GREENS & CITRUS SALAD

Ingredients:
Handful of escarole hearts
1 small head radicchio
Handful watercress or frisée
2 – 3 kumquats, thinly sliced & seeded
2 navel or blood oranges
2 tangerines
1 ruby grapefruit
Citrus Vinaigrette*

Directions:
Tear the the tender inner leaves of the escarole into large pieces. Trim the base of the radicchio, separate the leaves & tear them. Sort through the watercress & pick out the small springs. Wash & dry the greens in a spinner, wrap loosely in a damp towel & refrigerate until needed.

Toss the kumquats into a bit of the vinaigrette to soften them. Remove the peel & white pith of the citrus and slice the oranges and tangerines into rounds; slice the grapefruit in half lengthwise & then into half-moons. Remove any seeds.

Place the greens in a bowl & toss w/ half of the vinaigrette. Arrange on a platter or individual plates and place the fruit on top, alternating the slices. Sprinkle on the kumquats & drizzle w/ the remaining vinaigrette.

Serve.

*CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp minced orange zest
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp Champagne vinegar
Sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Combine everything but the oil in a small bowl, then whisk in the oil.

ROMAINE HEARTS WITH AVOCADO & MANGO

Ingredients:
1 head green romaine lettuce
1 heads red romaine lettuce (or one more green)
1 ripe mango
1 avocado, peeled & sliced at a diagonal
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Freshly ground black pepper
Ginger vinaigrette*

Directions:
Tear the inside leaves of the romaine into large pieces (leave the small inner leaves whole). Wash & dry the lettuce in a spinner. Wrap loosely in a damp towel & refrigerate.

Peel the mango & slice the fruit off the pit in long sections. Cut the sections lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Prepare the vinaigrette.

Put the lettuce in a bowl & sprinkle with the pine nuts. Pour the vinaigrette over & toss thoroughly, coating all the leaves. Add the avocado & mango & toss gently. Sprinkle with pepper & serve.

*GINGER VINAIGRETTE

1/4 tsp minced lime zest
1/4 tsp minced orange zest
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Sea salt
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Combine everything but the zests in a blender jar; blend, then whisk in the zests.

SUMMER MINESTRONE

Ingredients:
1/2 c. dried red beans, sorted & soaked overnight
6 c. cold water
2 bay leaves
2 fresh sage leaves
1 fresh oregano sprig
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/4 c. dry red wine
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded & coarsely chopped
1/4 c. small pasta, cooked al dente, drained & rinsed
2 c. packed fresh spinach (already cleaned & cut into thin ribbons)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Drain & rinse the beans. Put in pot w/ water, bay & sage leaves & oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat & simmer uncovered until tender, approximately 30 minutes. Remove the herbs.

While the beans are cooking heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, 1/2 tsp of salt, dried herbs & a few pinches of pepper. Sauté the onion over medium heat until softened, 5 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, peppers & zucchini & sauté for another 7 – 8 minutes. Add the wine & cook a couple minutes more, until the pan is almost dry. Add the tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, pinch of pepper & remaining bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes, add the pasta, spinach & beans with their broth. Salt & pepper to taste. Add the fresh basil right before serving.

Garnish with a generous helping of the Parmesan cheese.

GAZPACHO

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
5 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes
1 c. diced red onion
1 – 2 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeded & thinly sliced
1/4 c. shredded fresh basil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 – 3 tbsp Champagne vinegar
2 – 3 tsp fresh lime juice

Directions:
Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise & scoop out the seeds. Cut into small cubes; set aside.

Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes & drop into the water a few at a time, briefly, just long enough to loosen their skins. Scoop the tomatoes out of the water & continue with the rest. Rinse under cold water to cool, then slip off the skins. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise & over the strainer squeeze out the juice & seeds. Save the juice & discard seeds.

Purée half the tomatoes in a blender or food processor & coarsely chop the rest. Combine all the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, chiles & basil in a large bowl. Season w/ salt & pepper, 2 tbsp vinegar & 2 tbsp lime juice. Refrigerate & let sit for at least an hour before serving. Add additional salt & pepper, lime juice and vinegar to taste if needed.
Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

GREEN SMOOTHIE #1

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. water
6 c. chopped spinach
5 c. chopped romaine lettuce
1 apple, chopped
1 banana
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c. parsley

Directions:
Add the water, spinach & lettuce to a blender & mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

GREEN SMOOTHIE #2

Ingredients:
3 c. frozen white grapes
2 c. baby spinach
1 1/2 c. brewed green tea (strong)
1 ripe medium avocado
2 tsp honey

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender & mix until smooth.

