The other day my wife took our daughter to see one of my wife’s clients, who she had become good friends with. Her friend has a small farm and my wife took Genevieve to ride the horses. Genevieve (aka Gigi) is 4 1/2 years old and just recently told us that she wants her own horse. This has created no end of amusment for my wife because ever since Gigi was born I have been writing letters to Santa that Gigi has “dictated” to me. Most of them revolve around the idea that she wants a horse by the time she is five, so needless to say when she exclaimed that she wanted a horse my wife considered it cosmic justice.

So Gigi got to ride a horse, learn a little about horsemanship and help brush her. As an added bonus, Kate sent Wanda home with 2 dozen eggs, from the hens she owns. They varied in size from a standard large egg to ones about the quarter of that size and in colors from off white to various shades of brown and even to a pale green (yes that picture above is color corrected-it’s not your monitor). I was thrilled and set about coming up with an idea to really showcase the eggs. While simply poaching them or hard boiling them might showcase the eggs in all their simple glory I wanted to do something a little more adventurous and seasonal. Our rhubarb is growing quickly and I knew I wanted to incorporate that into something so I decided to make custards and top them with a rhubarb compote. I was also keen to use up some of the tarragon I grow and thought about infusing the custard with tarragon. While not often used in desserts, tarragon’s anisy, licorice flavor lends itself well to many dessert presentations. The only concern is not to overpower the other flavors with tarragon, which can quickly take over if used with too heavy a hand. The flavor combination, at first, might sound a little strange, but trust me it works well, with the tarragon adding a nice subtle flavor to the custard and complementing the simple rhubarb compote.

Herb Pot de Creme
makes 6 servings

3 cups half and half
9 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1/ tsp. vanilla extract
3-5 sprigs fresh tarragon (feel free to try other herbs also such as thyme, mint, lemon balm, even rosemary)

Pre heat the oven to 350°F. Bring the half and half to a simmer. Add 3 sprigs of tarragon and allow to steep for 10 minutes, off of the heat. Taste the mixture. The herb flavor should be just a little stronger than you want it to be in the final product as this will be diluted with other ingredients. If it isn’t strong enough add a few more sprigs, return to a simmer, remove from heat and steep a few minutes longer. Remember, it’s easier to add more flavor than take it away so don’t go over board in the beginning. As the herbs are steeping combine the egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla, stirring until most of the sugar is dissolved. Add 1/2 a cup of the hot half and half to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add another 1/2 cup and stir. Now that the eggs are tempered you can add the remaining half and half. Stir until well combined then strain. Skim off any foam on top of the mixture and pour 3/4 cup into 6 ramekins. Place ramekins into a large baking dish and add hot water to come about 1/2 way up the ramekins. Cover with foil, adding 4 or 5 small vent holes and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes and check for doneness. The custards are done when the center still slightly jiggles like jello. If not done yet, replace cover and bake 5-7 minutes longer and check again. Continue doing this until custards are done. Don’t overcook or your custards will “souffle” and instead of a silky, smooth texture it will more closely resemble scrambled eggs. Still tasty but not quite as appetizing. These will take anywhere from 25-50 minutes depending on the size and depth of your ramekins. When done carefully remove from the oven then remove from the water bath. Cool on a rack until room temperature then chill. Serve topped with a couple tablespoons of Rhubarb Compote (recipe below).

Rhubarb Compote
makes about 1 /2 cups

3 cups rhubarb, diced
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup water

Add all ingredients to a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, at a hard boil, for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Test for doneness on a chilled plate. Allow a small spoonful to chill on the cold plate. It is done if it holds together like a softly set jam with just a bit of liquid separating out. Once done chill for 2 hours to allow time for the compote to set up.

The weather is still cold, rainy and generally pretty crappy, but despite the lousy weather I’ve been in the Spring mood. It might be nasty out but a walk through the local forest has already offered up the first ramps of the season, which I used not long ago on a previous post. I also went out and checked on our herb garden. The mint and Lemon Balm are already starting to emerge and take over (that means lots of weeding to keep them in check) and the tarragon already has 3-4 inch shoots.

I was in the mood for something simple, light and “Springy” for dinner tonight. My wife had recently picked up some nice looking salmon which I was itching to cook and with the newly sprouted tarragon I knew I had the basis of a wonderfully simple and elegant dish right in front of me. Add in some asparagus and baby Yukon Gold potatoes and I was set for the evening.

