Shelled Pea Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This bright salad is beautifully balanced by fresh mint and Marcona almonds.
Ingredients:
2 cups freshly-shelled peas, blanched until just tender
2 cups mixed greens, such as microgreens and arugula, washed
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
¼ cup toasted Marcona almonds
For vinaigrette:
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients until the oil and vinegar are emulsified. Set aside.
2. On a large serving platter, arrange the greens and the peas, tossing gently to combine. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, toss to coat and then garnish with the fresh mint and Marcona almonds. Season to taste with additional fresh ground pepper, as desired.
Pink Radicchio Salad with Red Pears
This winter salad is incredibly crisp and colorful.
Ingredients:
1 head pink Rosalba radicchio, halved, cored, and cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 red D’Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
For dressing:
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the radicchio in a large bowl.
2. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.
3. Drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to incorporate, then add more as desired. Top salad with the pear slices. Add more fresh ground pepper over if needed.
Variations: Feel free toss in a few handfuls of arugula, toasted pecans and even crumbled blue cheese into this salad to make it a main course dish.
Signs of Spring Recipes
Though our days continue to be drippy, the gardens are finally beginning to show signs of new life as the first of the shelling peas, mint and microgreens are now gracing us with their presence. Thus, spring fare takes center stage in this week’s box, too, with fresh semolina pasta, pain au levain bread and locally-crafted sharp cheddar cheese all helping to accent a bevy of produce that includes red cabbage rapini, romanesco and baby Japanese turnips. Crack open a bright Spanish white wine, pop a juicy apple cake into the oven and enjoy the first taste of the season!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Gemelli Pasta with Shelled Peas, Lemon & Mint
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, this light and lovely pasta recipe sings of spring.
Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Shelled Pea Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This bright salad is beautifully balanced by fresh mint and Marcona almonds.
Butter-Braised Turnips with Greens & Baby Shiitake Mushrooms
Simmered in rich chicken stock, this dish is finished with lemon juice and thyme for fresh appeal.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Breadcrumbs
Topped with buttery, golden brown breadcrumbs, these Brussels sprouts are the epitome of comfort food.
Arugula Pesto
This bright, flavorful pesto is wonderful drizzled over this week’s chilled pea soup or pea and mint pasta main!
F&L Apple Cake
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this cake comes together in just minutes!
Blue Cheese & Pear Salad with Arugula Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups arugula greens
1 D’Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine arugula greens and pearl slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Crumble blue cheese over top and serve.
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.
Gemelli Pasta with Shelled Peas, Lemon & Mint
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, this light and lovely pasta recipe sings of spring.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh gemelli pasta
2 cups fresh shelled peas (from about 1 lb. in the pod)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions. Add peas to cook during the last 30 seconds of pasta cooking time. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, set aside. Drain the pasta and the peas together.
2. Dry out the pasta pot, and pour in the heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the butter, and stir it until it has melted. Generously season the sauce with black pepper, add a pinch of salt as well as the lemon zest. Add ¾ cup Parmesan, and stir it until the sauce is smooth; then toss in the drained pasta & peas.
3. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the reserved pasta water by the spoonful if needed to loosen up the sauce. Garnish with remaining Parmesan, chopped parsley and mint and serve immediately.
Beet & Snap Pea Salad
This colorful salad is perfectly complemented by a lemon-honey vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, trimmed of any greens, washed and scrubbed
½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 cups mixed salad greens
Lemon-honey vinaigrette (see recipe)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Bake until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut into wedges.
2. Cook sugar snap peas in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Pat dry.
3. Line a serving platter with the greens Mix the beets and snap peas in a medium bowl with about ¼ cup of the honey-lemon vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper and then spoon the mixture over the greens. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette as desired.
Watercress Salad with F&L Honey-Orange Vinaigrette
This light and bright salad is the perfect summer side.
Ingredients:
8-10 cups watercress, trimmed
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
¼ cup dried cranberries
F&L orange-honey vinaigrette
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine watercress, oranges, avocado and cranberries. Drizzle about ½ cup of the vinaigrette over the salad; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional vinaigrette, as desired.
Cara Cara Orange Salad with Arugula, Pea Shoots & Fennel
This crisp, citrus-kissed salad is both bold in flavor and beautiful in presentation.
Ingredients:
1 Cara Cara orange
½ pound arugula greens
½ pound pea shoots
2 petite fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced, plus a handful of the fronds
Vinaigrette:
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
â…“ cup freshly squeezed juice from a Cara Cara orange
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Spread the arugula greens out on a large, round serving platter to make a bed.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the orange. Stand oranges up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice oranges crosswise into thin wheels.
3. Arrange the orange on top of the arugula, overlapping the slices slightly. Then layer on the fennel slices. Scatter the pea shoots on top of the salad.
4. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad and then season with ground pepper if desired.
Balsamic Roasted Warm Beet Salad
This Barefoot Contessa recipe is not only incredibly beautiful but also extremely flavorful.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven (see recipe)
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces arugula greens
1/3 cup salted Marcona almonds or regular almonds, toasted
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
Method:
1. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and mustard with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
2. While the beets are still warm, place them in a large mixing bowl and toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette). Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
3. Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.