Cornmeal, Parmesan & Thyme Crackers
Crisp and crunchy, these crackers from PCC’s Cooking from Scratch cookbook are delightful served with a schmear of cream cheese on top.
Ingredients:
1 cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ cup warm water
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, divided
Method:
1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the cornmeal, flour, water, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Blend until the mixture forms a ball. Remove the ball from the processor and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 portions, covering the pieces you are not working with in plastic wrap.
3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out one piece of dough to ⅛-inch thick. Sprinkle the surface with ¼ of the thyme and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Gently roll the dough to embed the toppings. Cut the crackers into your desired shape and size. (A chef’s knife, pizza cutter or cookie cutters all work well here!) Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
4. Put the crackers fairly close together, but not touching, on the sheet. Bake until edges turn golden and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely; store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
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Smashed Sunchokes with Thyme Butter
Enriched with butter and thyme and the perfect side dish for any spring meal.
1 pound sunchokes, rinsed and trimmed of any dark spots
6-8 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil for frying
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Large pinch freshly picked thyme leaves
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving
Method:
1. In a medium saucepan, cover the sunchokes with cold water. Season generously with salt (the water should taste nicely salted, as if you were seasoning soup). Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until a paring knife inserted into a sunchoke meets little resistance, about 10 minutes; be careful not to overcook.
2. Drain sunchokes using a fine-mesh strainer or colander. When cool enough to handle, place sunchokes on a work surface or cutting board. Working 1 sunchoke at a time, use the bottom of a heavy skillet to press firmly on each sunchoke until it is flattened but still in one piece; take care not to press so hard that the sunchokes break apart.
3. In a large cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add sunchokes in a single layer and cook without moving until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add more oil, if needed. Flip sunchokes, then add butter to the pan and allow to melt. Add half of the thyme to the melted butter and continue to cook, spooning butter over sunchokes, until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Transfer sunchokes to a serving plate and spoon the thyme butter on top. Garnish with remaining freshly picked thyme leaves and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.
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Parmesan-Crusted Winter Squash
This versatile recipe works with any number of squash—Butternut, Tetsukabuto, Acorn, Delicata or any other variety you like.
Ingredients:
1 large squash, or 2-3 smaller squash, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup panko-style bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the squash with olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Place the squash in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, salt, garlic and thyme in a bowl. Stir to mix well. Sprinkle this all over the squash and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme-Apple Verjus Vinaigrette
This salad is a stunner!
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
4 ripe but firm Bosc pears (about 2 ½ pounds), halved, cored
¼ cup honey
6 cups mixed spring greens, such as this week’s Wrinkled Crinkled Cress, Claytonia and salad mix
6 ounces blue cheese, sliced or coarsely crumbled
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
Dressing:
â…“ cup apple verjus
â…“ cup olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Method:
1. To prepare the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Scatter thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the pear halves cut side down on a work surface. Starting ½ -inch from stem and leaving the pear half intact, cut each lengthwise into scant ⅓- to 1/2 -inch-wide slices. Press pear gently to fan slices; place atop thyme sprigs. Drizzle pears with honey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until pears are tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand on a baking sheet at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
3. Combine the greens in a large bowl. Add a drizzle dressing and toss to coat, adding more to taste. Divide the salad among plates and place a pear half on top of the greens. Garnish salads with cheese; sprinkle with nuts.
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Butter-Braised Carrots with Thyme
Braised in sweet butter and tossed with garlic and thyme, these carrots are truly sublime.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (if desired)
2 thyme sprigs
1¾ cups chicken stock
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large ovenproof skillet (one that has an accompanying lid, which will be used later), melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the carrots, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the carrots are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
2. Cover the skillet with the lid. Braise the carrots in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until they are very tender. Discard the thyme sprigs and serve.
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Savory Mushroom Breakfast Strata
This healthy yet decadent-tasting strata is studded with winter squash, mushrooms and tender greens.
Ingredients:
1 bunch hearty greens, such as kale or Swiss chard
½ pound mushrooms, such as baby Shiitake, washed and sliced
½ winter squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ loaf French bread (preferably stale!), cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1-2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup Gruyère cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs
2 cups milk
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the greens. Cook 2-3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Cut one of the garlic cloves in half and rub the slices of bread with the cut side. Then mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares.
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet and add the squash. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, and add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Then add the mushrooms and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Stir in the greens, toss together and remove from the heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the mushrooms, squash and greens, and the two cheeses and toss together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. Beat together the eggs and milk. Add salt to taste and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes before baking so that the bread can absorb some of the liquid.
5. Place in the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.
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Meyer Lemon & Thyme-Infused Olive Oil
A wonderful gift for family, friends and neighbors!
Ingredients:
1-2 cups high-quality olive oil
Small bundle of fresh thyme stems (leaves still attached), thoroughly washed and dried
Rind of 1 Meyer lemon
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan.
2. Add the thyme stems and lemon rind and allow to steep several minutes in the oil (oil temperature should be 180°).
3. Cool, strain the oil of thyme and lemon and then pour into a resealable container until ready to use.
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions
This fragrant recipe, also from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, balances the natural pairing of Brussels sprouts and bacon with fresh onion and thyme.
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme
Sea salt
Lemon juice (optional)
Method:
1. Trim away any damaged outer leaves and cut stems from the Brussels sprouts. If the sprouts are very small, cut the sprouts in half; for medium-sized ones, cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until tender in salted boiling water. Drain well.
2. Heat a heavy sauté pan over high heat and add olive oil and bacon. Cook bacon until rendered and brown, but not crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add onion and thyme to the fat in the pan. Cook until onion is soft, but not browned. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon (optional).
3. Turn heat down to medium-high, add the drained sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until sprouts are warmed through and starting to brown. Add bacon and toss. Season to taste as needed.
Variations: For a vegetarian option, this dish is also delicious sans bacon, or tossed with chopped fresh thyme. It can also be prepared with Brussels sprout leaves: Cut stem from sprouts and separate the leaves. Thinly slice the compact centers. Do not boil leaves, instead add to onion after it has been cooked and salted. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth to a depth of about ¼ inch, cover and cook until leaves are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
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Honey & Thyme-Roasted Carrots with Quesco Fresco
A delightfully-fresh spin on roasted carrots.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled
2 teaspoon butter, melted
2 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
â…› teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave (about 15 seconds). Add honey, thyme, cayenne, smoked paprika and a pinch each salt and pepper to the melted butter and mix together.
3. Pour the seasoning mixture over carrots and toss to make sure they are evenly coated. Spread carrots out on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled queso fresco and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
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Sautéed Zucchini with Bacon & Thyme
This simple recipe from the Homegrown Harvest cookbook is packed with flavor.
Ingredients:
1 pound zucchini
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pieces thick-cut bacon, cut into cubes or lardons
1 tablespoon freshly-chopped thyme
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Trim the zucchini and cut into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet, add the bacon and fry until golden brown and crispy.
2. Add the zucchini cubes and fry over brisk heat for 3-4 minutes, tossing them around in the pan from time to time, until the cut sides start to turn golden.
3. Add the thyme and plenty of black pepper, also adding salt, if needed. Season with the lemon juice and serve immediately.
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