and then briefly toss it in the cream sauce.  Scoop some pasta onto each plate and mound the pea shoots on top.  Serve immediately.

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Taco Frittata

I cannot say enough good things about frittatas.  If you're not familiar with them, they are an Italian egg dish that is essentially a crustless quiche.  One of the best things about them is that they are infinitely adaptable and can be a base for any great combination of flavors.  My favorites include caramelized onion and goat cheese, and swiss chard and gruyere.  But getting my children to eat frittatas has been a bit of a challenge.

They do love their tacos, though, so a frittata with taco fillings and flavors seemed worth a try.  They loved it!  And what's not to love?  The frittata contains black beans, cheddar cheese, and corn chips, all foods that they adore.  I think it was key that Chloe, the most picky eater of the bunch, helped crush the corn chips and add them to the egg.  Just knowing that the dinner contained chips was enough to get her to try it. 

Another plus with frittatas is that they are easy to prepare and relatively quick to cook.  All of the labor is spent in the preparation of the fillings and if you have some helpers that can go even more quickly.  Then the frittata just sits and cooks; you only need to intervene once to move it from stovetop to oven. 

This frittata is substantial enough to have as a main course.  We ate it with bread and a salad it was a satisfying meal for all of us.  It can be eaten either hot or at room temperature, which makes it an ideal dish for a picnic or a potluck dinner. 

Taco Frittata

Serves 5
10 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time

10 eggs
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, or a mix of monterey jack and cheddar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tomato, sliced into rounds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, scramble the eggs and add all of the remaining ingredients except the olive oil and tomatoes.  In a large oven-proof frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it is quite hot and swirl it around to coat the pan.  Add the egg mixture all at once.  Let the egg cook on the stovetop for about 10 minutes, until the egg starts to set around the edge of the pan.  Gently add the tomato slices to the top of the frittata.

Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake it until the frittata is firm, about 20 minutes.  Remove the pan and carefully slide the frittata onto a plate for serving.  Be very careful with the handle of the pan which will remain quite hot for some time.  The frittata can be served hot or at room temperature.  

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Egg Salad with Tarragon and Shallots

Now that Easter has passed and our eggs have been decorated, hidden, and found, we have a refrigerator full of eggs.  Fortunately, we all like egg salad.  We found a delicious recipe in the Gourmet Cookbook a few years ago that uses tarragon and shallots, and the combination is wonderful.  We have adapted the recipe to suit ourselves, and it is now one of our regular weeknight meals.  The hint of tarragon adds an unusal freshness and the shallots add a subtle onion flavor and texture without being overpowering.  Although fresh tarragon is best, when it is not available at the store (like today), dried tarragon still works well.  Because we often have it for dinner, this recipe makes enough to serve all five of us for dinner, with a bit left over for lunch. 

The egg salad is very quick to prepare.  If you have hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator, it will only take 10 or so minutes.  Even if you have to cook the eggs, you can chop the shallots and tarragon while they cook, and you will have a delicious, filling meal in no time.

The children were a great help in preparing the dish.  They love to use the egg slicer, and Olivia was a good peeler.  We served the egg salad with thick slices of lightly toasted crusty bread and some wonderful microgreens from Chesapeake Greenhouse's stand at the Takoma Park farmer's market.  These tiny greens are a mix of lettuces, harvested when they are small and tender.  The mix includes arugula and red leaf lettuce and it added a great flavor and crunch to the creamy egg salad.

Today I planned to use up all of those Easter eggs, but the children wanted us to hide them for one last egg hunt.  Luckily, I had an extra dozen.  I think we'll be eating a lot of egg salad.

Egg Salad with Tarragon and Shallots
Adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook

Serves 6
10 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

1 dozen eggs
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried, or more to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 teaspoons white wine or champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bread for serving
Microgreens or other garnish for serving

If you need to cook the eggs, place them in a suacepan and cover generously with water.  Bring the water to a boil, and let it boil for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes.  Drain the water and run cold water over the eggs for a few minutes until they cool.

Peel the eggs and dice them into small pieces.  Add the remaining ingredients, taste to see if you need more seasoning or tarragon, and serve.  Enjoy!

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Natural Egg Dyes with Botanic Prints

Our family has had a wonderful experience at our children's preschool, Acorn Hill.  Unless there is a thunderstorm or it is frigid, the children go outside every day. The classrooms are filled with beautiful handcrafted toys made from natural materials, the snacks are healthy, the changes of seasons are celebrated, and the art projects are beautiful.  I love it. 

 To celebrate spring, the teachers make beautiful dyed eggs and wool bunnies to send home with the children.  The eggs are exquisite, colored with onion skins, and very simple to make. 

For many years now, we have been dying our eggs at home using onion skins and other natural dyes.  I have used red cabbage in the past, which turns the eggs a pale blue, but we had a large bag of blueberries in the freezer, so I decided to try them instead this year.  I prefer dyes that are edible because we often make egg salad with the cooked eggs.  I'd love to hear from any of you who have tried this at home.  What other dyes have worked for you?

This year, I used the onion skins for a deep reddish brown color, turmeric for yellow, and the blueberries which colored the eggs a dark gray tinged with a bit of violet, or as Chloe said, the color of a storm cloud. 

I found my onion skins at the bottom of an empty crate at the farmer's market; you can find them at the bottom of the onion bin at your favorite store or market.  If not, you can always buy several onions, use the skins, and save the onions for another day.

Just before starting the process of making the eggs, gather flowers and leaves from the garden.  Any small plant will do.  We used vinca, forsythia, oat grass, and lots of weeds, which, as our neighbors can attest, are plentiful in our yard.

You can easily make two dozen eggs with the same batches of dye if you use pots that are large enough to hold the additional eggs.  We used both brown and white eggs this year.  The brown eggs will take the color, but the contrast with the pattern is less vivid.  I do not boil the eggs first, but if you are working with very young children, you may wish to do that so that any dropped eggs will not be too messy.   

Our children love to make these eggs.  Olivia is old enough to do them independently; Oscar and Chloe needed help with the tying.  They enjoy going out to the garden to gather the flowers and leaves, decorating the eggs, lowering them into the pots, and untying them to reveal their designs.

Natural Egg Dyes with Botanic Prints

approximately 4 cups onion skins
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 cup blueberries
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar, divided
1 dozen eggs, preferably white
1 dozen pieces cheesecloth cut into approximately 6-inch squares
1 dozen pieces of thread cut into 6 inch lengths, or twist ties

Place the onion skins, turmeric and blueberries in separate non-reactive pots and add enough water so that an egg placed in them would be submerged. 

Select the plant that you would like to use for your egg and place it in the middle of a cheesecloth square.  Place the egg on top of it, positioning it carefully so that the plant will leave its impression where you want it.  Pull up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist them together tightly.  Tie them together with a piece of string or a twist tie.  Lower the wrapped egg slowly into the dye of your choice.  Continue in this manner until all of the eggs are bundled.

Add 1/2 cup of cider vinegar to each pot.  Bring each pot to a gentle boil and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Gently remove an egg from each pot and check the color.  If you want a darker color, add more vinegar to the pot and let it simmer a bit longer.  Let the water cool and cut the cheesecloth off each egg.  Gently rinse the eggs.  If you like, you can polish them with a bit of oil, but do this very carefully so the color does not come off. 

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