Lavender-Infused Lemonade
This cool beverage is fragrant with summer lavender.
Ingredients:
Small handful lavender flowers, rinsed and cut from stem
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2-3 cups ice water
1½ cups freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Method:
1. Place lavender flowers in a medium bowl. Pour the sugar over the flowers and use your fingers to gently rub the flowers into the sugar. Pour the boiling water over the lavender sugar and stir with a spoon until the sugar has melted. Cover and let infuse for 30 minutes (or up to several hours).
2. Strain the lavender-infused simple syrup and pour into a serving carafe or pitcher. Stir in the lemon juice. Add another two cups of water. Taste and adjust for tartness. Add more lemon juice if too sweet, or add more sugar if too tart. Add ice and more water to desired level of concentration.
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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.
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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.
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Smashed Sunchokes with Thyme Butter
Enriched with butter and thyme and the perfect side dish for any spring meal.
Enriched with butter and thyme and the perfect side dish for any winter spread.
Ingredients:
1 pound sunchokes, rinsed and trimmed of any dark spots
6-8 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil for frying
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Large pinch freshly picked thyme leaves
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving
Method:
1. In a medium saucepan, cover the sunchokes with cold water. Season generously with salt (the water should taste nicely salted, as if you were seasoning soup). Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until a paring knife inserted into a sunchoke meets little resistance, about 10 minutes; be careful not to overcook.
2. Drain sunchokes using a fine-mesh strainer or colander. When cool enough to handle, place sunchokes on a work surface or cutting board. Working 1 sunchoke at a time, use the bottom of a heavy skillet to press firmly on each sunchoke until it is flattened but still in one piece; take care not to press so hard that the sunchokes break apart.
3. In a large cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add sunchokes in a single layer and cook without moving until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add more oil, if needed. Flip sunchokes, then add butter to the pan and allow to melt. Add half of the thyme to the melted butter and continue to cook, spooning butter over sunchokes, until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Transfer sunchokes to a serving plate and spoon the thyme butter on top. Garnish with remaining freshly picked thyme leaves and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.
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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.
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Cranberry-Herb Compound Butter
This festive, jewel-toned spread is an all-star: Melt it over roasted vegetables, rub it on your turkey to give it a beautifully burnished skin, or slather it onto warm English muffins for an instant holiday upgrade.
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Grilled Asparagus with Classic Gremolata
This healthy, easy dish is a classic way to serve asparagus in the Italian region of Lombardy—and it only takes a few minutes to put together.
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. To make the gremolata, finely chop the garlic, parsley and lemon zest together on a cutting board until well combined. Transfer to a bowl. (You can prepare the gremolata an hour or two before you cook the asparagus.)
2. Steam or boil the asparagus in salted water until tender, four to five minutes. Remove from the heat, and toss with the gremolata. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix together the lemon juice and olive oil, and drizzle over the asparagus. Serve hot or warm.
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Roasted Apples & Golden Plums with Maple, Thyme & Sea Salt
Maple-roasted orchard apples and golden plums turn tender and jammy with thyme, warm spice and a touch of sea salt—perfect for spooning over pancakes or waffles.Â
Ingredients:
2 medium apples, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
4–5 golden plums, pitted and quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the apples and plums in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, thyme, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the fruit and gently toss to coat.
2. Roast for 18 to 25 minutes, turning once, until the apples are tender and lightly caramelized and the plums are soft and jammy around the edges. Depending on how ripe the plums are, they may soften more quickly than the apples; that’s just fine—their juices will mingle with the maple and create a delicious syrup in the pan.
3. Spoon the fruit warm over pancakes or waffles, making sure to drizzle those maple-plum pan juices over the top. Finish with a few flakes of sea salt and an extra drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.
Tip: The roasted fruit is also delicious spooned over yogurt or oatmeal, paired with pork or roast chicken, or served warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Persimmon Salad with Greens & Goat Cheese
This salad is a lovely balance of sweet, tart, and creamy, with a pop of crunch from the nuts.Â
Ingredients:
4 ripe persimmons, thinly sliced (leave skin on)
5 cups arugula, spinach, radicchio or any combination of mixed greens
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
â…“ cup crumbled goat cheese
¼ cup toasted pecans or walnuts
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
2. Place the greens on a large serving platter or bowl. Layer the persimmon slices evenly over the greens. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecans, and red onion slices on top.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss lightly to combine or leave as is for a beautiful presentation.
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Potatoes à la Robuchon
Of all the haute cuisine in legendary chef Joël Robuchon’s repertoire, he was best known for these super-silky potatoes.
Ingredients:
2½ pounds fingerling potatoes, all of a similar size
1 pound unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
¼ cup milk
Sea salt, to taste
Method:
1. Place unpeeled potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender. Drain and peel. Transfer to a bowl and let potatoes cool slightly.
2. Turn potatoes through a food mill on the finest setting, back into the cooking pot. Heat pot over medium heat stirring until heated through and steam begins to come off the bottom of the pot. Add butter in 5 additions, allowing each addition of butter to be almost melted before adding the next until it all has been incorporated.
3. Stir in warm milk until combined. Using a whisk, vigorously stir potatoes until fluffy. Season with salt. Transfer to a serving dish and smooth the top of the potatoes with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
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