Brown Rice Risotto with Chorizo, Kale, and Beans

Yes, you can make a passable risotto using brown rice, and doing it in the pressure cooker cuts the cooking time to make it quite reasonable. Feel free to substitute spinach or whatever local greens you can find this time of year.

2 Tbsp butter
2 medium shallot or 1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups chicken (or veggie) stock, warm
1 lb chorizo, sliced or crumbled
4-6 cups chopped kale
1 1/2 -2 cups cooked cannelini
 Salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces goat cheese

Melt the butter in the pressure cooker. Add the shallot or onion and saute over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and saute for another 2 minutes or so. Add the warm stock and stir. Cover and lock the pot and bring to pressure. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then release pressure. Stir the risotto. If needed, continue to simmer over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until any remaining liquid is absorbed and the rice reaches the desired consistency.

While the rice cooks, brown the chorizo in a large skillet. When cooked through, add the kale and saute until tender. Stir in the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

When the risotto is done, stir in the goat cheese. You then have a choice: either stir the chorizo, kale, and beans into the risotto, or serve over top of the rice.

Serves 4-5.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Quiche Muffins

If you can't find local mushrooms this time of year, re-hydrating dried ones is also an option. Eggs and cheese, of course, are great year-round locavore staples, as are storage crops like shallots and other alliums.

I bought some silicone reusable muffin cups, and they work like a dream for these quiche muffins - no sticking at all, super easy cleanup.

8 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 lb shiitakes or other mushrooms, diced
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and crumbled goat cheese and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.

Heat a little olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the shallots and mushrooms and saute until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the mushroom mixture evenly between 16 standard muffin cups. Stir the egg mixture, then ladle into the cups over the mushrooms, making sure to get some goat cheese in each one.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the quiche muffins are cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Makes 16 egg muffins. Serves 4-6.

Spinach and Edam Quiche

It's springtime (even if the weather thinks it might be summer), and that means greens and eggs are plentiful. If you like, you could substitute shredded or sliced asparagus for the spinach in this recipe - just steam it lightly first. And if Edam doesn't suit you, swap in goat cheese or Swiss instead. I used Chase Hill Farm's Dutch Gold cheese, which is much like an Edam.

5 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cream or milk (or a combination)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb spinach, washed and stemmed
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell, prepared in the pan
Olive oil
2 ounces Edam, sliced or shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the eggs and cream or milk in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly steam the spinach (I do this in a covered bowl for 1 minute in the microwave). Pour of excess liquid and chop finely.

Lightly oil the bottom of the pastry shell. Spread the cheese over the the bottom, then the spinach. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and spinach. Swirl around gently to mix the ingredients.

Carefully transfer the quiche to the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Serves about 4.

Pizza with Brussels Sprouts, Salami, and Goat Cheese

Brussels sprouts on pizza? You bet! Just slice them thin (no need to precook) and you get this delicious, nutty, roasted-Brussels-sprouts flavor on your pizza. I made this with some local goat cheese from Hillman farm and the last of the Brussels sprouts from our garden. Substitute bacon or pepperoni for the salami if you like.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
2-3 ounces shredded mozzarella
2 ounces salami, sliced thin or diced
2-3 ounces goat cheese
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush the pizza crust with olive oil.

Combine the sliced Brussels sprouts with a little more olive oil in a small bowl and toss to coat.

Spread the mozzarella over the pizza crust. Distribute the sprouts and salami over it, then dot with goat cheese. Sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and the cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Goat Cheese and Thyme Quiche

Another easy and delicious brunch number. Use your favorite pie crust recipe.

1 9-inch pie crust
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Have the pie crust ready to go, pricked with a fork and chilled.

Spread the goat cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and thyme, and pour carefully over the cheese, being sure to avoid overfilling the crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through.

Serves 3-4.

Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Arugula

I borrowed a trick learned from the chefs at Mag Pie and tossed fresh arugula on here after baking - delicious, and a perfect contrast to the roasted peppers and goat cheese.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
3-4 ounces shredded mozzarella
2 ounces roasted red peppers, sliced
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh arugula (raw)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pizza crust, then add the sliced roasted red peppers. Sprinkle with shallots, then dot with goat cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown. Upon removing from the oven, sprinkle the arugula over the top of the pizza. Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4.

