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!
Roasted Beet Salad with Raspberries & Hazelnuts
Tossed with our Cara Cara orange vinaigrette, this showpiece salad boasts beautiful color.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Chioggia beets, cleaned and trimmed
4 cups water
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly shaved crosswise, fronds reserved
4 cups loosely-packed salad greens, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
F&L Cara Cara orange vinaigrette
¼ cup goat cheese
½ cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place beets in a large roasting pan and pour over water, red wine vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with parchment and foil. Roast until just tender, they should be easily pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Peel beets under cool water. Cut into quarters.
2. Toss the roasted beets, fennel, fennel fronds, and greens with about ½ cup of the dressing. Plate dressed greens. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary, garnish with the raspberries, goat cheese and hazelnuts and serve.
Chioggia Beet & Arugula Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
This crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups arugula greens
1 bunch Chioggia beets, trimmed of green tops
1 Jonagold apple, cored and thinly sliced
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place beets in a large roasting pan and pour in ½ cup water. Cover with parchment and foil. Roast until just tender, they should be easily pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Peel beets under cool water. Cut in half lengthwise and again in quarters.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, raspberry vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, combine arugula greens, warm beet slices and apple slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Season with fresh ground pepper as desired.
