Spring Sunshine Recipes
This week’s beautiful weather sure has jump-started the gardens! Crisp and crunchy, verdant and vivacious, the flavors of spring are thus freshening up this week’s lineup with such ingredients as pea and sunflower shoots, purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and chives. Also featuring fresh pappardelle pasta, Skagit River Ranch Italian sausage, Tunawerth cream cheese, our own duxelles and cornichons, plus top-quality baking ingredients, this box of seasonal favorites invites you to immerse yourself in the kitchen before heading back outside with a full plate and a glass of wine to enjoy!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Pappardelle Pasta with Duxelles & Italian Sausage
This light, creamy pasta is a show-stopper, topped with mushrooms duxelles and savory sausage.
Spring Greens Salad
Featuring arugula and chives, this bright and fresh salad is our go-to side salad for pretty much any meal!
Oven-Roasted Leeks
Seasoned with salt and pepper, roasted spring leeks make for a satisfying side dish.
Buttered New Potatoes with Fresh Herbs
This simple recipe from Ina Garten brings out the buttery flavor of new potatoes.
Quick-Pickled Sweet Onions
These snappy little onions are fantastic served on sandwiches and salads.
Pappardelle Pasta with Duxelles & Italian Sausage
This light, creamy pasta is a show-stopper, topped with mushrooms duxelles and savory sausage.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh pasta, such as this week’s pappardelle
1 pound Italian sausage
¾ cup F&L duxelles
2-3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta noodles and cook according to package directions, or until al dente, about 6-7 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the Italian sausage until browned and no longer pink on the inside, breaking up into bite-sized chunks with the back of a spoon. Add in the pasta noodles, and the toss in the remaining tablespoon each of the butter and olive oil, then the duxelles and fresh parsley. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Mushroom Risotto with Roasted Squash
Mixed with our own duxelles and sautéed mushrooms, then topped with roasted squash, this creamy and delicious risotto is a favorite here at the farm.
Ingredients:
1½ cups Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup white wine (if desired)
½ finely chopped onions or shallots
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic (if desired)
8 tablespoons butter or olive oil (can use a mixture)
1 cup duxelles
¼ cup grated Grana cheese
2 cups cubed and roasted Black Futsu squash
1 cup Hedgehog mushrooms, sautéed in butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to keep hot.
2. In another large saucepan over medium low heat, melt 4-5 tablespoons of butter and cook the onions until soft but not brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the Arborio rice, stir for about one minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and continue stirring until almost absorbed.
3. Add another ladleful of stock and the wine (if using) and continue stirring. Repeat until all the stock is gone and the rice is creamy and tender.
4. Stir in the remaining butter, the duxelles and grated Grana until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add generous helpings of the roasted squash and sautéed mushrooms to each portion of risotto, and sprinkle with fresh parsley and a grating of Grana-style cheese before serving.
Baby Shiitake Mushroom Risotto
Topped with sautéed mushrooms, this creamy and delicious risotto is a favorite here at the farm.
Ingredients:
1½ cups Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup white wine (if desired)
½ finely chopped onions or shallots
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic (if desired)
8 tablespoons butter or olive oil (can use a mixture)
¼ cup grated Grana cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 cups baby Shiitake mushrooms, sautéed in butter
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to keep hot.
2. In another large saucepan over medium low heat, melt 4-5 tablespoons of butter and cook the onions until soft but not brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the Arborio rice, stir for about one minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and continue stirring until almost absorbed.
3. Add another ladleful of stock and the wine (if using) and continue stirring. Repeat until all the stock is gone and the rice is creamy and tender.
4. Stir in the remaining butter and grated Grana until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a generous helping of sautéed mushrooms to each portion of risotto, and sprinkle with fresh parsley and a grating of Grana-style cheese before serving.
Variation: Give this risotto a springtime twist by adding coarsely-chopped pea shoots, blanched peas and crispy pancetta as well!