GREEN SMOOTHIE #3

Ingredients:
2 c. baby spinach
2 big kale leaves
1/3 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 banana
1 kiwi

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender & mix until smooth.

GREEN SMOOTHIE #4

Ingredients:
4 c. kale
2 c. frozen blueberries
1 tbsp ginger
1 c. water
1 banana
1 pear

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender & mix until smooth.

Happy Easter, happy Spring, happy happy everything! Here are a few way to prepare leg of lamb, enjoy!

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Ingredients:
1 4 1/2 – 5 lb leg of lamb, bone-in
fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 –2 cloves garlic, slivered
Mint jelly (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven 325 degrees.

Cut 1/2 inch slits about 1 inch deep into meat (amount of slits equal to amount of garlic slivers). Drizzle lemon juice over meat & into slits. Stir together the parsley through the onion salt and rub over the meat & into slits. Stuff garlic slivers into slits.

Place meat fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan & insert a meat thermometer into the center, taking care not to touch the bone.

Put in oven & roast for 1 3/4 – 2 1/4 hours, until the thermometer reads 135F – 140F for medium rare.

Remove to cutting board & cover w/ “tented” foil & let rest for 10 –15 minutes.

If desired, serve w/ mint jelly.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Ingredients:
1 4 1/2 – 5 lb leg of lamb, bone-in
4 large garlic cloves, crushed but left whole
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp ground cumin (comino)
2 tsp ground coriander
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange
2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

Mix the garlic through the red pepper flakes in a small bowl, stirring well to combine.

Place the lamb in a large roasting pan & rub with marinade evenly over it. Cover w/ plastic wrap & let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (or up to 24 ahead).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the lamb out of the fridge & let it come to room temperature while the oven is heating; discard the garlic.

Transfer to the oven & roast until the surface of the meat begins to caramelize, approximately 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and continue roasting until medium rare, 30 – 40 minutes (thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat away from the bone should read 135F).

Remove from the oven, transfer to a carving board & cover loosely w/ foil. Let rest for 10 – 15 minutes. Reserve the pan w/ drippings.

Carve the lamb, first slicing it from the bone in large pieces, as few as possible. Cut the meat on the diagonal against the grain into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Fan a few slices on each plate & drizzle the pan juices over the top.

Serve immediately.

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

Ingredients:
1 4 1/2 – 5 lb boneless leg of lamb
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3/4 lb mixed cooking greens (kale & chard)
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
6 springs fresh rosemary
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped green olives

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lay the lamb flat on a work surface opened up like a book with the meat side up. The meat may be thick in a few parts; slice through the thick parts to allow the meat to lay flatter. Be careful not to cut all the way through the meat; leave at least one-half inch of meat at the bottom so you can roll the meat later. Cover the cut side of the lamb with plastic wrap. Lightly pound with a meat mallet or a rolling pin a few times to slightly even the meat. Season both sides with about 1 tsp salt & 3/4 tsp pepper, or to taste, & set aside.

For the stuffing:

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 3 minutes. While the onions and garlic are cooking, sort the greens, discarding any tough stems, & chop them. Place them in a bowl & cover w/ water. When the garlic is fragrant, lift the greens from the bowl by the handful & transfer to the pot, lightly shaking off a little of the water. As the greens wilt & reduce, add another handful. Add the red pepper flakes, lemon zest & 1/2 tsp salt & cook until the greens are tender & there is almost no water left in the pot, about 10 minutes.

Season w/ a generous grinding of black pepper & more salt if necessary (some feta cheeses are very salty; some are milder). Set the greens aside to cool slightly. There should be about 2 cups. Fold the feta & the pine nuts into the cooked greens.

Stuff the lamb:

Pat the cut side of the lamb dry w/ a paper towel. Have butcher’s twine handy. Spread the greens mixture over the lamb in as close to an even layer as you can. Leave about 1/2 inch of meat exposed around the border. (You may not use all of the stuffing.) The meat will be roughly triangular.

