First Days of Spring Recipes

We did it: Winter has waned and spring is officially here. In such a tough and challenging time, we are extra thankful for the longer daylight hours, offshoots of green and peeks of sunshine this year, as well as the bright spring ingredients included in this week’s lineup—think: micro arugula, pea shoots, leeks and Cosmic Queen Oyster mushrooms. Complemented by locally-crafted bucatini pasta, Pain au Levain bread and our Nonna Pat’s signature tomato sauce, plus Grana-style cheese, blueberry jam and salad-ready Italian vinaigrette, this box is a fitting welcome to the season.

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Pea Shoot & Micro Arugula Salad with Radishes & Hazelnuts
This stellar salad from Food & Wine is beautifully balanced with peppery greens and radishes and sweet pea shoots.

Roasted Oyster Mushrooms
Roasting these mushrooms in the oven lends rich, concentrated flavor—delicious!

Sautéed Leeks & Oyster Mushrooms
Gently tossed with butter, this beautiful side dish brings out the mellow, sweet flavors of these two spring favorites.

Baby Red Potato ‘Homefries’
These creamy, rustic potatoes are flecked with fresh parsley for freshness and red pepper flakes for heat.

Roasted Beets with Raspberry Vinegar
Kissed with notes of raspberry and orange, these beets are truly fantastic!

Mustard Greens Pesto
Brilliantly green, this mustard green pesto packs a bit of a kick and pairs beautifully with roasted turnips or potatoes!

Cozy Up Recipes

February continues to chill the bones, so warm yourself body and soul this week with a pasta night starring locally-crafted bucatini pasta kissed with earthy Shiitake mushrooms and homegrown Swiss chard, as well as our signature garlic confit and Grana-style cheese. Also included in this cozy and comforting box: Fresh Challah bread, seasonal favorites such as Seckel pears and Cara Cara oranges, and two snacks fit for Oscar night—certified-organic black popcorn and chocolate coated almonds.

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Bucatini Pasta with Sautéed Red Swiss Chard & Shiitake Mushrooms
Finished with garlic confit and a grating of Grana-style cheese, this wintery pasta is incredibly cozy and satisfying.

Challah Bread French Toast
This lovely and light French toast is wonderful topped with maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar or Cara Cara orange compote (see recipe!).

Cara Cara Orange Compote
Tart, sweet and lively with bright citrus flavor, this compote is excellent on French toast.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Grana Cheese
This versatile recipe works with any number of squash—Butternut, Delicata, Acorn or Sweet Dumpling.

Slow-Roasted Ginger-Lime Carrots
These flavorful carrots from Jennifer Perillo’s Homemade with Love cookbook are wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.

Whole-Poached Seckel Pears
These petite little pears are the perfect sweet bite, poached in just a little sugar and cinnamon.

Bucatini Pasta with Sautéed Red Swiss Chard & Shiitake Mushrooms

Finished with garlic confit and a grating of Grana-style cheese, this wintery pasta is incredibly cozy and satisfying.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh bucatini pasta, or other fresh pasta of your choice
2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
1 bunch red Swiss chard, leaves separated from tough stems and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ cup F&L garlic confit
¼ cup Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook until the bucatini is al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in the skillet. Once warm, add the mushrooms and Swiss chard, tossing to coat with oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and sweat until mushrooms are tender and Swiss chard is just wilted, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add drained pasta to the skillet with the vegetables, then toss everything together with the rest of the olive oil, butter and garlic confit. (If pasta seems a little dry, mix in reserved pasta water.) Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a healthy grating of Grana-style cheese and enjoy!

Summer All-Stars Recipes

Tomatoes! Blueberries! Zucchini! These late summer staples are arriving in abundance here in August and this week’s box celebrates them in all their sun-ripened glory, as well as other favorites such as Chioggia radicchio, fennel and red and yellow plums from the orchards here at Bella Luna. Also joining these summer all-stars: Fresh, handcrafted bucatini pasta from Bellingham Pasta Co. and multigrain bread, plus fragrant herbs and our signature chicken stock. Long live summer!

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Fresh Bucatini Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes & Basil
Using top-notch olive oil and an authentic Grana-style cheese are key to this dish’s success.

Wild Rice Salad with Blueberries, Corn & Almonds
This Bon Appetit recipe shines the spotlight on summer blueberries and fresh corn!

Grilled Radicchio Salad
A light balsamic dressing perfectly compliments nutty grilled radicchio in this unique salad.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Zucchini
Brushed with a herb-kissed butter mixture, these zucchini slices pair well with grilled chicken, fish or steak.

Roasted Fennel & Onions
These tender, broiled vegetables make for a fantastic side dish to this week’s suggested pasta main.

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