The Bounty Of Spring, in photos

Rather than share a recipe today, I wanted to share the beauty and the bounty of my morning Market trip. The Sunday Farmer's Market has become my 'church', my weekly ritual, that I miss only under the most dire of circumstances. This is what inspires most of the meals I make throughout the week.

On today's shopping list were french breakfast radishes, first of season butter lettuce, carrots, green garlic, chard, and red mustard greens. Oh yes, and flowers! Who could resist those beautiful flowers!!

May these beauties of the season inspire dinner for you tonight. Check back this week for recipes featuring much of this tasty produce.

Penne with Baby Greens, Sundried Tomatoes & Chevre

Dinner tonight is super fast. In fact, it may just be one of the fastest dinners I make. I reserve this one when I know I'm going to have a crazy and day and I need to have dinner cooked and on the table within 30 minutes flat. Yes, this is truly a '30 minute meal'.

I don't eat a lot of pasta. I'm somewhat 'wheat intolerant' so pasta is one of the hardest things for me. Although I do try to avoid it altogether, sometimes there's just nothing more satisfying than a proper bowl of noodles. I've found some good Spelt and Farro pastas at natural foods stores which are easier for me to eat and they still taste quite good. Vita Spelt makes a few good ones and there are several Italian brands that are harder to find but also quite delicious. Of course, use any variety of regular pasta you enjoy, if you don't suffer from the same issue as me.

I think you'll enjoy this dish. It's part salad and part creamy pasta dish. It's equally as good cold as it is warm and is light enough to be enjoyed when the weather is warmer too. This is a great recipe to have in your arsenals for those busy weeknights where a super simple but super fresh meal is in order.

Enjoy!!

Penne with Baby Greens, Sundried Tomatoes, and Chevre:

Yields 6 generous servings:

1# Penne Rigate or other tubular pasta

2, 5 oz packages 'Spring Mix' baby salad greens, pre washed

5 oz Chevre

2 TB Kalamata Olives, pitted and roughly chopped

3 oz Sundried Tomatoes packed in olive oil, roughly chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup Parmesano Reggiano, grated

2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and return to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, empty the bagged salad greens into a large serving bowl. Chop the sundried tomatoes and the olives and sprinkle them over top. Crumble the Chevre over top as well. Toast the pine nuts and grate the Parmesan and set aside.

3) When the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the hot pasta to the serving bowl, on top of the lettuce mixture. Drizzle the olive oil over top and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Toss the whole thing together. The heat of the pasta will wilt the greens and melt the cheese, making a creamy sauce. Add a the parmesan cheese and a bit of pasta water if the dish seems a little dry. When all the ingredients are well combined, sprinkle the pine nuts and bit more Parmesan over the top and serve.

Pizza V.2- Asparagus, Chanterelles, Potatoes & Piave

My last post was all about the Pizza 'Festa Romana'. Today, I thought I'd share my recipe for Pizza v.2, which I'm calling 'First of Spring' pizza.

It uses everything that is freshest at the Farmer's Market right now including first of season asparagus and the most beautiful chanterelles I've seen in a long time, so big and plump. The recent rains must have made for good foraging. It also uses spring onions, those tender & sweet onions that resemble leeks and that seem to be overflowing from the the market stalls these days.

I was recently preparing asparagus for a friend and she was astonished to see me peeling them first. I think that removing the outer layer from the stem eliminates that stringy outside often asparagus has, and that I find unpleasant. Simply trim the ends of the stalks where they naturally snap and then use your vegetable peeler to remove the outermost part of the stem. You're left with the tender part of the asparagus, sans stringy bits.

For the dough recipe, visit 'Festa Romana'.

For the pizza topping:

Yields enough for 2, 9" pizzas

2 medium spring onions, cut into 1" dice

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" dice

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and peeled, cut into 2" pieces

5 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 oz Piave cheese, crumbled and/or grated

4 TB freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano

2 TB black olive tapenade

4 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for brushing

1/2 tsp herbs de provence

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat 2 TB olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the potatoes, season with salt & pepper and saute until golden brown and tender, tossing frequently, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2) Using the same saute pan, heat another 2 TB olive oil. Add the spring onions and saute until just barely softened, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, the chanterelles, the herbs de provence, and the salt & pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Toss the potatoes back in to warm through. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

2) Brush the pizza crust with olive oil. Leaving a 2" border around the entire outside, spread the tapenade in the middle. Top with the potato & vegetable mixture and crumble over the Piave cheese, followed by the Parmesan.

3) Cook in a 500 degree oven, on a preheated baking stone, approx 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Pizza Festa Romana

Pizza at home is such an easy indulgence and this recipe is quick enough for any weeknight. You do need a couple of special tools to make really good home baked pizza, but they're not expensive and once you have them you'll use them over and over again. First, you need a baking stone. I like the square tiles over the round versions if possible. They're more versatile and you can use them for bread too. Second, you need a pizza peel. That's it...you're all set to go!

