Shiitake Risotto with Fresh Chives

I don't know where they're getting them from, but Green Fields Market has had Western Mass grown shiitakes available the last couple times I've been in there. A delightful surprise for this time of year, and a lovely combination with the chives thriving in my garden. I took advantage of the absence of a mushroom-disparaging child one night to make this for dinner. I always use a pressure cooker now to make risotto, as it is nearly foolproof and far easier than the stir-by-hand method.

2 Tbsp butter (1 T + 1 T)
1 large shallot (or substitute 3 cloves garlic for a different effect)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed a diced
1 tsp crumbled dried sage (use less if yours is powdered)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup snipped fresh chives (about 1/4-inch pieces)

Heat 1 Tbsp butter in the bottom of the pressure cooker until it melts. Add the shallot or garlic and saute over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the rice and saute for another minute or so, until it turns translucent. Add the stock and stir well. Put on the lid and bring the cooker to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes, then remove from heat and release pressure.

While the rice cooks, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet. Add the shiitakes and saute until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sage and a bit of salt and pepper and remove from heat.

When the rice is cooked and the pressure has released, open the pressure cooker. Stir the shiitake mixture into the rice. Stir in the chives. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Pasta Salad with Snap Peas and Herbs

Another cold dish for another hot June day.  If you like, you can beef this up into more of a main dish by adding tuna (3 cans is about right), cooked shredded chicken, or cooked beans.  Feel free to substitute shelled English peas for the snap peas, or even fava beans or edamame.  You can also mix up the herbs for different flavor profiles: try mint, cilantro, or dill here in place of the basil and/or parsley.

1 lb pasta, cooked and cooled
3-4 cups diced snap peas
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp minced garlic scapes
1 cup chopped chives
1/2 - 1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until everything is coated with mayo and ingredients are evenly distributed.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Serves about 6.

Savory Asparagus-Shiitake Bread Pudding

This recipe, perfect for the chillier days of spring, is adapted from one in Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. I didn't have the mushrooms, the herbs, or the cheese that she called for, so I used what I had and it came out beautifully. I kept the method the same--be warned that, while not difficult, it is a bit elaborate. I think it could be simplified considerably, and am planning to experiment a bit with that in the coming weeks. This works well for dinner, but would also make a nice brunch centerpiece.

As the season goes on a bit, use green garlic and spring onion in place of the garlic and shallot, and vary the herbs with what's available and sounds tasty. Likewise, while I used Dutch Gold (Edam) cheese, this would work well with cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, or goat cheese.

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
3 cups milk
1 1-lb loaf white bread (Italian style is good), preferably stale
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 lb shiitakes, stemmed and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped sorrel
1/2 cup snipped chives
2 cups Dutch Gold (Edam) cheese, shredded

1. Butter two 8x8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the garlic and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let steep until ready to use.

3. Cut the bread into thick slices. If not stale, toast lightly in the oven. Break into chunks, place it in a large bowl, then strain the milk over it and let it soak.

4. Place about 1 inch of water in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and simmer about 3 minutes, until bright green. Remove from the pot and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

5. Melt the butter in skillet. Add the shallot and saute over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and saute until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

6. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the sorrel, chives, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.

7. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, egg mixture, and about two-third of the cheese to the bowl with the bread and mix thoroughly (trying not to turn the bread to mush while you do so). Spread this mixture into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until nice and golden. Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Potato Corn Soup with Sorrel and Chives

A spring twist on corn chowder. Toss in some fiddleheads if you like.

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
Water or vegetable stock
2 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1/2 cup finely chopped sorrel leaves
1/2 - 3/4 cup snipped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 cup milk (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and enough water or vegetable stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are nice and tender, 15-20 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, you can optionally puree the soup fully or partially. Then add the corn, sorrel, and chives and simmer until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add milk if desired to thin the soup and give it a slightly creamier consistency.

Serves about 6.

Gingery Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Tofu

If you use a food processor for the shredding, this soup goes together very fast indeed.

1 Tbsp canola oil
2-3 Tbsp minced ginger root
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
3 medium parsnips, woody cores removed, peeled and shredded
16 oz. firm tofu, in 1/2-inch cubes
Vegetable stock (and/or water)
2-4 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup snipped chives
Salt to taste
Hot sauce to pass at the table (sriracha is good)

Heat the canola oil in a soup pot. Add the ginger and garlic and saute over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, tofu, and enough stock to generously cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in the soy sauce and chives. Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve in large bowls and pass hot sauce at the table.

Serves about 6.

Potato Salad for a Crowd

This is a pretty basic, traditional potato salad, elevated from the humdrum by excellent ingredients and homemade mayonnaise. Use some of the incredibly delicious new potatoes available at farmers markets this time of year - fingerlings would be perfect, but any waxy type would work well. Red potatoes with the skin left on are nice visually, too. Feel free to halve or quarter the recipe if you're not making this for a party. The proportions for the mayo come from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Salad
6 lbs potatoes, cubed (peel or not, your choice)
3 shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
8 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup snipped chives
1 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Mayo
1 uncooked egg
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp spicy mustard
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

You can make the mayonnaise while the potatoes cook (see below). To make the mayo, crack the egg into a blender, then add the lemon juice, about 1/4 cup of the canola oil, the mustard, and cayenne. Blend briefly, then slowly add the remainder of the canola and olive oil while the machine is running. The mayo will thicken and turn light yellow. Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until they are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Combine the potatoes with the shallots, hardboiled eggs, chives, and parsley, then stir in the mayonnaise until everything is well coated. Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.

Don't leave this salad out of the refrigerator for more than an hour.

Serves about 20.

