Baked Eggs with Crème Fraîche & Fresh Herbs
These oeufs en cocotte boast a wonderful balance between the rich crème fraîche and the bright parsley and chives.
Ingredients:
8 large eggs
1 cup Farm & Larder crème fraîche
Pinch nutmeg
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Season the crème fraîche with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
3. Place a heaped tablespoon of crème fraîche in the bottom of a small individual ramekin or custard cup*, followed by a sprinkling of parsley and chives. Crack an egg on top, add a second tablespoon of crème fraîche and sprinkle with an additional pinch each of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Repeat with remaining ramekins.
4. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour enough lukewarm water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg yolks are set to your liking. Finish each serving with additional chopped herbs.
*This dish can also be made in a large baking dish, or even in a few smaller baking dishes. Spread a thin layer of cheese and herbs on bottom, carefully crack eggs and space out evenly, then dollop additional cheese and add water as directed above.
Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone, Pistachios & Balsamic Glaze
Peaches off the grill are a true summer delight—we particularly love this salty, sticky-sweet topping.
Ingredients
4 large ripe (but not overly soft) peaches, halved and pits removed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons grapeseed oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
Handful of pistachios, lightly crushed
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and melted butter. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine mascarpone (or cream) cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Set aside.
2. Preheat grill over medium low heat. Gently brush each peach half with oil and place it flesh side down on the grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to carefully rotate peaches a quarter turn and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the peaches are slightly softened and have grill marks. Remove and cool slightly.
3. When ready to serve, drizzle balsamic mixture over peaches and spoon a small scoop of cheese mixture into the hollow of each peach. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
Variations: Once you master the art of grilling peaches, the sky’s the limit! They are also wonderful topped with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey.
Whipped Crème Fraîche
A simply-stunning topping for this week’s gingerbread loaf, or any holiday pie you have in mind.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon granulated sugar*
Method:
1. Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Place all of the ingredients in the bowl and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use a hand whisk and a large chilled bowl. Whisk all of the ingredients until medium peaks form, about 5 to 6 minutes.) Serve immediately.
* Feel free to sub in your favorite sweetener here; our favorites are honey or even a splash of bourbon maple syrup!
Baked Feta with Honey
A kick of honey lends a sweet touch to the salty cheese; serve with grilled bread crostini!
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce block sheep’s milk feta, blotted dry with a paper towel
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Fresh ground pepper
Grilled bread crostini
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the feta in a small baking dish and drizzle the olive oil over the top. Bake until the cheese is soft to the touch, but not melted, about 8 minutes.
2. Remove the feta from the oven and preheat the broiler. Drizzle the honey over the cheese, and then return to the oven and broil until the cheese is golden brown and bubble, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and season generously with pepper. Serve immediately with the grilled bread crostini.
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.
Grilled Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
In addition to salad greens, this bright and robust dressing is wonderful tossed with pasta salad, or drizzled over steamed or grilled vegetables.
Ingredients:
1-2 heirloom tomatoes, halved and seeded
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill tomato halves until soft and slightly charred, beginning flesh side down, and flipping over halfway through cooking so both sides have grill marks. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice and herbs and process until smooth. Check for seasoning and season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Then, with processor running, slowly add olive oil and process until well blended. Set aside until ready to use.
Purple Carrot-Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro
This light, fresh slaw adds great flavor and texture to this week’s fish tacos.
Ingredients:
½-1 head green cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced
2-3 purple carrots, coarsely grated
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
¾ cup freshly-chopped cilantro
½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
Juice from 2 limes
Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream or crème fraîche with the lime juice. Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, combine cabbage, Jalapeño pepper, carrots and cilantro. Drizzle with dressing, tossing to coat. Season with more pepper as desired and salt to taste.
Cucumber & Melon Salad with Basil
Juicy and incredibly crisp, this salad always receives rave reviews.
Ingredients:
½ very ripe Galia, cantaloupe or other summer melon, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cucumbers, cut into ½-inch chunks
6 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Shelled sunflower seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Toss melon, cucumber, basil, and feta in a medium bowl.
2. Mix equal parts olive oil and balsamic together in a small bowl, then drizzle over the salad, tossing to coat if desired. Finish with a sprinkling each of sunflower seeds, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo
This classic-style pico de gallo is fantastic atop tacos, scrambled eggs and of course, served as a dip with chips.
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and chopped in half
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt
Method:
1. Combine tomatoes, onion, and Jalapeño pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cilantro, then drizzle lime juice over the salsa. Season generously with sea salt, to taste. Allow to sit 10-20 minutes on the countertop for flavors to fully combine.
Summer Peach & Heirloom Tomato Salad
Incredibly fresh and light, this colorful salad is accented by a robust heirloom tomato vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
1-2 peaches, pitted, peeled and cut into wedges
1-2 heirloom tomatoes, trimmed of stems and cut into wedges
¼ cup thinly-sliced sweet onion
¼ cup fresh feta cheese
¼ fresh basil leaves, coarsely torn
Grilled Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette (see recipe)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine peach and tomato slices with sliced onion in a large bowl. Toss with about ½ cup of the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and drizzle with more dressing and season with salt and pepper as desired.
2. Transfer to a serving platter and top salad with feta cheese crumbles and basil. Serve immediately.