Butter-Braised Turnips with Greens
Simmered in rich chicken stock, this dish is finished with lemon juice and thyme for fresh appeal.
Ingredients:
1 pound Hakurei turnips, green tops reserved, washed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 peeled shallots
1 cup chicken stock
Juice from ½ lemon
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Wash and scrub the turnips, then cut into 1-inch-long pieces.
2. Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan, then and add shallots and turnips. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the turnips begin to caramelize.
3. Add chicken stock, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for another 5 minutes, or until stock has started to be absorbed by turnips. Add the turnip greens and simmer another 5 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the greens are wilted and tender. Add lemon juice and fresh thyme, then season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Cornmeal, Parmesan & Thyme Crackers
Crisp and crunchy, these crackers from PCC’s Cooking from Scratch cookbook are delightful served with a schmear of cream cheese on top.
Ingredients:
1 cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ cup warm water
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, divided
Method:
1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the cornmeal, flour, water, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Blend until the mixture forms a ball. Remove the ball from the processor and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 portions, covering the pieces you are not working with in plastic wrap.
3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out one piece of dough to ⅛-inch thick. Sprinkle the surface with ¼ of the thyme and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Gently roll the dough to embed the toppings. Cut the crackers into your desired shape and size. (A chef’s knife, pizza cutter or cookie cutters all work well here!) Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
4. Put the crackers fairly close together, but not touching, on the sheet. Bake until edges turn golden and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely; store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
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.
Honey & Thyme-Roasted Carrots with Queso Fresco
A delightfully-fresh spin on roasted carrots.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled
2 teaspoon butter, melted
2 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave (about 15 seconds). Add honey, thyme, cayenne, smoked paprika and a pinch each salt and pepper to the melted butter and mix together.
3. Pour the seasoning mixture over carrots and toss to make sure evenly coated. Spread carrots out on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled queso fresco and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