You can’t get much more simple than the recipe that follows. I hate to even call this a recipe, but it does illustrate how easy it is to take a few simple ingredients, at their peak of freshness and flavor and create a dish that is quick enough for an everyday meal or elegant enough to serve at your next dinner party.

Pan Seared Salmon with Roasted Asparagus
serves 4

4 fillets salmon, skin removed, 4-6oz. each
1 pound fresh asparagus
2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 lemon
1-2 tsp. fresh tarragon, minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the potatoes into quarters or sixths, depending on their size. Toss with about 3 Tbs. of the olive oil then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Toss to coat then place on a baking tray and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Gently stir them after about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus by cutting off the bottom, tough portions of the asparagus. When the potatoes have about 5 minutes left raise the oven temperature to 425°F. Toss the asparagus with about 2 Tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out on a baking tray, 1 layer thick. When potatoes are done remove from oven and put in the asparagus. Cook for 8 minutes.

While the asparagus is cooking heat 2 large saute pans over high heat (you can use just 1 pan but then you will probably want to cook the fish in 2 batches). Add 2 Tbs. olive oil to each pan. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Once the oil just starts to smoke add the fish, skin side up. Immediately lower the heat to medium high. After 3-4 minutes flip the fish over. I like my salmon on the medium rare side so I then take it out of the pan after another 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness (sometimes even less time if the fillet is really thin). If you like it well done then it will need about 6-7 minutes longer.

After the asparagus has cooked for 8 minutes, sprinkle on the minced tarragon and roast for 1 minute longer. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Divide the asparagus and potatoes between 4 plates then top with a salmon fillet.

It’s the middle of May and that means that the rhubarb I’ve been watching grow for the last 6-7 weeks is finally ready to start harvesting. That may not mean a whole lot to many people, but I get all excited just thinking about it. Yes, I know I need to get out more! But seriously, I love the tart flavor of rhubarb. Paired with strawberries, it becomes the ultimate late spring/early summer food pairing, at least in my book.

Last year, I wrote about rhubarb a couple of times and you can expect the same again this year. I’ve got 3 huge plants in my backyard; enough to keep my family constantly in rhubarb desserts for the next 2 months and still have enough to give away to friends not blessed with their own plants, and, depending on how rhubarb crazy we get this year, enough to freeze so that we can have rhubarb pie later in the year, when the craving hits.

While my favorite way to eat rhubarb is in pie, we try to find other ways to use it to keep things fresh and lively. This recipe is a great way to showcase shortcake early in the season, when many of us have to still rely on strawberries shipped in from California, instead the the more flavorful sun ripened strawberries that can be picked closer to home.

The recipe calls for sweet vermouth in which the rhubarb is poached. I like the added subtle flavor this adds, but if you don’t have sweet vermouth and don’t want to buy any, the fruit will still be plenty flavorful if you substitute water.

Poached Rhubarb with Strawberries

12 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweet vermouth
2 Tbsp. grenadine
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Combine sugar, vermouth and grenadine in a nonreactive saucepot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the rhubarb, bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes. The rhubarb should still be slightly undercooked when you remove it from the heat, or it will overcook and turn to mush. Leave out on the counter and allow to cool to room temperature. The rhubarb will finish cooking and sweeten up as it cools. Once cool, add the strawberries, stir and refrigerate. This can be made a couple of hours ahead.

Shortcake
I used this recipe originally for this dessert.

2 cups All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup Sugar, granulated
1 pinch Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 each Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Half and Half
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
6 Tbsp. Butter, chilled and diced

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In another bowl combine the egg, half and half, and vanilla. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in using a pastry blender or 2 knives. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs when done. Add the wet ingredients stirring only to bring the dough together. Don’t over mix the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead 4 to 5 times. Pat into a cirlce about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter 3 inches in diameter, cut out 6 rounds. Place on a sheet tray that has either been greased or lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with an egg wash made of 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. of either water or half and half. Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar then bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool.

To Assemble

Split 4 of the shortcakes in half and place bottoms in a bowl. Top with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and equally divide the poached rhubarb and strawberries over top. Cover with top half of shortcakes and serve.

