A Dish to Celebrate Spring

Spring has sprung in the Northeast!!!

This past Easter weekend brought cloud-less skies and warm temperatures to the area (and for people along the coast, like me, magical morning fog). It was the ideal weather for playing outside, cleaning up after the recent storms and floods, and for going to the farmers market.

Brainstorming with my family on what to make for our Easter feast, my mind immediately goes to four of my favorite foods: farm fresh eggs, ricotta, asparagus, and wild mushrooms. I ate my fair share of eggs and asparagus this weekend (scrambled eggs, homemade hollandaise, steamed asparagus, ricotta cheesecake, gougeres, quiche, fritattas, roast asparagus, omelettes...and yes, a GOLDEN egg), but really no mushrooms. And, I really did forget all about my severe morel craving.

So last night, when I was celebrating Easter with my family at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, I was digging into my greenhouse greens to discover hidden surprises: lovely, tenderly roasted morsels of mushrooms. And, that morel and mushroom craving came back. With a vengeance.

So, I'm still in search of more mushrooms. I haven't yet quite had my fill (Is there a place that makes your  favorite mushroom dish? Share with me! I will travel!). But, in the meantime, my mind keeps wandering back to this amazing risotto I made for dinner one night while some friends and I were skiing in Utah. I made this for the Oscars, and we sat in front of the TV with our votes for who would win, along with some seared brussels sprouts, chicken sausages, and salad. Of course, I had made a LOT of risotto, so we kept on eating it (for dinner the next night, then I had more for leftovers, and a bit more in case I needed a snack on the flight home. It travels well...just don't wrap the container in foil like I did. TSA thought it was a bit suspicious. Oops). It definitely is good for leftovers, even a couple days later. Next time? I want to try making arancini with it. Mmm...

Yummy Mushroom Risotto (for 10)

5 1/2 c chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock if you wish to make this truly vegetarian)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 large onion, finely diced

3/4 c dry white wine

2 c Arborio rice

5 cups wild mushrooms (As you might have guessed, I have a thing for mushrooms. The more wild, the better. I used one container each of shitakes, baby bella, and matsutake/Hen of the Woods mushrooms), diced

2 tbsp butter

1/2 c (or more if you wish – I use more like a cup) freshly grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 c freshly basil, chiffonade, plus more for garnish

Freshly grated Parmigiano, for garnish

First, bring chicken stock to a boil on stove. Once hot, you can turn if off and let sit. Heat a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter. When butter is melted, add onions, season lightly, and cook until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until halfway tender and any excess moisture has evaporated (they will cook more as you cook the risotto). Add the rice, and gently stir until the outer layer is lightly translucent. Deglaze with the wine and cook until it is mostly all absorbed

Now, here comes the labor of love part. Adding the broth cup-by-cup, and gently stirring the risotto while the liquid is absorbed. Make sure that you continually stir the risotto, and be sure of wipe clean the entire bottom of the pot frequently with your spoon so it doesn’t stick. You are to only add the next cup once the first cup of liquid is all but absorbed. This long and slow process is the key to making a wonderful, creamy risotto.

After about 20 minutes of cooking, begin to taste the rice. It is done when it is tender, yet there is still a bit of bite. You will also want the consistency to be slightly moist – not at all runny. Add the butter and stir to incorporate. Then add the Gruyere and basil. You should now check the seasoning to make sure it is to your liking.

Serve hot with more basil and Parmigiano for garnish!

A Better Beet

There is this restaurant in upstate New York, complete with its own spacious farm (from apples to beets to carrots, ducks and pigs...to watermelons, herbs, yellow squash, and so much more). The ever talented Dan Barber is the chef...Blue Hill at Stone Barns is its name. And EVERY time I go, I am in culinary heaven.

From the incredible space (think lofty, meticulously restored barns, proper yet subtle lighting, captivating floral arrangements, yet simple layout and clean design), to the impeccable service (there are MANY waitstaff around, and most are supremely attentive, yet they are never in your way), and the absolutely divine food (farm fresh that day, the menu is...well, it's not really a menu. It's whatever preparation the chef is thinking and feeling that day, influenced by what is freshly picked and likely what the day presents).

I've been to Blue Hill at Stone Barns a couple of times now, and though they have pushed aside their turkey tail rolls (never was a big bread eater when dining out until Stone Barns...thank you for converting me, Dan...but my waist thanks you for taking these off the "menu"...), their "mini Beet Burgers" have been presented as an amuse every single time I can remember. That is DEFINITELY a good thing, as these little morsels are the perfect combination of flavors, colors, and as far as I'm concerned, food groups!

The beet burger, to my understanding (Dan, if you or another Blue Hill staffer is out there reading this and I'm incorrect, please let me know), begins with a not-too-sweet almond financier type of "bun." It's definitely almond-y, and there is a hint of sweetness, but not like a cookie. This bun is sliced in half, like a proper burger bun, and on the bottom half lies a dollop on beet puree. Literally, cooked beets finely chopped in your food processor. Add to that another dollop of fresh goat cheese, and a sprig of mache -- or as I prefer, a de-stemmed piece of baby arugula. Cap it off with the top of the financier/burger bun and voila!

I've been thinking about these little morsels often recently, partly because next week I have to create a canape to serve at L'Ecole. They are so elementally simple, but the flavors, when put together, truly sing I think. So, when my pastry chef was presented with a rather large bucket of almond financier batter Friday afternoon (ironically, I had already told her I wanted to learn to make a not-too-sweet financier batter that morning), I immediately had visions of beet burgers as my weekend project. 

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon, quart container of almond financier batter in hand. Add a little creativity, and some artistic license. And here, I present to you my version of Blue Hill's Beet Burger Sliders.

Almond financier batter (Try this one from Epicurious.com)

Beets (I had three rather large ones)

Plain goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel's, but any soft and fresh goat cheese will suffice)

Baby arugula or mache

Salt to taste

Financiers: I preheated my convection oven to 325 degrees F and lightly buttered a kind of non-stick mini muffin tin (if I had a real nonstick I would NOT have greased it as the batter has lots of butter/fat in it). I baked them about 15-20 minutes, until they puffed nicely and a tester came out clean. I then cooled them in the tin.

Beets: After taking off the greens, I placed the beets submerged in cold water and brought it to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. I then lowered the heat to a simmer and cooked the beets about 45 minutes until easily pierceable with a knife. Cool them in an ice bath and then peel. Place the beets in a food processor and process until nearly a paste. Put aside.

Goat cheese: I took some cheese out of the package and warmed it up a bit so that it was easily spreadable.

Greens: I used arugula and took the stems off some larger leaves -- I like the peppery bite this green offers in contrast to the creamy cheese and sweet beet.

Assembly: Slice a financier bun in half (or really 2/3 up from the bottom, as the top is larger than the base). Place a dollop of beet paste on the bottom, then a dollop of goat cheese. Lay an arugula leaf on top, and cap with the top of the financier. Then, stand back to marvel at your morsel of delicious-ness...and then eat it!!

Enjoy!