Mediterranean Rice Bowl with Egg, Ramps, Roasted Red Pepper, and Feta

This is sort of a riff on Bi Bim Bap, only with a Mediterranean flair to the flavors.  The assembly is pretty quick and simple, and the result is not only delicious but also very pretty as you serve it up. Personally, I didn't think it needed hot sauce, but my husband added some to his and liked the result.

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (brown or white, your choice)
1/2 lb ramps, washed
Olive oil
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped roasted red peppers
2-3 oz crumbled feta or goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce (optional)

Cook the rice however you normally do (I use a rice cooker).  While it cooks, assemble the rest of the meal.

Slice the root ends off the ramps.  Thinly slice the bulbs and stems and set aside, then slice the leaves cross-wise into thin ribbons and set aside separately.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet, then add the ramp bulb and stem pieces and saute over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, until tender.  Add the leaves and saute until nicely wilted, about 1 minute, then remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a wide bottomed pot of water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Crack each egg into a cup or small bowl and gently slide it into the water.  Cook for about 3 minutes, until the whites set up, then carefully remove with a slotted spoon.

When the rice is ready, quickly heat the roasted red peppers in the skillet, then separately reheat the ramps if needed.

Assemble each bowl individually: a generous serving of rice at the bottom, then two eggs on top of it.  Add a quarter of the ramps to each bowl in a small mound, then a quarter of the red peppers in another small mound.  Top the whole thing with crumbled feta or goat cheese.  Add salt and pepper (and hot sauce if desired) at the table.

Serves 4.

Pizza with Squash, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

Like the green salad I posted earlier this month, this recipe leverages the Caramelized Roasted Butternut Cubes my sister and I made at Christmas.  Do try them; it's a really excellent treatment for squash.

14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
2-3 oz. shredded mozzarella
1/4 lb spinach, well chopped or cut into ribbons
1 1/2 cups Caramelized Roasted Butternut Cubes
2-3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the crust with olive oil.

Sprinkle the crust with mozzarella, then cover with spinach.  Add squash for the next layer, then goat cheese.  Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Green Salad with Roasted Butternut and Goat Cheese

This winter salad is delicious with cold hardy greens, still pretty easily available from local farms.  Use a salad mix if you can, or just a bed of baby spinach or arugula.  You can assemble the salad in a single bowl or platter if you like, but I suggest composing individual servings on on small plates for each diner.  My sister and I made this salad as a first course for Christmas dinner.  You can serve it with whatever kind of dressing appeals to you, but I recommend a balsamic vinaigrette or a Dijon apple cider vinaigrette.

Salad greens
Caramelized Roasted Butternut Squash, room temperature
Walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds, lightly toasted and cooled
Dried cranberries
Goat cheese, crumbled

Make a bed of greens on each plate.  Top with a small mound of  cubed squash, then sprinkle with nuts, cranberries, and goat cheese.  Dress at the table.

Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Pears, and Feta

This is a little unusual, but it's definitely a winner, with enthusiastic endorsement from everyone from my five year old to my mother-in-law.  Use pears that are nicely ripe but not mushy.  Substitute goat cheese for the feta if you like.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
3/4 cup Fire Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Sauce
1 medium-large pear, cored sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 oz crumbled feta
2 oz. shredded mozzarella (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the red pepper sauce over the pizza crust, then layer with the pear and feta.  Add mozzarella if desired.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Caramelized Fennel and Onion Frittata with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

This is what I did with the rest of my batch of Caramelized Fennel and Onions, after using some on pizza a few days ago.  Goat cheese goes beautifully with these flavors (it would make a nice variation for the pizza, too).  Like many frittatas, this works for any meal of the day.  Can be served hot or at room temperature.

6 eggs, beaten
1 - 1 1/2 cups Caramelized Fennel and Onions
3-4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste 
1 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick (seeds removed)

Combine the eggs, caramelized onion and fennel, goat cheese, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so if you can.