Mint

Despite the near blizzard conditions I experienced in the early morning hours of April 8th, as I drove to work, Spring is starting to really make its presence known here in Wisconsin. And it’s about time!!!! Today, I took the first good look at my herb garden to see what was starting to sprout. Most of my perennial herbs have broken soil. The tarragon, always an early starter, is already a good 3-4″inches high, while the sage has just started to sprout out from the woody remains of last season. The mint, once a joy, and now a beast that needs constant taming less it take over everything, has popped up all over the herb and flower garden. While my lemon balm, my favorite herb for herbal iced tea has just barely peaked out of its winter rest below the soil, the rhubarb is already looking robust and I look forward to my first pie of the season. Rounding out the rest of the lineup is my thyme plant. It’s hit or miss whether it will come back. Some years it makes it through the winter while in others I need to replant, unlike it’s cousin, the creeping thyme. This herb is more of a ground cover and while it can be used culinarily, its flavor is not nearly as refined as that of other thymes. It is also much hardier than other thyme varieties and comes back year after year.

I haven’t decided what to add to the garden this year, but a basil plant or 2 usually make the cut as does cilantro, both of its leaves and for the seeds (coriander). This year I might add some lavender again, another plant that borders on being hardy in this area. It survives mild to normal winters here in Wisconsin, but won’t make it if the winter is harsher than usual. Ultimately though, the decision won’t be made until I get out to the nursery and see what strikes my fancy at that time.

No recipe today, but look for these herbs in the future as I’m sure they will play prominent roles in a number of recipes to come. Until then enjoy a few pictures of my freshly sprouted plants.

Lemon Balm

Tarragon

Sage

Rhubarb

It’s the first week of March and the weather has taken a decided turn towards spring here in Wisconsin. What that means exactly is that the thermometer has finally risen above freezing. I’m not getting my hopes too high yet, as there is still a very good chance for, at least, 1 or 2 more good snows, and even the possibility of a late winter, early spring blizzard, but there’s something in the air. I can feel it, and it is Spring.

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m not one of these people that hates winter. In fact, I rather enjoy winter, though there are things about it I don’t like, such as driving 30 minutes to work on snow covered roads. I’m someone who loves all the seasons, although I have to admit that fall is by far my favorite. For me, autumn is the only season with no drawbacks. Winter, spring, and summer all have their positives, but they also have their downsides. Spring is starts off muddy, rainy and dreary, Summer can get too hot and humid, while Winter can get too cold and the snow can be a danger, at times, but I wouldn’t give up any of them.

I always look forward to the change in seasons and this year, I have to admit, I”m really ready for spring. It’s a gamble though, in Wisconsin, as to when spring will really arrive. Some years it can be as early as mid March and in others as late as late April or early May. It’s always a crap shoot, but I’m hoping for an early spring this year.

Today’s dish is a quick pasta, that can pretty much be done in the time it takes to bring water to a boil and cook your pasta. Something you’ll hear from me quite often is that good food doesn’t always have to take lots of time. Don’t worry, I’m not turning Rachel Ray on you, but I do think that there are plenty of wonderful dishes out there that take very little time.

This pasta, while short on cooking time, doesn’t skimp on flavor. Paired with a salad, some garlic bread and a glass of wine, this dish is a perfect late winter dinner, both when time is short and when you want to impress.

Farfalle with Red Chard and Chicken
-the amounts are for 1 serving, but this dish easily scales to just about any number of servings

4 oz. farfalle pasta
6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2-3 oz. Cremini mushrooms
1 cup chard (swiss, red, rainbow your choice)
1/2 shallot
1 clove garlic
3/4 Tbsp. rosemary, fresh
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
salt
pepper

Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and the shallot. Chop and rinse the chard, stems included and finely chop the rosemary. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Preheat a large skillet and add the olive oil. While the skillet is heating dice the chicken breast. Add to the hot skillet and season. While chicken is cooking slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms when the chicken is 3/4s of the way done. Saute until the mushrooms start to wilt then add the garlic and shallots. Continue to saute for 4 minutes longer then add the chard. Toss a couple of times then add the wine and rosemary. When pasta is done (about 11 minutes cooking time depending on brand) drain, reserving a couple of tablespoons of cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet,then add the butter and parmesan. Remove from heat and toss and stir until the butter and parmesan have melted into the remaining liquid to make a smooth creamy sauce. The pasta should be lightly coated with the sauce. If a little too dry add a tablespoon or 2 of the pasta cooking liquid. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.