I love my sister in law...

...so much so that I shared with her my morels. At $3 per oz... this is not something you just toss around... but they are well worth it.

Morels have a fairly short season in the spring and if you get to the farmers market early enough you can count on River Valley having them.

To clean them cut in half and rinse under cool running water to remove any dirt. Then pat dry.

For this simple orzo dish, I sauteed the mushrooms in oil and butter that was infused with fresh herbs, brought by my sister in laws girlfriend. (She is an awesome gardener, unlike myself, and always brings awesome treats...that is if you could basil and tomatoes as treats. Thanks Noa!)




To flavor the oil, warm in a pan and add fresh herbs, here I used sage and rosemary. Cook for a minute or two until the herbs begin to bubble.



Drain the herbs and put the oil back in the pan, add a touch of butter and add the mushrooms. Saute over medium for a few minutes until the soften. Season with salt and pepper.



I used orzo, though any pasta will work. After draining, toss with oil and add the cooked herbs and mushrooms. I also tossed in some fresh spring onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh Parmigiana. This is great served at any temperature.

Spring Garlic pasta

One of the best parts of the farmers market is all the produce that you can not get at the grocery store. Last week brought spring garlic, similar to spring onions (scallions) they have a subtle garlic taste.

For this simple recipe I used thinly sliced spring garlic with a frozen spinach pesto. Simple quick and super tasty.





The pesto I had made several weeks ago and froze the left overs in ice cube trays. Then when I want a little to add to a sauce or soup I can pop it out and mix it in. Not only is this a great way to store left over sauces and fresh herbs, it is how you make your own baby food.



After sweating the garlic, I added the spinach pesto cube and some of the reserved liquid to form a nice sauce.



Add the cooked pasta and top with cheese.

Squash and Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese

I have truly learned to love the Mac and Cheese, though it rarely is made with macaroni in our house.

Its a great, fairly quick recipe that I know I will always have everything on hand. The other great thing is all the other stuff you can toss in. I made this with left over roasted squash, caramelized onion and goat cheese.

The sauce was extra creamy and the kids loved it.

Squash Mac and Cheese

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs flour

1 1/4 cup milk

about a cup cooked squash

3 - 4 oz goat cheese

some caramelized onion (maybe about half an onion)

1/2 lb cooked pasta of your choice

salt and pepper

Begin by making roux with the flour and butter. Heat over medium flame until it begins to bind and form a paste.

Add the milk and continue to cook, while stirring, until it thickens.Remove from heat and add the squash, onions and cheese.

Add the pasta a stir to coat. Then place in a baking dish and cook in 400 Deg oven about 10 minutes until warmed through.

You can add bread crumbs to the top or extra cheese.

Caramelized Onion Apple Mac-n-Cheese

Remember all those apples I picked up over the weekend? What better way to use them then to add to this rich pasta. I used my basic mac-n-cheese recipe with the addition of the onions and apple.

Slice the apples thin, I used a mandoline.


Caramelize the onions and add the apples for the last few minutes to slightly cook and combine the flavors. Make the cheese sauce then add the pasta and onions and apple before adding to the pan.


Top with some extra cheese, and enjoy.

Lasagna

Last night I had an urge for lasagna, only my wife is not such a big fan of ricotta. So I went on search for a recipe that did not have any. I found this simple recipe, but made a few changes. I did not have onion so used leeks instead and I added a spinach puree to the top.

Tomato and Mozzarella Lasagna

• 1 - 2 onions or leeks, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 - 2 (28- to 32-oz) cans crushed tomatoes in thick purée
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 - 2 TBS fresh orange juice

• 1/2 lb dry no-boil lasagne
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella (smoked or plain), chilled and coarsely grated (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Start by melting the butter with oil in a medium pot. Add the leeks or onion and herbs. Cook over medium until softened.

Add the tomato, and cook over medium about 15 minutes until thickened and flavors blended.

Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Soak the pasta in warm water for about 20 minutes until softened.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, pour in about half the sauce, then layer with pasta sheets.

Top with half the cheese, and another layer of pasta.

Add the rest of the cheese and top with a final layer of pasta. Then top with the remaining sauce.

I added a layer of pureed spinach. In a blender combine fresh spinach, garlic and basil and puree until smooth. Add a touch of oil and water to thin.

Bake in a 375 deg oven about 30 minutes, then finish under the broiler for a minute or two to nicely brown.

Saffron Orzo

We had some leftover beans from the other night and was looking for something easy to serve with it.

It too came from the Moosewood Cooks at Home.

This was a quick hit that went well on top.

Saffron Orzo

pinch saffron

1/2 cup orzo

1/2 cup Parm

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot boil orzo in salted water for about 8 minutes.

remove about 3 TBS of cooking water and steep the saffron while the orzo finishes cooking.

Drain the orzo and toss with the saffron water and add Parm. Season with salt and pepper.

