Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Method:
1. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve chilled soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.
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Signs of Spring Recipes
Though our days continue to be drippy, the gardens are finally beginning to show signs of new life as the first of the shelling peas, mint and microgreens are now gracing us with their presence. Thus, spring fare takes center stage in this week’s box, too, with fresh semolina pasta, pain au levain bread and locally-crafted sharp cheddar cheese all helping to accent a bevy of produce that includes red cabbage rapini, romanesco and baby Japanese turnips. Crack open a bright Spanish white wine, pop a juicy apple cake into the oven and enjoy the first taste of the season!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Gemelli Pasta with Shelled Peas, Lemon & Mint
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, this light and lovely pasta recipe sings of spring.
Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Shelled Pea Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This bright salad is beautifully balanced by fresh mint and Marcona almonds.
Butter-Braised Turnips with Greens & Baby Shiitake Mushrooms
Simmered in rich chicken stock, this dish is finished with lemon juice and thyme for fresh appeal.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Breadcrumbs
Topped with buttery, golden brown breadcrumbs, these Brussels sprouts are the epitome of comfort food.
Arugula Pesto
This bright, flavorful pesto is wonderful drizzled over this week’s chilled pea soup or pea and mint pasta main!
F&L Apple Cake
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this cake comes together in just minutes!
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Chilled Tomato Soup
Sweet and deeply flavorful, this chilled soup from Martha Stewart is perfect for a hot summer’s night.
Ingredients:
6 mixed sweet peppers
2½ pounds heirloom tomatoes
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, minced
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Fresh herbs for garnish, such as chopped parsley, thyme and oregano
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet, and roast until they are slightly charred, about 30 minutes.
2. Peel, and core the peppers and tomatoes. Transfer the flesh to the jar of a blender; set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to the blender, and purée until smooth. Pass the mixture through a food mill fitted with a medium disk into a large bowl. Stir in the stock, orange juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Serve garnished with herbs.
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Gemelli Pasta with Shelled Peas, Lemon & Mint
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, this light and lovely pasta recipe sings of spring.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh gemelli pasta
2 cups fresh shelled peas (from about 1 lb. in the pod)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions. Add peas to cook during the last 30 seconds of pasta cooking time. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, set aside. Drain the pasta and the peas together.
2. Dry out the pasta pot, and pour in the heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the butter, and stir it until it has melted. Generously season the sauce with black pepper, add a pinch of salt as well as the lemon zest. Add ¾ cup Parmesan, and stir it until the sauce is smooth; then toss in the drained pasta & peas.
3. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the reserved pasta water by the spoonful if needed to loosen up the sauce. Garnish with remaining Parmesan, chopped parsley and mint and serve immediately.
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Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Herb Crème Fraîche
This soup is the epitome of fall comfort food.
Ingredients:
1, 2-2½ pound Winter Density pumpkin, quartered and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus additional
for seasoning the soup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup diced Cipollini onion
1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground pepper
For Herb Crème Fraîche:
¾ cup crème fraîche, plus additional for garnish
2 teaspoons each fresh parsley (finely chopped) and thyme leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place pumpkin quarters in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Scoop out cooked pumpkin and reserve.
2. Heat butter and remaining oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic and
season with a pinch of sea salt. Sweat over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown.
3. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and roasted pumpkin and season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a simmer, and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
4. While soup is cooking, combine crème fraîche with fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Once soup is ready, purée it in batches in a food processor (or with an immersion blender). Stir in ¾ cup of crème fraîche. Add more chicken stock as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Garnish each serving with reserved crème fraîche.
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Chilled Tomato & Peach Soup
This creamy, cold soup is bursting with spicy appeal.
Ingredients:
4 heirloom tomatoes, quartered
2 donut peaches, pitted and quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
¾ cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper, or, to taste
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a large stockpot, sweat garlic and shallots with olive oil over medium-low heat until fragrant and translucent. Add in peaches, tomatoes, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes and peaches break down, about 15 minutes, using the back of a wooden spoon to help mash them up.
2. Remove from heat and remove thyme. Working in batches, purée soup in batches until smooth. Transfer soup back to pot by straining through a fine mesh strainer.
3. Bring heat back to medium-low and add cream, sugar and cayenne pepper. Check for seasoning and adjust cream, sugar or cayenne levels as desired. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Then, remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to the fridge. Serve cold, with chopped fresh herbs over top.
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Italian Vegetable Soup
A deeply flavorful soup, thanks to the addition of fresh herbs, Corona beans and our housemade chicken stock.
Ingredients:
2 cups Corona beans, rinsed and soaked in a large stock pot of water overnight
2 leeks, trimmed of tough tops and ends, then diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
½-1 winter squash of your choice, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 cup Bolero carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup fingerling potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized cubes
4 cups canned diced Italian plum tomatoes
4 cups F&L chicken stock
3-4 cups water
½ cup white wine (if desired)
3-6 tablespoons combined chopped rosemary, parsley and thyme
2 cups spinach leaves, washed and torn if large
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Drain beans, rinse and set aside. Rinse out the stock pot and place it on the stove, turning the heat to medium-high. Add leeks and garlic, drizzling with the olive oil. Cook until leeks are translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Once leeks are cooked, add in beans, water, wine (if using) and chicken stock. Generously season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until the beans are almost done. Add squash, carrots, potatoes and diced tomatoes and bring soup back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 more minutes, until the vegetables and beans are tender. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Turn off heat and add in fresh herbs and spinach. Serve with grated Grana-style cheese alongside.
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Peas with Spring Onions, Lettuce & Herbs
This side dish from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters is bursting with the bright flavors of spring.
Ingredients:
1 pound shelled sweet peas
1 head of fresh lettuce, torn
1 cup spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Thyme sprig and fresh chives
Method:
1. In a saucepan, gently stew onions and lettuce leaves in a tablespoon each of butter and water, plus a sprig of thyme, until onions begin to soften.
2. Add shelled peas and cook until just tender. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a little butter and finely-chopped chives.
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Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Radishes & Mint
This wonderful springtime salad gets an extra flavor boost courtesy of crunchy radish slices and zingy lemon zest.
Ingredients:
1 cup crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped mint
½ bunch radishes, trimmed of greens, washed and thinly-sliced into rounds
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon juice and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Fold in the radishes and snap peas, and then garnish the salad with the lemon zest. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
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Stracciatella Soup
Accented with our kale-hazelnut pesto, this nourishing soup is incredibly light and silky.
Ingredients:
8 cups Farm & Larder chicken stock
3 eggs
4 tablespoons Grana-style cheese, grated
1 jar Farm & Larder kale-hazelnut pesto
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, cheese and kale-hazelnut pesto to blend.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring the broth in a circular motion, gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin strands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with extra Grana and sliced Italian Rustica bread.
Variation: This soup is also delicious with 1 cup fresh spinach added at the end.
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Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.