Week of April 8th (Easter Week)

With the spring and winter for that matter being so warm, I have been anxiously awaiting when we could start planting our own garden, and this past weekend we got to get started...we put in spinach, leaf lettuces, broccoli and cauliflower to start. My son, Gabriel, age 10 is all into fresh herbs, he loves to go and pick some to add to dinner at night, we already have chives and thyme that is coming up, but he wanted to expand his choices this year so we also planted some cilantro, basil and oregano. I just LOVE that by him getting to plant things of his own he is opening his palette to so many more options. It is so fun to have him help me prep dinner and I am really looking forward to just stepping outside to get the produce out of the garden this year.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Vegetable cooking spray

1 pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

2 cups carrots cut in lengthwise quarters

6 green onions/garlic, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 assorted medium peppers (yellow, red, green), cut into 1-inch-long strips (about 4 1/2 cups)

2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into diagonal slices (about 3 cups)

1 cup halved fresh medium mushrooms (about 3 ounces)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or fresh thyme leaves

3 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Stock if you Prefer)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or long grain regular white rice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Heat the oven to 425°F. Spray a 17 x 11-inch roasting pan with the cooking spray.
• Stir the asparagus, carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, rosemary and 1/4 cup broth in the prepared pan.
• Roast for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring once during roasting. Prepare the risotto while the vegetables are roasting.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepot. Add the rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cook until it's absorbed. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until all the broth is absorbed before adding more. (Total cooking time: 25 minutes.)
• Stir in the vegetables and cheese and heat through. Serve the risotto immediately.

Broccoli & Cheese Pasta Cups

Adapted from The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat organic pasta (uncooked)
4 eggs 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pureed cannelloni beans
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top)
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 cup steamed broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease the insides of a muffin pan using olive oil with a brush or paper towel.
Boil water and cook pasta according to instructions but reduce cooking time by 2 minutes.
Drain and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs for two minutes until light and fluffy.
 Add the milk, ricotta cheese and beans, mix.
Stir in the provolone cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Add the pasta, broccoli, herbs, salt and pepper.
Stir until the cheese mixture completely coats the pasta.
Pour into each cup, filling completely. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cheese is bubbly on top and slightly browned.

First week in April 2012

 I am super excited to FINALLY be able to announce that the local season has begun!!  I just LOVE this time of year, the warm afternoons, tulips and daffodils blooming, the start of the vegetable garden just outside the backdoor, essentially a new start.

This week we have spring garlic and radishes coming in locally.

Green garlic (also called spring garlic) is one of the first seasonal items to pop up in farmer's markets come March or April and sticks around until May. The immature garlic bulbs and edible green stalks have an amazing nutty-onion flavor that is great fresh or cooked. 

Substitute green garlic in recipes for onions, scallions or leeks. The young, tender cloves don't need to be peeled before chopping. Slice and use in potato salad or mince and stir into salad dressings. Toss some in a stir-fry, on a pizza, or in soups. The light garlicky flavor enhances dishes without overpowering. One stalk and bulb of spring garlic is equivalent to a small onion, or a leek and one clove of mature garlic.

Jasmine Rice with Spring Garlic

3 TBS extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 c. Jasmine Rice, rinsed
1 1/4 c. thinly sliced spring garlic
3 c. chicken stock
1 TBS kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the rice and spring garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until the rice is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes, until the liquid is nearly absorbed. Cover the rice and bake for 10 minutes, until it is tender but firm and the liquid is completely absorbed. Let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, transfer to a bowl and serve.

 Carrot and Radish Salad 

1 bunch of small carrots

4 radishes

1 small handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

really good olive oil

apple cider vinegar

finely ground sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of butter

a pinch of sugar

Gently scrub the carrots to remove any dirt. There is no need to peel these smallish carrots. Cut them into slices, across the carrot,  on a bias, about 1/4″ thick.

Using a mandoline or Japanese slicer, cut the radishes really thinly into slices.

Put the carrots in a large saute pan. Put enough cold water into the pan to almost cover the carrots. Add the butter to this, and the pinch of sugar. Put a lid on the pan, and get it boiling over a high heat. Once boiling, remove the lid. Let this boil until the liquid has reduced right down, and the carrots are almost cooked through. The aim of this is to judge things perfectly. You have it spot on when the carrots are just about cooked through, and the liquid in the pan has been reduced right down to just a glaze on the carrots. If you find you have too much liquid in the pan, tip some of it out as it is cooking. The pan dries out before the carrots are cooked? Add a little more water. It might take a couple of goes to get the perfect glaze, but it is really worth it.

Let the carrots cool a little in the pan. When cooled, toss them in a bowl with the radish slices. Toss in the parsley, and a generous serving of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a good glug of olive oil, and a splash of of the cider vinegar.

I know, I am not giving you exact measurements. In this case you just cannot. The amount of oil depends on how much carrots and radishes you have. The amount of vinegar depends on this too, and how sharp your vinegar is. My suggestion is to add a little vinegar to start, and give it a taste. If you cannot taste the sharpness from the vinegar, then add a wee bit more. You can always add more, but you can never take it out if you add too much!

Finally toss in the parsley, and mix up. I like to let it sit for a few minutes before eating, just to let all the flavors get friendly. 


** The French really understand the radish. One classic is radishes with drinks. The radishes are halved on a slant, and set out with a pot of soft butter and another one of coarse salt. You run your radish through a little butter, then dip in the salt. Try it; it is dynamite. 


** With both of my pregnancies, I craved radishes, the hotter the better! Tony could not get the bags of them home to me fast enough, and as I would cut the tops and bottoms of them off I would pop them right into my mouth...could never quite figure out what vitamin or mineral I needed that only radishes could provide to me!