Oil well a 10-inch oven proof skillet and heat it up over medium heat.  Pour in the egg mixture and make sure the veggies and cheese are evenly distributed.  Cook, without stirring, over low-medium heat until the eggs are largely set.  While you do so, preheat the broiler.  Lay the tomato slices on top of the egg mixture.  Finish the friittata under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through.

Serves 3-4.

Local Goat Cheese Burger

We've been renovating our kitchen over the last several weeks, hence the paucity of new recipes lately.  But here's a simple one that did not require my stove (currently out of commission) or any pans (currently stored in the basement).

This isn't really even a recipe so much as a suggestion:

Grill up some local grass-fed beef burgers (keep them medium rare).  Serve them on good quality buns, toasted on the grill alongside the burgers.  Instead of slicing cheese and melting it on the burgers on the grill, spread some local goat cheese on them upon serving.  Be generous with the quantity.  What else to add?  Well, it's spring, which means tender local arugula and lettuce are in season.  Maybe a little locally made mustard.  You can add ketchup if you like.  Although they're not in season, grilled slices of red onion would also be excellent.  Enjoy!

Pasta with Sage Roasted Tomatoes, Leeks, and Goat Cheese

I am still working through the last tomatoes from my garden - the green ones have been ripening up nicely inside and although late season tomatoes are never as good as the ones you pick in August or September, they're not bad when roasted. I also still have a good supply of cold-hardy leeks in the garden, along with sage. The goat cheese I picked up at the farmers market helped pull it all together.

If you no longer have fresh tomatoes on hand, frozen ones would work here, too. Roast whole frozen tomatoes, then chop or pull apart with your hands. Or use frozen roasted tomatoes if you have them.

5-6 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
4 fat leeks, sliced in thin rounds
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
4-5 oz goat cheese
1 lb cut pasta (e.g penne)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the tomatoes, leeks, and sage in a large baking pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all, then roast for about 30 minutes.

While the vegetables roast, crumble the goat cheese in a bowl and mix in 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil to soften it. Set aside.

Also while the vegetables roast, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain when done and return to the pot or a large bowl. Add the goat cheese mixture and spread it around so that it melts and thoroughly coats the hot pasta.

When the vegetables are done, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the baking pan, leaving excess liquid behind. Toss with the pasta. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Pizza with Red Peppers, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary

I keep fresh local rosemary on hand year round by growing some in a pot.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 medium red pepper, finely diced
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
2-3 oz. shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil, then top with sauce. Sprinkle with pepper and onion, then rosemary. Dot with goat cheese and sprinkle mozzarella over all.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Pizza with Fire Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese

We've been enjoying the first sweet red bell peppers out of our garden lately. Tonight I roasted three of them on the grill and made this pizza. Grilling is an easy way to roast lots of peppers at once, so if you want to freeze some for later or puree some for romesco sauce (super highly recommended), it's a good way to go. Be sure to use thick walled bell peppers, not the thinner walled frying peppers, which are much harder to peel.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
3 oz shredded mozzarella
3 fire roasted red peppers, sliced into strips
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the mozzarella over the pizza crust, then top with the peppers. Sprinkle with sage, then add goat cheese. Add a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste.

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

Serves 3-4.

Caramelized Fennel and Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese

I couldn't convince my almost 4-year-old to try this (his response: "I refuse that it's delicious!")...but hey, more for us grownups! It really IS delicious. Caramelizing brings out fennel's sweetness (and of course does the same for the onions) and mellows it a bit without losing all its flavor. Properly caramelizing fennel and onions takes a bit of time (25-30 minutes or longer if you like) but it's worth it.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 14-inch pizza crust
3 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
3 oz. goat cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the fennel and onion and stir to coat thoroughly with oil. Turn the heat to medium and cover. Uncover and stir well every 4-5 minutes or so, and adjust the heat downward if the vegetables are getting too browned (as opposed to caramelized). They will slowly cook down, getting soft and golden over the course of at least 25-30 minutes. If you have time you can continue to caramelize until they are much darker. Toward the end you will need to check on them more frequently and perhaps turn the heat even lower. When they are ready, stir in the red wine vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

As the onions and fennel approach doneness, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pizza crust, then add the caramelized veggies. Sprinkle with sage, then dot with goat cheese.

