Spring Delicacies Recipes
From ruby-red rhubarb and asparagus to the season’s first fiddleheads, spring produce abounds in this week’s delivery, both in the garden and foraged from the wild. This box takes full advantage of these new delights with such complementary provisions as crisp salad greens, Arborio rice, and both farm-fresh hen and duck eggs. Add to this a loaf of Italian Rustica bread, lemon poppyseed muffins, fragrant herbs and Meyer lemons, and let the flavors of spring delight everyone at the table.
Here are a few recipes ideas for the week:
Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns
These bright green fronds lend themselves to many of the same uses as asparagus. Here they shine with a simple dressing of butter and lemon juice.
Asparagus with Salt & Pepper Whipped Cream
Topped with decadent cream, this simple side dish is just delicious.
Grilled Asparagus with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
A fresh blend of lemon juice, olive oil and adds big flavor to grilled asparagus stalks.
Rhubarb-Thyme Jam
This sweet-and-savory spread is delicious on toasted crostini with a little crumbled chevre; or, add it to your morning oatmeal for an unexpected touch!
Roasted Rhubarb
This rosy-colored roasted dish makes for an excellent dessert, especially served with vanilla ice cream!
Rhubarb-Thyme Jam
This sweet-and-savory spread is delicious on toasted crostini; or, add it to your morning oatmeal for an unexpected touch!
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped rhubarb
3-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves roughly chopped
2 tablespoons diced shallots
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon each of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all the ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, until the mixture has thickened to a jam-like consistency. Cool to room temperature and remove the cinnamon stick. Refrigerate until ready to use.
The Italian Summer Recipes
The Italian summer calls to mind visions of beautiful wine, homemade pasta, and garden-fresh produce simply and beautifully prepared. Hence, this week’s box captures the flavors of summer by way of Italy with handmade semolina bucatini noodles to toss with Skagit River Ranch Italian sausage, plus fresh, creamy fior di latte mozzarella-style cheese from Ferndale Farmstead Creamy. Also included for this relaxed, refreshing meal: Pain au Levain bread, red wine, and a colorful assortment of summer produce that includes Little Gem lettuces, golden beets, English shelling peas, rainbow parsley, salad burnet, chives, cauliflower, sweet cherries, and much, much more.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Summery Bucatini Pasta with Italian Sausage
This light and lovely pasta makes the best of summer tomatoes and herbs; we also recommend adding a dollop of this week’s fior di latte cheese to each serving!
Shelled Pea, Red Spring Onion & Sweet Red Pepper Salad
A perfect summer side for grilled proteins and veggies, or even tossed with cold pasta!
Escarole Salad with Radish & Spring Onion
This salad is packed with bold flavor, drizzled with a Parmesan-Dijon dressing.
Herb-Roasted Cauliflower
Seasoned with parsley, garlic and lemon, this incredibly-easy cauliflower recipe is a keeper.
Cherry-Rhubarb Polenta Cake
Our spin on the cheery Italian-style torta di polenta cake featured in Edible Seattle magazine.
Cherry-Rhubarb Polenta Cake
Our spin on the cheery Italian-style torta di polenta cake featured in Edible Seattle magazine.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup baker’s or granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon flour, for coating the pan
2 cups almond flour
3 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of ½ orange
Zest of 2 oranges
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon polenta
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons almond slivers, for garnish
Method:
1. In a bowl, mix rhubarb and cherries with turbinado sugar. Set aside for about an hour at room temperature, or until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Preheat oven to 325°. Using wrappers from the butter, grease then flour a 9-inch cake pan and cut a circular piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom. (A springform pan is ideal for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, slide two extra thin strips of parchment underneath lining, leaving excess on both sides. This will create ‘handles’ to help you pull out the cake once it is finished.)
3. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat the softened butter and baker’s/granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes at medium speed). Stir in the almond flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time, until batter is airy and soft. With a large spoon, fold in vanilla extract, orange juice and zest. Add polenta, baking powder and salt, folding in gently. Fold cardamom gently in as well.
4. Spoon the batter into prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Take one cup of the marinated rhubarb and cherries out of their syrup and drain on a paper towel. Press piece gently into the batter and scatter almonds over top. Set cake pan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the cake set in the middle and deep golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes. Gently remove from pan and leave on a wire rack to cool.
5. Cook the remaining rhubarb and cherries over medium-low heat until liquid has reduced and is thick and syrupy. Serve over finished cake with fresh cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.
