Fresh Apricot Compote
This tart-sweet compote is wonderful served this week’s pancake or Greek yogurt and crunchy granola.
Ingredients:
½ pound ripe, but firm, apricots
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1-2 tablespoons sugar
Method:
1. Combine apricots, lime juice, and sugar in a large skillet.
2. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until apricots are glazed and syrupy, 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and chill for at least 1 hour.
Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette
In addition to this week’s salad, this versatile dressing pairs well with roasted baby carrots.
Ingredients:
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt
Method:
1. Whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, vinegar and honey in a medium bowl until combined.
2. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette is smooth and thickened. Stir in the chopped dill and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roasted Baby Red Potatoes
Tossed with buttery herbs and garlic, these roasted potatoes are fantastic morning, noon or night.
Ingredients:
2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed and scrubbed clean
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup freshly-chopped parsley
¼ cup snipped fresh chives
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Quarter washed potatoes and transfer to a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Roast potatoes until tender and golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally during cooking, about 35-40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add crushed garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to large mixing bowl and add chopped herbs.
4. Add cooked potatoes to mixing bowl and toss with garlic butter and herbs. Season with salt and pepper as needed, and serve warm.
Baby Beet & Carrot Salad with Herbed Crème Fraîche Dressing
This beautiful salad utilizes both the bright baby beets and tender greens.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
2 green onions, minced
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
½ cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons minced dill
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 pound baby beets with greens (about 1-inch thick)
1 pound slender young carrots with greens (about 1/2-inch thick)1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. For the dressing: Whisk to combine green onion, garlic, and lemon zest and juice, onion and garlic powder, and sea salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside to marinate for a few minutes. Fold in the crème fraîche, followed by the fresh herbs. Taste and add sea salt as needed. Cover and set in fridge to chill. Just before serving, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin dressing as needed.
2. Preheat oven to 425°. Trim all but ¼-inch of beet and carrot greens (reserve beet greens), and thoroughly scrub vegetables. Set unpeeled beets in a small, 2-inch-deep baking pan. Add ½ inch of cold water and cover tightly with foil. Slide into oven and roast until beets are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover beets, drain hot water, and set beets aside until cool enough to handle. Slice off beet tops and remove skin under cold running water, either with fingertips or a peeler. (Skin will come off very easily.) Quarter beets and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Halve carrots and cut on the bias into 4-inch spears. Toss with olive oil and a pinch each sea salt and pepper. Scatter on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into oven to roast alongside beets 10 to 15 minutes, or until carrots just begin to curl up and the edges turn golden.
4. While vegetables cook, rinse and dry beet greens, and arrange leaves on a serving platter. Tuck beets and carrots into the greens. Spoon on the dressing, and finish with a few twists of pepper and minced parsley. Serve immediately.
Crispy Diced Pork Belly
These little nuggets of goodness are wonderful scattered over braised greens or this week’s polenta.
Ingredients:
½ pound Skagit River Ranch pork belly ends
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out pork belly ends, spacing out evenly on the sheet.
3. Bake pork belly until crisp and golden, about 15-20 minutes. (Check frequently to avoid burning.) Remove from oven, allow to cool, then finely-dice with a sharp knife.
Variations: Feel free to test out your own seasonings sprinkled over the raw pork belly, then bake. Our favorites include brown sugar or cayenne pepper.
Fresh Spinach Lasagna with Béchamel & Duxelles
This light and lovely vegetarian entrée is packed with spring favorites!
Ingredients:
6 cups milk
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch spinach, thoroughly washed and dried
F&L duxelles
¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 cups grated Grana-style cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 package lasagna noodles, cooked very al dente and drained
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. For the sauce: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is almost boiling. In another small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook this mixture for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture. Stir vigorously until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. For the lasagna: Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the spinach, duxelles and ½ cup of the parsley and cook until well-combined, pressing any excess moisture out of the spinach greens as you go. Set this mixture aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining parsley, ricotta cheese, eggs and â…” cup of the Grana-style cheese.
4. Oil a large baking pan. First, layer 1½ to 2 cups of the béchamel, followed by a layer of noodles, then half of the spinach mixture and all the mozzarella cheese. Next, add another 1½ to 2 cups of the béchamel, another layer of noodles, all of the ricotta mixture, and the remaining spinach mixture. Finally, add the rest of the béchamel, the remaining noodles and sprinkle the remaining Grana-style cheese over top. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover the lasagna and cook for another 10 minutes. Allow the lasagna to cool for about 15 minutes prior to serving.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Radishes & Mint
This wonderful springtime salad gets an extra flavor boost courtesy of crunchy radish slices and zingy lemon zest.
Ingredients:
1 cup crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped mint
½ bunch radishes, trimmed of greens, washed and thinly-sliced into rounds
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon juice and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Fold in the radishes and snap peas, and then garnish the salad with the lemon zest. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Braised Fava Greens
The tender, succulent greens are lovely simply sautéed in butter and topped with crispy pork belly.
Ingredients:
1 bunch fava greens
2 tablespoons butter, olive oil, or a combination or both
¼ cup crispy diced pork belly (see recipe)
Sea salt
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Method:
1. Thoroughly clean greens, trimming of any tough stems.
2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Once warm, add butter to melt, then add in greens. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with extra lemon and crispy diced pork belly.
Sage Blossom Pesto
Utilizing the gorgeous flowers from the sage plant, this full-flavored pesto is excellent served on grilled crostini.
Ingredients:
1 bunch flowering sage (enough for about 2 cups of combined leaves and flowers)
¼ cup roasted nuts, such as cashew, walnut or pine nuts)
½ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
¼ cup onion, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Grana-style cheese
Method:
1. Remove a few of the leaves and all of the blossoms from the sage stalks.
2. Pulse the blossoms and leaves with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until well-combined. Transfer the pesto to a serving dish and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous squirt of lemon.