Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter & Lemon
The sweet, nutty brown butter here lends a beautiful finishing touch.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch radishes
1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Brush a large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but ½ inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in a medium bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.
- Melt butter in a heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of coarse kosher salt to the skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
- Transfer roasted radishes to a serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.
Pickled Ramps
A lovely way to preserve and enjoy these rare spring ramps for weeks to come.
Ingredients:
8 ounces ramps
2 dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Method:
1. Trim greens from ramps; reserve for another use—like pesto! Pack bulbs into a heatproof 1-pint jar along with dried red chiles, bay leaves, fennel seeds and black peppercorns.
2. Bring white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve. Pour over ramps to cover. Seal jar. Let cool, then chill.
Radicchio & Poached Egg Salad with Crispy Bacon
This dish is an excellent combination of bitter radicchio, salty pancetta, creamy egg yolks, and tangy vinaigrette—perfect for brunch with a slice of crusty bread on the side.
Ingredients:
1 head radicchio, torn into bite-sized pieces
4 large eggs
6 slices thick-cut bacon or bacon rashers, chopped, or pancetta cubes
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
¼ cup walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Toss the torn radicchio leaves in a large bowl with the vinaigrette, coating evenly. Add the toasted walnuts and crumbled blue cheese (if using).
3. Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. Add a splash of vinegar to help the egg whites set. Crack each egg into a small bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering water. Cook for about 3 minutes for runny yolks, or 4 minutes for firmer yolks. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
4. Divide the dressed radicchio among plates. Top each serving with bacon and a poached egg. Add a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper to each salad and serve immediately.
Roasted Leeks
Seasoned with salt and pepper, these leeks make for a satisfying side.
Ingredients:
4 leeks, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. In oiled roasting pan with sides, brush leeks with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast leeks until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. While roasting, drizzle leeks with broth a few times to keep them moist.
3. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Potato-Leek Soup
This classic Julia Child recipe is always a home run; serve this with slices of this week’s Beecher’s cheese bread.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound baby red potatoes, peeled and cut in half if on the larger side
3 large leeks (1 pound), cleaned and thinly sliced
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup crème fraîche
â…“ cup minced parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large (6-plus quart) stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften and brown slightly, about 5-10 minutes (time will vary greatly depending on the surface area of the bottom of your pot).
2. Add the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Blend until smooth, either using an immersion blender or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches.
4. Add the cream, and season to taste with salt and lemon juice.
5. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and a healthy sprinkling of minced parsley.
Crème Fraîche Salad Dressing
Creamy, yet light, this dressing is fantastic tossed with greens and thinly-sliced radish.
Ingredients:
¼ cup crème fraîche
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 scallions, white parts only finely-minced, or 1 shallot, peeled and finely-minced
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, olive oil, and honey.
2. Add the scallion or shallot, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, or a touch more vinegar if you prefer your dressing on the acidic side.
Morel Mushroom Scramble
Serve this earthy scramble with a salad of spring greens to complete the meal.
Ingredients:
6-8 eggs
1 cup sliced Morel mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add in the garlic and sauté until softened and tender, about 4-6 minutes. Add in sliced mushrooms and briefly sauté until mushrooms are golden brown, then season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, crack eggs and break over a shallow bowl. Break yolks with a whisk or fork, then add cream and mix together vigorously. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add eggs to skillet and stir, cooking until eggs are just set, tossing to mix with vegetables. Top with fresh parsley to serve.
Winter Citrus & Fava Shoot Salad
This crisp, citrus-kissed salad is both bold in flavor and beautiful in presentation.
Ingredients:
1 blood orange
1 Navel orange
½ pound fava shoots
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced, plus a handful of the fronds
Vinaigrette:
1 shallot, peeled and minced
â…“ cup freshly squeezed juice from an orange
â…“ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
- Spread the salad greens out on a large, round serving platter to make a bed.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the orange. Stand oranges up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice oranges crosswise into thin wheels.
- Arrange the orange on top of the salad greens, overlapping the slices slightly. Then layer on the fennel slices. Scatter the onion slices on top of the salad.
- Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and then season with ground pepper if desired.
Bok Choy with Garlic & Ginger
Fresh ginger and fragrant garlic lend big flavor to sautéed bok choy greens.
Ingredients:
1 bunch bok choy
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
â…› cup dry white wine
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Start by trimming the stem off, just the end, to ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact and clean under running water. Drain.
2. Finely mince garlic. Heat olive oil in wok or frying pan. Add garlic and ginger to heated pan.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the ginger and garlic gently sizzle in the oil. When the aromatics become fragrant and light golden brown, add the bok choy leaves.
4. Toss very well to coat each leaf with the flavored oil for approximately 15 seconds. Pour in broth, water or wine. Immediately cover and let cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.