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
â…“ 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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Chicory Salad with Pecans & Goat Cheese
This light and bright dressing is the perfect compliment to peppery chicory greens.
Ingredients:
6 cups chicory, leaves separated and torn
1 cup pecans
¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
¼ cup whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup thinly sliced chives
¼ cup goat cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool; crush or coarsely chop.
2. Whisk vinegar, mustard, and honey in a large bowl to combine. Add chicory, chives, and half of the pecans. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and lots of pepper, and toss to coat. Top salad with remaining pecans and goat cheese.
Rye Bread Toasts
This week’s loaf makes for excellent crostini to pair with creamy sheep’s milk cheese and some Meyer lemon relish.
Ingredients:
Jewish rye bread
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Thinly slice the rye loaf into ¼-inch-thick pieces with a serrated knife and place slices on a baking sheet.
2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then slip pan into a 375º oven and bake crostini for 10-15 minutes, until bread is golden brown and slightly crisp. Remove from oven, and serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.)
Lemon-Pepper Linguine with Roasted Romanesco, Almonds & Capers
Seasonal romanesco is first roasted in the oven, then added to this luxurious pasta main.
Ingredients:
1 pound lemon-pepper linguine
¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry, divided
½ medium romanesco, cored, cut into small florets
8 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup Grana-styled cheese, grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Cook almonds, ¼ cup oil, and 1 tablespoon of the capers in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until capers burst and almonds are golden brown and smell toasty, about 5 minutes. Transfer almonds and capers with a slotted spoon to a small bowl; season with salt. Let cool. Toss romanesco with oil from saucepan on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Roast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and tender, 20–25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add garlic, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and remaining capers and cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes.
3. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with garlic; add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing often, until liquid is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add cheese, tossing until melted and dissolved into a luxurious, glossy sauce. Remove from heat; add butter and toss to combine. Toss in romanesco. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with fried almonds and capers and more red pepper flakes and drizzle with oil.