Roasted Asparagus
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Ingredients
Hazelnut Vinaigrette
  • ½ cup hazelnuts or ½ cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
  • 3 tablespoons hazelnut oil
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon finely ground pepper
  • 1½ pounds fresh medium asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red Pepper Vinaigrette
  • 2 medium garlic cloves
  • 1 medium shallot
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet red pepper, seeded
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • Garnish
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped, seeded, sweet red pepper
 Instructions

For Hazelnut Vinaigrette;

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Toast hazelnuts in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and rub off skins with a dish towel and coarsely chop. Reserve.
  2. Whisk together ingredients. Reserve.

For Red Pepper Vinaigrette

  1. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the garlic, shallot, and red pepper until minced. Add the vinegars, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and basil. Process until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Toast the pine nuts until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

For Asparagus

  1. Increase oven temperature to 450F. Place the asparagus spears on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and salt and pepper so they are evenly coated.
  2. Roast for about 12 minutes or until tender, very slightly browned. The time will depend upon how thick the asparagus are.
  3. Using tongs, place the asparagus on a platter and spoon vinaigrette over. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts; serve warm. When ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette evenly over the asparagus. Sprinkle the diced red pepper and toasted pine nuts on top and serve immediately.

Serves 4 people.

Pasta with Asparagus, Ricotta, and Prosciutto

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Ingredients

  • Water
  • Salt
  • 1 pound orecchiette, penne, fusilli or bow-tie pasta

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
  • 1⁄2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
  • 12 teardrop tomatoes, halved, optional
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and sauté, tossing with tongs, for about 3 minutes or until slightly softened.
  2. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook only a minute, making sure the garlic does not burn.
  3. Lower the heat and add the stock, ricotta, lemon zest, prosciutto and tomatoes (if using), and mix to combine completely. Season with salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
  4. Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  5. When the pasta is cooked, drain, saving a half of a cup of cooking water for later. Add the pasta to the ricotta mixture. If it is too dry, add a bit of the saved cooking water. Mix. Cook for a minute on low heat.
  6. Serve in shallow pasta bowls with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tips

  • Select young pencil-thin asparagus wit bright green stalks and tight tips. This way, you won’t have to bother peeling each stalk. This really cuts down on your preparation time. Just cut or snap off the tough bottoms and then cut the stalks into 2-inch pieces, making sure to keep the whole tip as one piece.
  • When making pasta, add a bit of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to control the thickness.
  • Also, when cooking pasta, combine the cooked, drained pasta and the sauce over heat for a minute to marry the flavors. It allows all of the ingredients to blend together.

Serves 4-6 people.

Classic Waldorf Salad and Variation

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon creme fraiche
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced small
  • 1 Gala apple, peeled and diced small
  • 1/4 cup sliced grapes
  • 2 Gala apples, tops removed and insides hollowed out

Instructions

  1. Add mustard, honey and creme fraiche to a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add apples and grapes. Toss well. Spoon into apples and serve.

Variation

Wright’s Waldorf Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
  • 1 Gala apple, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
  • 1/2 cup peeled and diced celery root
  • 6 candied walnut halves
  • 1/4 cup grapes, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
  • 3 celery leaves, diced
  • 2 tablespoons walnut oil

Instructions

  1. Add apples, celery root, candied walnuts and grapes to a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, add yogurt, honey, sugar, creme fraiche, celery leaves and walnut oil. Mix dressing until well blended. Add to apple mixture and toss well. Serve immediately.

Tips

  • Remember to sample the apples in advance to make sure they are crisp and delicious and not mealy.
  • Don’t cut up the apples until just before you’re ready to serve because they oxidize quickly and will turn dark.

Serves 2 people.

Quick Leek Tips
  • Leeks are very dirty, so make sure to clean them thoroughly.
  • When cleaning leeks, split them down the middle, making sure that the root is intact, and place under cold water to clean out any excess dirt.
  • Garnish the leeks with ½ pound cooked shrimp or crabmeat, then drizzle on the sauce.
  • Serve as a side with any grilled dish.
  • Serve as a first course, sprinkled with chopped egg and garnished with red and yellow cherry tomatoes or tiny pear tomatoes.

For more quick leek tips, check out this video.

Cucumber, Pea, and Mint Soup

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Ingredients

Soup

  • 1 European cucumber
  • 2 cups fresh shelled peas (about
  • 2 pounds unshelled), or 2 cups frozen petits pois (small peas), defrosted
  • 4 scallions, light green and white parts only, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Relish

  • 1/4 European cucumber, finely diced (reserved from making the soup)
  • 1/3 cup frozen petits pois (small peas), defrosted
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup sour cream for garnish

Instructions

  1. To make the soup: Cut three-quarters of the cucumber into 2-inch chunks. (Dice the rest finely and set aside for the relish.)
  2. In a large blender, combine the cucumber chunks, peas, scallions, mint, and broth and blend on high until completely puréed. Add the sour cream and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and blend well. Taste for seasoning. (If the soup is not totally smooth you can pour it through a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl.) Refrigerate the soup until chilled, at least 4 hours.
  3. To make the relish: Combine the diced cucumber, peas, mint, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix to blend well. Taste for seasoning.
  4. Just before serving, stir the soup, which may have separated during refrigeration. Pour the soup into small bowls and garnish with the sour cream and relish. Serve immediately.

Advance Preparation

This may be made through step 3 up to a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Readjust the seasonings and mix to blend well before serving.

Quick Bread Tips
  • Replace old (more than 6 months) baking powder and baking soda for proper rising.
  • Don’t overmix or the texture will be tough.
  • Bake the batter as soon as you have prepared it because the leavening strength will weaken if it is not exposed to heat promptly.
  • Test that the bread is done by sticking a wooden skewer in the center; it should come out clean or just a few moist crumbs attached.
  • Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes and then unmold on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Pumpkin Chocolate Loaf

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Ingredients

  • 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 11/4 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch nonstick loaf pan.
  3. Combine the flour, baking soda and power, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together.
  4. With an electric mixer beat the butter in a large bowl until softened. Add the sugar and continue beating. Add the eggs and beat until well blended. Add the pumpkin, vanilla and finally the flour mixture, beating just until well blended.
  5. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler on medium-high heat until totally melted, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a glass bowl in the microwave for about 1½ –2 minutes or until completely melted and smooth.
  6. Spoon half of the batter into the loaf pan. Drop spoonfuls of half of the chocolate mixture on top of the batter and then swirl the chocolate into the batter with a wooden skewer. Repeat with the remaining batter and chocolate, making sure to swirl the chocolate into the pumpkin well.
  7. Bake the loaf for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean in the center. Let the loaf cool at least 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature in slices.

Tips

Quick Bread Tips

Serves 12 people.

Irish Soda Bread

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan and top of the loaf
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup dried currants (optional)
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, as needed

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 F. Dust the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with flour.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a large bowl. Add the butter and stir to coat with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly, with some pea-size pieces of butter. Stir in the currants and caraway seeds (if using). Stir in enough of the buttermilk to make a moist, soft dough, being sure to moisten all of the dry bits on the bottom of the bowl. Knead in the bowl just a few times to be sure the dough comes together — this is not a smooth dough.
  3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Sprinkle the top with at least 1 tablespoon flour to give the loaf a rustic look. Transfer to the prepared pan. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow 4-inch wide X in the top of the dough. The X will open during baking and help the loaf bake more evenly.
  4. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the pan. Let cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes, and serve warm. (The bread is best the day it is made.)

Makes 1 loaf.