Grilled Pluots with Honey & Mint
This elegant, low-effort dish highlights the natural juiciness of ripe pluots, caramelized ever so slightly by the grill. A drizzle of honey and a handful of torn mint leaves are all you need to finish things off.
Ingredients:
4 ripe but firm pluots, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon olive oil
2–3 tablespoons good-quality honey
A few sprigs of fresh mint, torn or chiffonade
Optional: flaky sea salt, vanilla ice cream, or Greek yogurt for serving
Method:
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grates. Lightly brush the cut sides of the pluots with olive oil.
2. Place pluots cut-side down on the grill. Grill for 2–3 minutes, or until they have defined grill marks and begin to soften slightly. Flip and grill for an additional 1–2 minutes on the skin side, just until warmed through but still holding their shape.
3. Remove from grill and arrange on a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle with honey while still warm, and scatter the fresh mint over top. Optional: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt to balance the sweetness, or serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a more indulgent finish.
Italian Sausage-Lentil Soup with Leeks
This longtime family recipe is a winning New Year’s dish. Fun fact: Lentils are believed to bring good luck and prosperity throughout the new year because they resemble coins!
Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, cleaned with white and light green parts chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups chicken stock
2 cans (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, for topping
Method:
- In a large pot, brown the sausage until it is no longer pink. Remove from the pan, drain and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the olive oil and then sauté onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until tender. Add stock, lentils, tomatoes, sausage, wine, sugar, vinegar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 and ½ hours. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
Brown Butter & Sage Roasted Carrots
Sweet, earthy Chantenay carrots are roasted until tender and caramelized, then tossed with nutty brown butter and fragrant, crispy sage leaves.Â
Ingredients:
1½ pounds red-cored Chantenay carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthwise if large
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10–12 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange carrots on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer, cut sides down. Roast for 25–35 minutes, turning once, until the carrots are tender and beautifully caramelized around the edges.
2. During the last few minutes of roasting, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook for 1–2 minutes, until crisp. Transfer the sage to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue cooking the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 1–2 minutes more. Remove from heat immediately and stir in lemon juice and honey or maple syrup, if using.
3. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving platter and drizzle with the warm brown butter. Scatter crispy sage leaves over the top and finish with flaky sea salt. Serve warm.
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.
Sunflower Shoot Salad with Radishes & Hazelnuts
This stellar salad from Food & Wine is beautifully balanced with peppery greens and radishes and sweet pea shoots.
Ingredients:
½ cup hazelnuts
1½ tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon minced shallot
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups peppery greens, such as arugula or shiso
2 cups sunflower shoots
2-3 Pink radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, cored and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast until they are fragrant and the skins blister, about 14 minutes. Transfer the toasted hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and let cool slightly, then vigorously rub the nuts together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the Champagne vinegar with the Dijon mustard, honey and minced shallot. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and whisk until blended. Season the vinaigrette with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the arugula, sunflower shoots, radishes, fennel and chopped hazelnuts and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
Pan-Fried Mushrooms
Crispy, garlicky, and delicious, these mushrooms make an incredible side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces mushrooms, such as this week’s blue Oyster and King Trumpet varieties, cut into evenly sized pieces
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat.
- Spread the mushrooms out in a single layer in the pan. Cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes until they start to brown. Stir the mushrooms and cook for another 3-5 minutes until browned all over.
- Add the butter, garlic, and thyme to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, spooning the ghee/butter over the mushrooms until they are dark brown and slightly crispy.
- Remove the thyme springs and season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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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.
Fresh Corn Salad
Crisp, crunchy and spicy, this side salad is even better the second day!
Ingredients:
3 cups corn kernels, cut from husks
1 heirloom tomato, seeded and diced, or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
2 sweet peppers, seeded and diced
1 Anaheim chile pepper, seeded and diced
½ Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine corn, tomato, peppers, Anaheim chili, sweet onion and garlic in a small mixing bowl.
2. Toss in the garlic and parsley and combine, then drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Variation: Try adding in 1 cup of this week’s canned Italian borlotti beans!
Niçoise Vinaigrette
Julia Child’s famous vinaigrette, crafted from lemon juice and Dijon mustard.
Ingredients:
1 lemon, zested and juiced (at least 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
1 cup excellent olive oil
Method:
1. Combine lemon zest, juice, mustard and shallots in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking until all ingredients are combined and dressing is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Breton Coco Shelling Beans with Lemon & Olive Oil
A lovely supper side, these beautiful beans are also tossed with fresh herbs.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds fresh Breton Coco shelling beans in pod
2 tablespoons salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
2 tablespoons combined chopped basil and parsley
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Shell beans. In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook beans with salt until tender and no longer mealy, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to a bowl.
2. While beans are still warm, toss with remaining ingredients and season with salt. Serve salad warm or at room temperature.