Cinnamon Cap Mushroom & Ricotta Crostini
This elegant little starter is a beautiful showcase for this week’s Cinnamon Cap mushrooms.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces Cinnamon Cap mushrooms, wiped clean and trimmed
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 miniature sweet red peppers, seeded and sliced
4 tablespoons ricotta, drained
A few sprouts of chives, or other combination of fresh herbs, such as parsley or lovage, snipped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices Italian Rustica bread
Method:
1. Set a heavy frying pan, big enough to hold all the mushrooms in one layer, over medium high heat and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and shake the pan to coat the garlic and keep it from sticking, cooking until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and peppers, salt and pepper and fry gently for a few minutes until peppers have softened and mushrooms are golden.
2. Meanwhile, drizzle the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and toast under the broiler on both sides. When toasted, divide ricotta and sautéed vegetables between the slices. Sprinkle with the snipped herbs and serve immediately.
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Sparkling Spearmint Lemonade
This fizzy concoction is pure bliss when enjoyed on a warm afternoon.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup packed spearmint leaves, stems removed
1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Ice
Club soda or sparkling water
Method:
1. To make mint simple syrup, combine sugar, water, and mint leaves in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Immediately reduce heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Strain the leaves.
3. To assemble the lemonade, add 1 ounce each of simple syrup and lemon juice to a tall glass filled with ice. Top with about 6 ounces of club soda or sparkling water. Stir. Garnish with fresh mint.
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Homemade Bloody Marys
The perfect straws for enjoying these homemade Bloody Marys? Lovage stems, of course!
Ingredients:
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup vodka
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
⅓ cup distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
Lemon or lime wedges
Garnishes (choose any): Lovage stems (for straws), plus celery stalks, cherry tomatoes, dill pickle spears, pickled okra, and/or green cocktail olives
Method:
1. In a blender, combine the tomato juice, vodka, cucumber, vinegar, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Securely fasten the lid and blend on high speed until completely smooth.
2. Taste, and add more hot sauce for more heat (it will taste quite intense now, since the mix hasn’t cooled over ice yet). Add the black pepper and garlic. Securely fasten the lid and blend for just a few seconds (or longer, for a completely smooth texture). Taste, and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor if you’d like. Set aside.
3. Fill the glasses with ice, and pour the Bloody Mary mix on top. Stir with a spoon, and garnish each with a lemon or lime wedge, a lovage stem for a straw and any additional garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately.
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Green Garlic Salad Dressing
Flavor-packed ground mustard, vinegar and green garlic stalks mix beautifully in this easy vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
2 green garlic stalks
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine or champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Trim and mince the green garlic stalks, including as much of the green stalk as you can (that said, be sure to trim off and discard any wilted or yellowing parts).
2. Mix the minced green garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, mustard, and pepper in a small mixing bowl or glass jar. Whisk together or cover jar and shake vigorously to combine.
3. Use the dressing within an hour or two. (Any longer and it will taste just as good, but the green color will soften to a muted yellow.) Keep the dressing covered and chilled up to three days; bring to room temperature before serving.
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Spring Mushroom Scramble
Serve this earthy scramble with a salad of spring greens to complete the meal.
Ingredients:
6-8 eggs
1 cup Cinnamon Cap mushrooms, washed and trimmed
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 olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add in the garlic and sauté until softened and tender, about 4-6 minutes. Add in 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.
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Marinated Cucumber Salad
Super simple and healthy, this salad is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
1 red onion
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Peel the cucumbers and then half lengthwise before thinly slicing. Then, peel and thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl with the cucumber.
2. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil in a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the cucumber and onion mixture and toss well to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1-2 hours before serving cold or at room temperature.
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Lemon Risotto
This risotto showcases bright lemon flavors—just remember to keep stirring!
Ingredients:
1½ cups Arborio rice
8 tablespoons butter
4 cups warm chicken stock
½ cup white wine
½ shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (if desired)
1¼ cups grated Grana-style cheese
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ cup preserved Meyer lemons (see recipe), drained and chopped
Method:
1. In a sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to keep hot. In another large sauce pan over medium low heat, melt 4-5 tablespoons of butter and cook the garlic and shallot until soft but not brown.
2. Turn the heat up and add the Arborio rice. Stir for about one minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and continue stirring until almost absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and the wine and continue stirring; repeat until all the stock is gone and the rice is creamy and tender.
3. Stir in the remaining butter and grated Grana-style cheese until melted. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest and season liberally with salt and pepper to taste. Top each serving with preserved lemons and parsley, then serve immediately.
Variation: This risotto is wonderful topped with radishes sautéed in butter with garlic, spinach, kale and pea shoots!
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Strawberry Shortcakes with Crème Fraîche
Topped with ripe strawberries, these shortcakes are moist, crumbly and just a touch sweet.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder shortcake mix
¾ cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon
4 cups strawberries, washed, stemmed and sliced
½ cup sugar
1 cup Farm & Larder crème fraîche
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Add the shortcake mix to a large mixing bowl. Measure ¾ cup cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the dry mixture, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together.
2. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about ¾-inch thick. Cut six 2½-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, you should be able to get 2 or 3 more shortcakes out of it.
3. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool.
4. In a second bowl, mix the sliced strawberries with sugar. To assemble, split each shortcake in half and top both halves with a serving of berries. Finish with a generous dollop of honeyed crème fraîche.
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Quick-Pickled Green Apples
Another fun addition to an antipasti platter!
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized tart-crisp apples, such as Granny Smith, cut into thin slices
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Method:
1. Fill a 1-liter mason jar with apple slices.
2. Combine cider vinegar with water, sugar, cinnamon, salt and ginger in a medium saucepan over high. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot. Pour over apple slices, close lid and refrigerate overnight. Keeps well for up to two weeks.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake
We love this moist coffee cake come morning, noon or night!
Ingredients:
For filling:
3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 quart fresh strawberries, mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup cornstarch
For cake:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1½ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For topping:
¼ cup butter
¾ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt from the cake ingredient list. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat buttermilk, eggs and vanilla; stir into crumb mixture.
3. Spread half of the batter evenly into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Carefully spread filling on top. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over filling.
4. For topping, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in flour and sugar until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter. Place coffee cake on middle rack; bake 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
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