30 :: 30

About once a year I embark on challenge, make 30 recipes that I have never made before in 30 days. The goal is to learn some new recipes and expand the regular cycle of food in the house. Last time this worked great, I picked up a few tricks and added some great recipes to my repertoire.

Last night I started with this great recipe, with a few tweeks. I didn't have semolina, so I used white-wheat flour (basically wheat flour that has been ground extra fine) and I didn't have spinach or sage but used a puree of basil and arugula and topped with fresh parsley. I also only used about 3 or 4 Tbs butter to make the sauce, enough to add flavor and coat the gnocchi, but not swimming in the butter.

Gnocchi with Brown Butter

1 lb. russet potatoes, unpeeled
Kosher salt, to taste
2 Tbs basil and arugula puree

1 1⁄4 cups semolina flour, sifted, plus more (I used white-wheat flour)
2 eggs, beaten
about 1/2 stick butter

Freshly ground pepper, to taste
olive oil
Parmesan

Parsley

Start by boiling the potatoes in a large pot of salted water for about 20 - 25 minutes, until soft.

Run under cold water, and peel. Then pass through a ricer.

Mix in the flour and basil mixture. Make a well, blend the egg with the salt and add to the flour and potatoes. Make sure not to over mix other wise the gnocchi will become gummy.

Divide the dough into 3 or 4, and roll on a floured surface to for a 1/2 inch log, then slice into 1/2 inch gnocchi. Place these on a floured tray. (They can be frozen at this point, which I did with some of mine.)

Warm a tsp of butter with a touch of oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the gnocchi and cook until golden, about 3 - 4 minutes, then flip. Meanwhile in a separate pan melt 3 - 4 TBS of butter over medium heat. Cook until the butter takes on a golden color and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.

Pour the brown butter over the gnocchi, season with salt and pepper and top with Parm and parsley.

Pasta with Chard and White Beans

Here is another quick pasta recipe. Almost any winter green would work here as well.

Pasta with Chard and White Bean

bunch Chard

1 Can white beans, drained

1 - 3 garlic cloves, sliced or diced

1/2 lb pasta

Parm

Salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

Remove the stems from the chard. You can pull the leaves off or use a knife to cut out the stems.

Blanch the chard in the pasta water for a minute, then drain. You can then cook the pasta in the same water. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Saute the garlic in a touch of oil and add the beans, season with salt and pepper

Add the chard and a touch of the water. Cook until warm and add the cooked pasta. Add more liquid to keep from drying out.

Serve with Parm and red pepper flakes to taste.

Mushroom white bean pasta

The other night was our last night in Boston, and wanting to use up what was left decided to make a quick pasta with mushrooms.


Cook pasta and set aside, reserving about a cup of the liquid.
Dice the mushrooms and saute in oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper.



After the mushrooms are cooked, add a couple cloves of garlic. (If you add them too early they will burn before the mushrooms are cooked.)

Then add a can of white beans.


Heat through and add the pasta and a touch of the cooking water, to keep from drying out. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped fresh parm.

A couple of quick summer options

It seems to happen more in the summer, but every so often we get to dinner time with no real plan. The bounty of summer produce throws me off, I guess. This happened last night.

We had some string beans from Irv and Shelley's...

I quickly blanched them, then sauteed them in brown butter (more on this tomorrow) and threw in some pine nuts.


After eating this, we had no real plan. With our new herb plants on the deck, it was easy to make this pasta with brown butter and sage.

Cook the pasta and drain, reserving about a half cup of liquid. Toss with a touch of oil.
Brown butter and toss in fresh sage.




Add the pasta and coat with the butter and sage. If it is dry add some of the reserved stock.
Top with Parm.

Recipe of the Day: Peppercorn pasta with fresh Morrels

Yesterday after going to the Farm at Lincoln Park Zoo with my son, we stopped by Green City Market, and did some damage. My best score were fresh local morrel's. From chatting with the vendor they have about a month season, so when you see then you buy them. The trick is to do as little as possible with them and let their flavor come through.

I made a simple peppercorn pasta buy adding a generous amount of fresh peppers to homemade pasta before adding the eggs and oil.



I tried to use the pasta roller, but the peppercorns kept getting stuck and ripping the dough. So I had to resort to rolling it out by hand.



Then using a pastry roller and a ruler, cut the pasta into long strips. (I have a dishwasher safe ruler that I use just for the kitchen, it is great for measuring and cutting straight lines in things like brownies or cakes.)


To prepare the morrels, cut in half and lightly wipe with a damp cloth to remove any debris. NEVER wash mushrooms, they are like little sponges and will soak up the water. Just brush with a damp kitchen towel.

Melt a little butter and saute a clove of sliced garlic over medium until soft. Add the morrels and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the morrels are soft and cooked through.



Cook the pasta in salted water, reserving about a half cup of the liquid.
Toss the pasta with the morrels, adding a little liquid to keep from drying out.



Top with fresh Parm.