Written By Kim A. Fuqua
Photography By Suzanne Farmer
Food Styling BY Lori K. gregory
The difference between locally grown and shipped-in fruits and vegetables is
night and day. There’s no comparison to the flavor of produce that’s been grown within 100 miles, having been transported almost no distance at
all. And, in the case of farmers’ markets, you can actually shake the hand of the farmer who planted it,
Fresh Greens with Grilled Scallion Vinaigrette
Use any combination of fresh greens you like from your local farmers’ market.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Grill Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
6 cups fresh greens
For Vinaigrette:
1 bunch scallions, trimmed
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 Serrano chili pepper, seeds removed, minced
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Grill scallions over an open flame until slightly charred and tender. Chop and
add to food processor with lime juice, parsley, and Serrano chili. Slowly add
olive oil to make vinaigrette. Serve over fresh greens.
Make It a Meal: Add grilled salmon for a light, simple spring meal.
Hearty Spring Vegetable Minestrone with Basil Oil and Parmesan
Making this soup in advance will give the flavors time to intermingle and
deepen.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1½ hours
Servings: 6
For vegetable stock:
4 onions
3 carrots
½ head celery
5 Roma tomatoes
3 leek tops
½ bunch parsley
1 bulb fennel
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
12 peppercorns
pinch of salt
For soup:
oil to coat pot
2 leeks, small dice (only the white bottom part)
3 carrots, small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups green beans, blanched and chopped
1 cup peas, blanched (any style pea will work)
2 cups zucchini, small dice and blanched
2 cups orzo (or any small pasta)
For basil oil:
1 cup basil, picked off stem
1 cup olive oil
Garnish:
½ cup Parmesan, grated
Stock: Rough chop all the vegetables and cover with water, about 8 cups. Bring to a
boil. Add the herbs and spices and simmer uncovered for an hour. When cool,
taste and season with salt.
Soup: In a large pot, add some oil and sauté the leeks, carrots, and garlic. Once they are translucent and tender, add the
tomato paste; stir and cook for another minute or so. Deglaze with a little
vegetable stock and then add the remainder of the stock.
Make Ahead: Prepare the soup up to this step the day before your dinner party, and
refrigerate overnight. Leave yourself about 25 minutes to finish preparing the
soup for dinner.
Add the green beans, peas, zucchini, and orzo and keep on low heat.
Basil Oil: Blanch the basil in boiling, salted water until wilted (a few seconds) and shock in a bowl of ice water.
Remove and squeeze out the water and
place in a blender with the olive oil. Puree until smooth.
Drizzle the basil oil over the soup and sprinkle with Parmesan just before
serving.
Butter-Poached Freshwater Prawns with Green Beans, Sugar Snap Peas, and Lemon
Thyme
The poached prawns stay incredibly tender, retaining a sheer coat of rich
butter.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
½ pound green beans, trimmed
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 sprigs lemon thyme, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon water
1 stick unsalted butter
12 large freshwater prawns, shelled
and deveined, tails on
and deveined, tails on
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar snap peas, green
beans, garlic, and three-quarters of the lemon thyme; season with salt and
pepper to taste. Stir-fry for 4 minutes and then remove from heat.
Heat water over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Add the butter and move
the pan in a circular motion to incorporate. Add the prawns and poach just
until tender, about 5 minutes, again moving the pan in a circular motion.
Divide vegetables into six servings and top with two prawns each. Garnish with
remaining lemon thyme.
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
garlic powder
chopped fresh herbs, if desired
Dry the meat with paper towels and rub the fresh garlic over the meat. Rub with
olive oil. Sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the roast, pressing with your
hands so it adheres to the meat. Allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Chef’s Tip: Always use a meat thermometer when cooking large pieces of meat, as oven cooking
times and roast sizes vary. Allow yourself plenty of extra time for roasting,
just in case.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side
up, and roast for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and continue
roasting for another 35-40 minutes for medium-rare, or until your meat
thermometer reads 125-130 degrees. Cook to 135-140 degrees for medium, or about
40-50 minutes. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the roast, and
remember that the temperature of the meat will increase slightly while it is
resting out of the oven.
While roast is cooking, toss vegetables with olive oil in a large bowl and
sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh herbs. Place on the grill
for approximately two minutes per side. Do not burn.
Chef’s Tip: Slicing meat directly after cooking will cause you to lose the flavorful juices;
rest meat on a cutting board under loose foil for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
For Crust:
6 tablespoons sugar
1¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup soft butter
Toss sliced strawberries with 4 tablespoons sugar in a small mixing bowl and set
aside.
Crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a food processor, blend 6 tablespoons sugar
with cracker crumbs and butter. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and up the
sides of the springform pan and smooth with a spoon.
Filling: Puree
the tossed strawberry and sugar mixture with the sweetened condensed
milk, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice using a blender or
food processor, and then transfer to a large bowl. Whip the cream
until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into
the strawberry puree, and then gently fold in the remaining whipped
cream. Pour filling into the crust, cover, and freeze until firm
(at least four hours).
Make Ahead: Prepare up to this step the day before your dinner party.
Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Cut the pie into slices and
garnish each slice with a whole, fresh strawberry. Store leftover pie covered
in freezer.
Chef’s Tip: Use a sharp knife dipped
in hot water to cut the pie, wiping the knife with paper towels after each cut.
in hot water to cut the pie, wiping the knife with paper towels after each cut.
Wine: Continue buying local and choose wines from your nearest wine-growing region.
Choose a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to complement the freshness of the minestrone
soup and fresh green salad, and a rich Cabernet Sauvignon to harmonize with the
New York strips and buttery prawns.
Roasted Natural New York Strips with Grilled Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes
Buy natural or organic beef locally if possible; otherwise, buy the best quality
New York strip loin you can find. You can look for the beef at your farmers’ market, meat market, or grocery store, or if you plan ahead, you can order
natural and organic beef online.
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
½ New York strip loin
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
4 large tomatoes, quartered
2 yellow onions, sliced ½-inch thick
2 yellow squashes, sliced into strips
and then into 2-inch pieces
and then into 2-inch pieces
Slice roast into six servings using a sharp carving knife. Serve with grilled
vegetables.
Strawberry Margarita Pie
This mildly spiked pie is an easy and decadent recipe for spring and summer
entertaining.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Servings: 8
For Filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup tequila
6 tablespoons triple sec
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cups chilled whipping cream
8 fresh whole strawberries for garnish
