Buttered Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.*
2. Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Poached Duck Eggs over Asparagus with Italian Fonduta
Serve this elegant dish with toasted Italian Rustica bread to sop up those delicious runny egg yolks!
Ingredients:
3-4 duck eggs
1 pound asparagus, ends snapped and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Italian Fonduta (see recipe)
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter or heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. To serve, add a serving of the asparagus to a plate, and then top with a poached egg and a generous helping of fonduta. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Black Caviar Lentil & Carrot Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
This salad from the experts at Rancho Gordo is fantastic for lunch all on its own, or served as a side at suppertime.
Ingredients:
2-4 carrots, peeled and grated (about 2 cups grated)
1 cup cooked black caviar lentils
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or to taste)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, onion, mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make a vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Place the grated carrots in a serving bowl. Add your desired amount of vinaigrette and toss to coat. (You may have some left over.) Add the lentils and parsley and toss gently. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.
Vegetable Frittata
Packed with colorful peppers and summer squash, this easy frittata boasts incredibly fresh flavor.
Ingredients:
8 eggs
8-10 yellow fingerling potatoes, washed and thinly-sliced
6-8 baby summer squash, or 1 zucchini, washed and thinly-sliced
2 Jimmy Nardello peppers, washed, seeded and chopped
1 sweet French pepper, washed, seeded and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced potatoes to the skillet and sauté for about 6 to 8 minutes, until tender but firm. Remove from the skillet. Add another tablespoon of oil, then add the peppers, summer squash or zucchini, onions and garlic. Sauté for an additional 2 to 4 minutes or until the peppers and onions are softened, and garlic is fragrant. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Remove from the skillet.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs and thyme with a pinch of salt and pepper. Return the potatoes to the skillet, arranging in an even layer. Top with vegetable mixture and then pour eggs evenly over the vegetables. Drizzle olive oil around the edge of the pan to ensure easy removal.
4. Transfer to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the eggs have completely s
Deviled Quail Eggs
This wonderful picnic dish is sure to impress, made with petite, creamy quail eggs.
Ingredients:
6 quail eggs
1 teaspoon high-quality mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Sea salt, to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or chives
Method:
1. Rinse the eggs under warm water. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and peel. Pat dry.
2. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks with a very small spoon into a bowl; mash. Mix with mayonnaise, mustard, Tabasco sauce and salt. Carefully fill the whites with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle with herbs and arrange on a decorative cocktail tray.
Summery Orzo & Corona Bean Salad with Arugula
This orzo salad is always a hit; feel free to swap your favorite summer produce in!
Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 cup canned Corona beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup each orange and red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups arugula greens
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3.tablespoons chives, snipped
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup currants, plumped in hot water and drained
Dressing:
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and garlic, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked orzo and beans with the dressing. Let cool.
2. Add the remaining salad ingredients, tossing lightly to distribute evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This can be prepped up to a day in advance, though wait to add the arugula until just before serving.)
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.
Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche
Bright green asparagus spears are drizzled with a classic French-style cold egg sauce in this refreshing recipe.
Ingredients:
Asparagus spears
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled
2 hard cooked egg yolks
1-2 teaspoons Dijon or whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ cup finely chopped parsley or chervil
1 cup olive oil
¼ cup capers in vinegar, drained and chopped
¼ – ½ cup cornichons, drained and chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook asparagus until crisp-tender, 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to let cool. Remove from water and pat dry.
2. Put whole hard cooked eggs in bowl with mustard, sea salt and pepper and mash together with a pastry blender or fork. Add vinegar and then add the olive oil, drop by drop as if making mayonnaise. To keep the sauce creamy, add very small amounts of vinegar or warm water at a time. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and finish the sauce by adding chopped herbs, capers and cornichons.
3. Arrange asparagus on plates; top each with several dollops of sauce gribiche. Garnish with parsley sprigs.
Garden Greens with Chopped Eggs
This fresh salad is a lovely use for beautiful summer greens.
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed summer greens, washed and patted dry
½ pound green beans, trimmed
½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
Edible flowers, for garnish
Method:
1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Working in batches, blanch green beans in a pot of generously salted boiling water until bright and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath and let cool; remove. Return water in the pot to a boil, and blanch snow peas, in batches, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath until cool; remove peas, and cut in half.
2. Whisk together the anchovies, lemon juice and sour cream in a bowl. Slowly add oil in a steady stream, whisking until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the lettuce greens, green beans and peas among four plates, and top each with chopped eggs and herbs. Drizzle with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with edible flowers.
Pasta with Sautéed Spring Greens & Chevre
This incredibly-satisfying pasta is very versatile: Use any combination of your favorite hearty greens!
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta of your choice
6 cups mixed spring greens, such as a mix of this week’s micro broccoli, sunflower shoots, pea shoots
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough ribs removed and greens coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
½ cup Chevre cheese, crumbled
¼ pine nuts, toasted
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in the skillet. Once warm, add the garlic and all the greens, tossing to coat with oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and sweat until greens are just wilted and tender and garlic is fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add drained pasta to the skillet, then toss everything together with the rest of the olive oil and butter. If pasta seems a little dry, mix in reserved pasta water. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with crumbled Chevre and pine nuts on top.