Red Pepper, Potato, and Feta Scramble

I sometimes turn to scrambles for dinner when I'm looking for something quick. This one used peppers from the freezer, Chase Hill Farm feta, the last of the potatoes that I bought at Winter Fare, chives from the garden, and eggs from Over the Hill Ranch. Local all the way.

5 eggs, beaten
2-3 oz. crumbled feta
1/4 cup snipped chives
2 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz. potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced (frozen is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the eggs, feta, and chives in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, scrambling, until the eggs are done. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Serves 3-4.

Pressure Cooker Risotto with Sorrel and Chives

This is a lovely spring risotto. The sorrel flavor is much milder here than in the pizza, working more like an herb than a cooking green.

This was my first try at making risotto in the pressure cooker, and I will definitely do it again. So easy and fast, and with excellent results. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can of course make this on the stovetop with standard risotto technique (add the liquid 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until absorbed each time; add until rice is cooked and risotto reaches desired consistency).

Olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup minced fresh sorrel (stemmed)
1/3 cup snipped chives
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in the pressure cooker with the lid off, then add the onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the rice. Saute, stirring frequently, for another 2-3 minutes, until the rice turns translucent. Add all of the stock, cover, lock, and turn to high pressure setting. Bring to pressure, then reduce heat and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and release pressure. Stir in sorrel, chives, Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Pizza with Sorrel, Potatoes, and Feta

This pizza really highlights sorrel's bright, tangy, lemony flavor. If you love sorrel, feel free to load more on here, up to about 4 cups chopped. The salty feta helps to balance the sourness. I was able to make this last night with sorrel and chives straight from my garden - yay for early perennials!

If you don't have or don't care for sorrel, try making this with spinach or arugula instead.

1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin
1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
3 oz. shredded mozzarella
1-2 cups finely chopped fresh sorrel (stemmed)
2-3 Tbsp snipped fresh chives (optional)
3 oz. crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste

Par-cook the potatoes by lightly steaming or boiling until not quite tender.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Paint the pizza crust lightly with olive oil.

Spread the mozzarella over the crust, then add the sorrel. Sprinkle the chives over the sorrel, then carefully spread the par-cooked potatoes evenly over the greens. Sprinkle with feta and a bit of salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Scrambled Eggs with Chives

So simple I can't exactly call it a recipe, but local all the way! The chives in my garden are just big enough now to start harvesting a bit here and there. This morning I went out and picked some to go in our eggs. After plain scrambled eggs as winter, the chive flavor was like a lovely little jolt to the palate - and so full of spring!

About 1-2 tsp of snipped chives per egg works well, depending on how much chive flavor you want. Beat the eggs in a bowl, stir in the chives, then cook in butter, scrambling as you go, over medium heat.

Middle Eastern Pizza with Chickpeas and Herbs

I bought big bunches of parsley and mint at the farmers market this past weekend. I am still planning to make some parsley pesto out of them, along with some scapes, but there was enough for a few other endeavors as well. I also used chives from my garden and fresh mozzarella that I made over the weekend from Upinngil Farm milk. I wasn't totally certain that this was going to work as pizza, but it turned out to be really good.

Later in the summer I would use fresh tomatoes instead of sauce for this recipe. Actually, I did notice one vendor with tomatoes at the farmers market this weekend (cucumbers, too), but they were a standard variety conventionally grown and I figured we could wait for the good ones.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup coarsely mashed/chopped chickpeas
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp minced fresh mint
3-4 oz. mozzarella, shredded (or in chunks if fresh)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil. Spread on the tomato sauce.

In a small bowl, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper. Spread this mixture over the sauce, then sprinkle the chives, parsley and mint over the chickpeas. If using standard mozzarella, sprinkle it on top. If using fresh, start baking the pizza without it and add it in the last 3-5 minutes (I have found this keeps it from soaking in too much).

Bake the pizza for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese is melted.

Serves 3-4.

Herbed Goat Cheese Spread

Here's another option for those chives and, as the season progresses, other herbs. This is great on crackers, bread, or veggies, or, come summertime, try it as a pizza topping with sliced fresh tomatoes on top. There are lots of great local goat cheese options.

8 ounces ricotta cheese
3 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped chives or other herbs
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mash the ricotta and goat cheese together in a small bowl until they are well combined.

Add the chives, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Makes about 2 cups.

Herbed Yogurt

The chives in the garden are calling to me. Here's one easy way to use them, along with some of Sidehill Farm's incredibly delicious yogurt. Of course, you can also use all sorts of other herbs this way, too, as they come into season. Try cilantro, basil, mint, or a combination, as well as the chives.

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (or other herbs)

Combine well. Use as a dip for pita, chips, or veggies, or as a topping for Indian dishes or savory pancakes.

Quiche with Goat Cheese, Dried Tomatoes, and Chives

Yesterday I picked some fresh chives from the garden! Chives are cool-tolerant perennials, which means that once you have some established in your yard or garden, they will come back very early each spring, giving you something green and tasty to harvest while everything else is still bare dirt.

When I make quiche, I often make two at once, since it's not much more work--and it guarantees leftovers for another meal.

2 9-inch pastry shells (not too deep)
1/2 cup dried tomatoes, softened and chopped (soften in hot water)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
6 eggs
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the pastry shells all over with a fork, then pre-bake for about 12 minutes.

Spread half of the tomatoes, chives and goat cheese in the bottom of the pastry shells.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, then add the milk, salt, and pepper and mix well. Pour half of this mixture into each pastry shell. If you are concerned about spillage, line two rimmed cookie sheets with foil and place the pie plates on top of them.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until quiches are done in the middle.

Makes 2 9-inch quiches, serving about 6.