This pizza dough recipe makes 2 pounds of dough, enough for 4, 9" pizzas. It's the simplest dough I make and it's by far the quickest. My favorite pizza dough, which I make often has a bit more flavor than this dough because of a second fermentation. However, this is a great fast dough that requires only one rising and is completely reliable. If you don't use all 4 portions, it freezes well too.

I made two kinds of toppings tonight for our pizzas. My favorite, which I'm listing here, I call 'Pizza Festa Romana'. It has fresh tomatoes, oil cured olives, rosemary, red chile flakes, and Pecorino Romano cheese. I love it and it reminds me of a magical evening we spent in Rome, several years ago.

It was one of those completely unexpected experiences that often happens when exploring a new city. We were out one night in Rome, looking for a restaurant that turned out to be since closed, and saw throes of people heading down to the Tiber River. We thought it seemed like a good plan to follow the locals and happened upon a Roman Pizza Festa. Apparently this is a yearly event where all the best pizzarias in town compete for top honors. As you can imagine in Rome, pizza is a serious business but the Italians are always up for a celebration when it comes to food.

There was music and strings of lights in the trees above the river, dancing, lots of red wine, and lots and lots of pizza eating. Needless to say, it was far and away the best pizza I've ever had and what I took from it was a magical memory as well as this 'Pizza Festa Romana' which reminds me of the event every time I make it.

As I mentioned, I made two kinds of pizzas tonight... the other was a wonderful first of spring pizza which I will also share here in the coming days. However, it goes without saying that pizza lends itself to whatever topping you can dream up. So, use what you have and what you love.

I have one ball of dough left and I think it might become a 'Pizza Bianca'. To me that means just some good olive oil brushed on the dough, sprinkled with fresh rosemary and coarse sea salt. Then spread it with Nutella fresh out of the oven so it gets all melty and chocolatey. Yumm.

Happy Pizza Festa!

For the dough:

Yields 2#:

2 packets active dry yeast (1/4 oz each)

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 95-105 degrees)

2 TB Sugar

1/4 cup Olive Oil, plus more for bowl and brushing

2 tsp coarse salt

4 cups Flour ( I used unbleached Spelt), plus more for work surface

For 'Festa Romana' topping:

1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup oil cured olives, pitted and halved

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, crumbled and/or grated

1 TB fresh rosemary and/or fresh oregano, chopped

pinch red chile flakes

1 TB olive oil, for brushing onto dough

1) Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the yeast and let stand until yeast is bloomed, about 10 minutes.

2) Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into the yeast mixture. Add the flour and stir, until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to an oiled bowl and brush the top of the dough ball with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3) Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven and preheat for about 1 hour while dough is rising.

4) Once dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead 1-2 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic before using.

5) When ready to use, roll out the dough into 9" diameter circles. Place one at a time onto pizza peel, add toppings and slide pizzas directly onto baking stone. Bake each pizza about 8-10 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

This is definitely one of my favorite dinners ever. I adore it and I make it at least a couple of times every month. It has all the elements which to me make for a good meal. It's comforting, rustic yet fresh, and just plain yumm. Also, it's something I can make quickly and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand so I can throw it together even if I don't have anything planned for dinner ahead of time.

I always serve this meal with a glass of hearty red wine and a side of  braised greens. I'm braising dino kale and golden beet greens tonight, since I just can't seem to get enough of those winter greens that are still so abundant now.

This dish also requires a crusty loaf of artisan bread to serve as a base for the tomato sauce and eggs, which get spooned over top. I usually have a number of loaf remnants in my freezer and this is a great time to pull out one of those leftover pieces and put it to good use.

To make the dish:

Yields 2 servings:

4 large farm eggs

4 slices crusty artisan bread (ciabatta, baguette...)

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 TB Olive Oil

1, 26 oz jar spicy Marinara sauce (I like San Marzano Brand Arrabiatta Sauce)

1/2 tsp red chile flakes (optional)

1 TB sugar

1/4 cup water

2 TB Parmesano Reggiano

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a 12" skillet, heat the 2 TB Olive Oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute until just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the jarred tomato sauce, the sugar, the water, and season with salt, pepper, and chile flakes (if using). Stir the ingredients together, cover the pot, and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.

2) Meanwhile, toast the bread. Do this in your toaster or in the oven. Set out the toasted bread on your serving plates and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Set aside.

3) Crack the whole eggs into a small bowl and add them, one at a time into the simmering sauce, making sure you leave space around each egg so they poach separately. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, put the lid back on and cook, until the eggs are poached to your liking, about 5-8 minutes. I like mine 'poached well' so I cook them on the longer side.

4) When the eggs are ready, spoon some of the sauce on top of the bread slices and top with one poached egg per slice of bread. I generally portion 2 slices and 2 eggs per person. Sprinkle the eggs with Parmesan and top with a bit more sauce if desired.