Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Method:
1. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve chilled soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.
Big Egg, Little Egg Recipes
Eggs are one of the world’s finest gifts to the cook, delicious scrambled, poached, boiled or fried. Thus, this week’s delivery is devoted to the glorious egg, and two different varieties at that, with farm-fresh hen eggs from Bella Luna and petite and creamy quail eggs from Oak Meadows Farm. Also filled with an assortment of egg-friendly pairings—Grana-style cheese, plus Arborio rice and chicken stock fixings for risotto—plus a bevy of fresh spring produce that includes asparagus, English peas and juicy strawberries, this box will help you craft the perfect egg no matter what size you choose.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Asparagus & Pea Risotto with Mint
One of two risotto ideas this week, this recipe is bright with asparagus, peas and mint.
Spring Risotto with Morel Mushrooms
Creamy and delicious, this farm favorite is freshened up by locally-foraged morels and roasted veggies.
Roasted Spring Vegetables
Earthy and bright, these roasted beauties are lovely atop this week’s risotto.
Sautéed Turnip Greens Topped with Olive Oil Fried Eggs
Topped with eggs, this scrumptious dish makes for a fantastic breakfast!
Olive Oil Fried Eggs
Olive oil adds extra flavor to these sunny side-up eggs.
Spring Salad with Deviled Quail Egg Vinaigrette
This colorful salad puts both the quail egg yolks and whites to delicious use.
Hard-Boiled Quail Eggs
Our no-fail method for perfectly hard-boiled quail eggs.
Deviled Quail Eggs
This wonderful picnic dish is sure to impress, made with petite, creamy quail eggs.
Pickled Quail Eggs
These stunning beauties are wonderful atop a stir-fry or served as a fun appetizer (just sprinkle with sea salt!).
Asparagus & Pea Risotto with Mint
One of two risotto ideas this week, this recipe is bright with asparagus, peas and mint.
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
2-3 cups freshly-shelled English peas
8 tablespoons butter
1½ cups Arborio rice
4-5 cups warm chicken stock
½ cup white wine (if desired)
½ shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic (if desired)
⅔ cup freshly-grated Grana-style cheese
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then drop in asparagus and quickly blanch for about 2 minutes until asparagus pieces are bright green and just tender (you want them to still have a little bite, so watch closely.) Remove from pot, and place in an ice bath to stop cooking. Pat dry and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to keep hot. In another large sauce pan over medium low heat, melt 4-5 tablespoons of butter and cook the shallots until soft but not brown.
3. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the Arborio rice. Stir for about one minute.
4. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and continue stirring until almost absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and the wine and continue stirring; repeat until all the stock is gone and the rice is creamy and tender.
5. Stir in the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add the peas and asparagus to the pan. Allow to heat through, then add the cheese and mint. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Variation: This risotto is also lovely topped with an olive-oil fried egg.