Starting with the narrow end, roll the lamb fairly tightly into a cylinder, as you would a jellyroll. Tie a length of butcher’s twine around the middle to keep it closed. Tie another length around the lamb end-to-end, folding the flaps of meat over the ends to close them and keep the filling from leaking out. Repeat with a new loop of twine every inch or two. Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the roast at regular intervals under the twine.

Rub the exterior of the lamb w/ a little olive oil & place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Put in the oven & roast 45 minutes, then turn the lamb over so it will brown evenly. Continue to roast to an internal temperature of 135 degrees, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Be sure to check the temperature in several places to make sure you’re not hitting a pocket of stuffing, which will give you a false reading.)

When the lamb is done, remove it to a cutting board & tent it w/ foil. Let it rest for about 30 minutes before carving.

For the sauce:

Pour any fat out of the roasting pan, & place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the wine & the chicken stock & cook, scraping the bottom of the pan w/ a spatula to free any browned bits that have stuck.

Add the rosemary leaves & cook until the mixture has reduced to a dark brown sauce, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce through a fine strainer into a saucepan, discarding any debris left behind. There should be about 1/2 cup. Place the saucepan over medium heat & whisk in the butter. Whisk in the olives & reduce the heat to keep the sauce warm.

Remove the twine binding the lamb and carve into 1/4 inch-thick slices. The first slice will be a little messy, but the others should show a nice cross section of lamb and greens. Arrange the meat on a warm platter and moisten with a little of the sauce.

Serve immediately, with the rest of the sauce on the side.

Now that Spring has arrived it is time to put away the boots and winter coats, and bring in Spring with some fun crafts!! Below are a few cute ones to help celebrate Spring.

Nothing says ‘Hello Spring’ like flowers in a fabulous vase. 
Though it is not time yet for flowers to grow in your garden, this vase craft is a great way to bring Spring into the home. Just hop on over to your flower shop and pick up some gorgeous bright flowers.

With spring comes Easter. 
These Easter eggs are eggtastic! :p Super cute!

Spring also means it is time to make some beautiful music outside with… Wind chimes!! 

Happy Spring Crafting!

Over the years it’s evolved into tradition to have an Easter brunch centered around the  Bacon-Cheese quiche below (there’s one for the vegetarians or more health conscious following it). It’s very rich, so the accompaniment is usually fruit – although there are pastries available and other goodies along with fresh-squeezed orange juice and mineral water.

Mimosas may be available (champagne or Sonoma sparkling wine w/ the orange juice). It also pairs well with a Pinot Noir for the red wine enthusiasts, or a Viogier or Gewürztraminer for those fond of white.

Enjoy!

BACON-CHEESE QUICHE

Ingredients:
3/4 lb bacon of choice (prefer maple or applewood)
1 – 1 1/2 c. grated Gruyère cheese
1/4 – 1/2 c. grated mild white cheddar cheese
3 medium green onions (dark green tops removed), finely chopped
1 3/4 – 2 c. heavy cream (whipping cream OK)
4 eggs
1 single baked pie pastry

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fry bacon, drain on paper towels, then chop into small pieces, set aside.

Sprinkle the bacon over the bottom of the pre-baked pastry shell. Sprinkle the green onion evenly over the top of the bacon, then the cheese evenly over that.

Whisk the eggs & cream together, then pour the custard mixture over all in the pastry shell (should cover – see * if making in a deep-dish pan).

Place on baking sheet and put in center of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes at the 400 degrees, then reduce to 325 and continue baking for approximately another 45 minutes – until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack.

LEEK & TOMATO QUICHE

Ingredients:
3 – 4 leeks
2 tbsp butter
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 lb Swiss cheese, grated
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp flour
4 eggs
1 3/4 c. cream
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 single pie pastry (as in the above recipe, from scratch or buy prepared in refrigerator section of the grocery story)

Directions:

Wash the leeks, making sure all grit is removed. Split them lengthwise, trim away the tough green parts & thinly slice enough to measure 2 cups. Sauté in the butter until they start to turn golden, season to taste w/ salt & pepper.

Spread the leeks evenly in the bottom of the pre-baked pastry shell and sprinkle the cheeses over that.

Whisk the eggs & cream together. Pour the custard over & cover w/ a layer of the thinly sliced tomatoes. Lightly salt & grind a bit of pepper over.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce to 325 degrees & bake for another 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack and serve warm.