Risotto alla Margherita

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Risotto alla MargheritaMarch can be rather uninspiring.  Gray, dull, still cold.  Sure, the calendar says it’s spring, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it.  I’d love to be switching to my warm-weather eating regimen, trading in the braised meats and polenta for asparagus and peas, the hearty kale for tender baby arugula, or skip ahead to August for a ripe, red tomato.  But it’s just not going to happen for a while.  And, oh, what I’d give to be sitting in a lawn chair, sipping rosé, feeling the sun on my face.

It’ll happen.  Spring will come, summer will follow.  In the meantime, I’m cheating on this cold “spring” and skipping ahead to summer flavors.  I’m popping a can of San Marzano tomatoes, buying overpriced supermarket basil and a ball of fresh Mozzarella, and I’m going to pack the flavors of a Margherita pizza or a Caprese salad into risotto.  I might even crank up the furnace and eat it while wearing a sundress.

This risotto is a good transition.  Risotto is, by nature, incredibly comforting and warming.  This one is packed with your favorite flavors of summer and bits of softly melted Mozzarella.  No, I didn’t pluck the tomatoes from my own garden and no, I won’t be enjoying this al fresco, but it’ll get me through.

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Spinach & Dill Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

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Spinach & Dill Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

When you blog about what you’ve been cooking, it’s tempting to just put the splashy dishes out there, the crowd pleasers: Gingersnap & Bourbon Bread Pudding, Squash & Brie Galette, Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake.  It’s much easier to invite strangers into your life and offer them something warm from the oven than it is to, say, offer a ladle full of spinach soup.

But my blog is my real life eating and girl cannot live on flour and butter alone.  Real life calls for some healthy weekday lunches between weekends of Croque Monsieur Buns.  Real life calls for vegetables and greenery.  Bright green helps even things out.

If bright green is good, then it can’t get much better than this spinach soup.  And despite it’s somewhat terrifying shade of swamp-monster green, it’s actually really tasty and a cinch to make.  The spinach is complemented by fresh dill and plenty of lemon juice.  Potatoes thicken the soup up and make it substantial enough to stick with you through the afternoon.  Add a dollop of Greek yogurt for creamy tang and pumpernickel croutons for crunch.

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Ham & Gruyère Breakfast Buns

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Ham & Gruyère Breakfast Buns
I might have a slight problem when it comes to brunching.  Whenever I go out for brunch or make a pre-meditated breakfast at home, I always land on a croque madame or a croque monsieur.  Boring, right?

Well, maybe a little, but how could anyone really get bored with melted gruyère and ham?  Then there’s the bread factor, which is important for people like me who don’t like to do their morning coffee without carbs.  And, of course, I wouldn’t dream of having my croque without a decent schmear of Dijon mustard. That’ll wake you up.  Yum.  Are you going to fault a girl for knowing what she likes?

A couple of weeks ago, I bought The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (and had the opportunity to meet the Deb Perelman!).  I leafed through the book for days, admiring the pictures and the writing, trying to decide which recipe to tackle first.  I would have happily made anything, but I kept coming back to the Cheddar & Onion Breakfast Buns.  I kept looking at these glorious buns, wondering how I could take the cheddar out and, instead, insert all the elements of a croque monsieur.  Like I said, I may have a problem.

Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

 

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Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Olives & Tarragon

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Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Olives & Tarragon

I’ve been staring at my computer screen for far too long.  I’m supposed to be thinking of something clever to write about my latest rendition of salmon tartare, but my mind keeps wandering.

Looking at these tartare pictures, the only thing I can think about is when I’m going to make this again. Soon, it’s got to be soon.

This is my ideal salmon tartare.  It has enough going on to keep me interested, without overwhelming the delicacy of the fish.  This version has a luxurious base of creamy avocado and a spoonful of a tarragon oil to use as a garnish.  Bright lemon and green onions counter the richness of the salmon and a layer of minced black olives keeps the sweetness of the tarragon in check.  It’s indulgent, yet balanced, and, man, is it ever craveable.

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Braised Pork Shoulder with Fennel, Oranges & Olives

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Orange, Olive & Fennel Braised Pork Shoulder

Sometimes, in life and on blog, I feel a little self-conscious about what I eat.  I get embarrassed over bringing my grocery basket to the register, wondering what the cashiers must think of me: the girl who grocery shops daily and almost always ends up with a bulb of fennel, citrus fruit, and a little something from the olive bar.  I worry that you all might be getting sick of recipes that call for lemon slices, orange zest, shaved fennel, and olives.  My cooking crutches are no secret.

This time around, I’m resisting the temptation to turn my crutch ingredients into a salad and instead I’m incorporating them into a braise.  We’re going to add pork shoulder to the grocery list and treat it to a long, slow simmer with my favorite ingredients.  The richness of the pork will be countered with the slight bitterness of orange peel, briny olives balanced with sweet fennel.  Hope you’re hungry; this is a good one.

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