Spring Risotto Kit Recipes
Rich with comforting flavors, yet bright with spring ingredients, this week’s risotto-themed box is equally fit for a grand feast, or a romantic meal for two. Simply top a pot of risotto with our seasonal hazelnut-nettle pesto and a grating of Tomme cheese, then pair with roasted Romanesco broccoli and cauliflower salad, a crisp wine, and fresh fruit crisp to finish. Voilà!
Here are a few recipe ideas for side dishes this week:
Roasted Radishes
This easy roasting method from Martha Stewart highlights crisp, spring radishes with hints of olive oil, salt and lemon juice.
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.
Braised Fingerling Potatoes
Buttered and simmered in water, these rich, flavorful potatoes will wow.
Rhubarb Crisp
A quick and easy dessert using spring rhubarb—simply toss rhubarb with the following ingredients, then sprinkle with our hazelnut crisp topping.
Spring Risotto
This recipe is a favorite here at the farm. Creamy and delicious, it pairs well with steak, chicken, pork or can stand well on its own as the star of your meal—just remember to stir!
Valentine’s Day Dinner + Special Appetizer Collection
In honor of Valentine’s Day, the theme of this week’s box embraces two of our greatest loves: fresh, seasonal fare and gathering around the table with the ones we adore most. Thus, this rustic, romantic menu is fit for sharing with a crusty baguette, hearty Italian white bean soup and decadent chocolate brownies, plus a special appetizer collection that includes our own grainy mustard and country-style pork terrine.
Here are a few of our recipe ideas for this week:
Honey-Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots
The inherent sweetness of fresh baby carrots is further enhanced in this glazed side dish from local chef John Sundstrom’s Lark: Cooking Against the Grain.
Beets, Four Ways
Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table, shares her favorite ways to prep colorful, luscious beets—take your pick!
Fresh Chard with Parmesan
Nutty Parmesan and rich butter add nuanced flavor to red chard in this easy stovetop recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
Grilled Green Onions
Sweet and delicious with green tops, these onions are at their best grilled. But, if you don’t have a stovetop grill, they are also delicious roasted in the oven.
Italian Winter Feast Recipes
The return of frosty temperatures has only increased our craving for a warm and cozy, yet fresh and flavorful, homemade meal. This week’s box delivers on both fronts with a vegetable-rich supper inspired by Italian country cooking—from the handmade kale pasta and herb-roasted winter squash to our housemade ricottone cheese and Marsala-poached pears.
Here are a few of our recipe ideas for this week:
Roasted Parsnips with Rosemary
In this side dish from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, the inherent earthy flavor of versatile parsnips is further enhanced by fresh, fragrant rosemary.
Herb-Roasted Winter Squash
We turn to this simple method time and time again—the combination of sage, thyme and garlic infuses any variety of squash with a rich, wonderful flavor.
Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
A variety of broccoli with long, thin leafy stalks, this hearty Italian green (also known as rapini) shines in an easy preparation from Gourmet magazine.
The Story of Nonna Pat’s Classic Tomato Sauce
In life, the simplest things are often the best: fresh fruit plucked straight from the vine, a warm scone topped with butter and homemade jam, or a plate of pasta dressed with our Nonna Pat’s classic tomato sauce.
The inspiration behind our first weekly box, Nonna Pat is the only daughter of Sicilian-Italian immigrants and was born and raised in New York. For years, she ran a bed & breakfast in Maine and welcomed guests for Sunday supper—a tradition she still carries on today at age 73.
Her classic, simple tomato sauce is often at the heart of these meals—and would make a great foundation for your next family get-together. Crafted with 5 pounds of tomatoes in each jar (and lots of love), the key to this recipe is its simplicity: tomatoes, a handful of hand-torn basil leaves, a swirl of first-press Italian olive oil, then sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. That’s it. No sugar added.
The quality of the ingredients is what makes this recipe sing: Look for a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and fresh, organic herbs. Each summer, we spend many weeks in the kitchen making and preserving this traditional sauce to enjoy throughout the year.
Our Nonna Pat serves this sauce over fresh pasta alongside braised rapini greens sautéed with garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper; or adds Italian sausage and bresaola to make Italian-style “gravy”. It is also an excellent addition to stuffed shells or manicotti. But, as we said, the simple route will do the trick: Try cooking a pound of fresh pasta and tossing with Nonna Pat’s sauce and top with grated parmesan for a truly satisfying supper.