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

Serves 3-4.

Barley with Ramps, Arugula, and Goat Cheese

Hulled barley is available from Four Star Farms; you can usually get it at Green Fields Market. You can also opt to use pearl barley for this dish; it will cook faster and is not quite as chewy in texture.

Serve this as a side dish or, if you like, add cooked beans and some toasted nuts for a heartier main dish.

1 1/2 cups hulled barley
4 1/2 cups water or stock (chicken or vegetable)
About 10 ramps (1 bunch)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 lb arugula, washed and chopped
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Toasted pine nuts for topping (optional)

Place the barley and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about an hour (for pearl barley, more like 25-30 minutes).

While the barley cooks, slice the root ends off the ramps and wash them well. Thinly slice the whites and stems, then cut the leaves cross-wise into ribbons.

Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the ramps and saute for about 1 minute. Add the arugula and saute until wilted. Stir in the sage and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the barley is done, mix it together with the vegetables and the goat cheese. With the other ingredients hot, the goat cheese should melt and spread so that it coats everything. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve hot, cold, or room temperature, topped with toasted pine nuts if desired.

Serves about 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side dish.

Asparagus-Ramp Bread Pudding with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

After making last week's Asparagus-Shiitake Bread Pudding, I've been thinking of ways to further adapt the recipe to make it faster to assemble. Here I've cut the assembly time almost in half, to about 30 minuets (it needs another 40 minutes in the oven) and made some changes to the ingredients for a fairly different flavor profile as well. To save yourself some prep time, buy the bread 1-2 days ahead and let it dry out a little.

With ramp season coming to an end, you could take this technique and use it with the ingredients in the other recipe.

1 1-lb loaf white bread (French or Italian work well), preferably a bit stale
3 cups milk
About 10 ramps (1 bunch)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, in 1/2-inch rounds
Salt and pepper
2-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or oil two 8x8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan.

Slice the bread about 1-inch thick, then tear into chunks. Place them in a large bowl. Heat the milk to steaming, then pour over the bread and let stand.

Slice the roots off the ramps and remove any loose outer layers. Thinly slice the white part and the stems, then finely chop the leaves, keeping them separate from the whites and stems.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and the ramp whites and stems. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until the asparagus turns bright green and is slightly tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Turn the bread a bit in the bowl to make sure all of it soaks up milk. Then add in the asparagus and ramps, the chopped ramp leaves and rosemary, and the crumbled goat cheese.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with 1 tsp salt. Pour the eggs into the bowl with the bread and other ingredients and mix well so that everything is coated (trying not to turn the bread to mush while you do so).

Press the mixture into the prepared pan(s). Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden and a bit puffy.

Serve hot or warm. Serves 6-8.

Pizza with Goat Cheese, Corn, and Roast Beef

Some leftover roast beef, some of last summer's corn (still so, so sweet) from the freezer, some goat cheese from Winter Fare...yum. Don't forget the garlic! Feel free to substitute steak or even pot roast for the meat here.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 - 3/4 cup diced cooked roast beef
1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 oz. goat cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the tomato sauce over the crust, then sprinkle with the diced beef and corn. Sprinkle the garlic over that, then dot with goat cheese. Add a small sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese just begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

It takes some time to caramelize the onions, but otherwise this is an easy and simple recipe. Caramelized onions are so good you might want to make up a larger batch at once and save some for additional dishes in the coming days; they keep well in the fridge.

Olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 14-inch pizza crust
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 oz. chevre

Heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and stir to coat. Cook them gently over low or low-medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until they are very soft and nicely brown. This should take 30 minute or so, though you can cook them longer if you have time and want to really maximize the dark brown caramel-y goodness.

While the onions caramelize, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, shape your crust and lightly paint it with olive oil. Spread the tomato sauce over the crust in a thin layer.

When the onions are ready spread them over the pizza, then top with chunks of goat cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and the cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.