A Spring Veggie-Lover s Dinner

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1 Spiced up by A Spring Veggie-Lover s Dinner Baby vegetables, spring herbs and wild mushrooms star in this fresh dinner. Serves Eight. To serve eight with this menu, you ll need to double the pasta dish. The shopping list already reflects the scaled-up amounts. You don t have to be a vegetarian to love this meatless meal. It s brimming with all those beautifully tender and sweet roots and shoots that make their appearance in the early spring, perfect for celebrating Easter or just the return of your local farmer s market. Start with a creamy ragout of mixed wild mushrooms on baguette toasts, then tuck into fresh pasta ribbons mingled with asparagus, baby carrots, peas whatever s best at the market in a brothy, buttery sauce. Wrap things up with a buttery hazelnut torte filled with a cloud of creamy strawberry filling. the menu Wild Mushroom Toasts Artichoke & Butter Lettuce Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette Spring Vegetable Ragout with Fresh Pasta Strawberry Hazelnut Torte

2 shopping list Fresh Produce 6 cups mixed spring vegetables, such as medium-thick asparagus, baby carrots, baby turnips, spring onions, and sugar snap peas 1 lb. mixed wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, maitakes, hedgehogs, or morels 1 pint strawberries, plus extra for garnish 4 large whole artichokes 1 lb. fresh peas in the pod or 1-1/2 lb. fresh fava beans in the pod 2 heads butter lettuce, such as Bibb or Boston (about 6 oz. each) 2/3 cup loosely packed pea shoots or watercress sprigs; more for garnish 1 large and 2 medium shallots 1 bulb garlic 2 large lemons 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 bunch fresh thyme 1 bunch fresh tarragon 1 bunch additional spring herbs, such as chervil or mint Meat, Eggs & Dairy: 4 large eggs 1 cup well-chilled heavy cream 11 oz. unsalted butter 1/2 cup crème fraîche (about 4 oz.) 1/2 cup mascarpone 1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano Other Groceries: 1 fresh baguette 1-1/2 lb. fresh pasta sheets 4 oz. (about 3/4 cup) whole hazelnuts (unskinned) Pantry Staples: 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) all-purpose flour 1-1/4 cup sugar 6-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Kosher salt black peppercorns menu timeline 1 day ahead: Make and bake the crust for the strawberry torte. Make the filling for the strawberry torte. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Shell and blanch the fresh peas or fava beans. Refrigerate in a covered container. Make the vinaigrette for the salad and refrigerate, covered. 3 hours ahead: Make the topping for the mushroom toasts, but hold back about half of the crème fraîche. Cool and refrigerate. Cook the artichokes and eggs for the salad and let cool. Cut both into wedges. 1 hour ahead: Wash, dry, and hull the strawberries for garnishing the torte, and if they re large, quarter them. Trim and cut the vegetables for the ragout. Cut the pasta sheets into strips. 30 minutes ahead: Toast the baguette slices and reheat the mushroom topping with the rest of the crème fraîche. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and assemble the salad. As guests arrive: Serve the mushroom toasts. Make the vegetable ragout and cook the pasta. Toss the salad with the dressing. Just before dessert: Spoon the strawberry torte filling into the crust and garnish with small or quartered strawberries.

3 Wild Mushroom Toasts by Tasha DeSerio These toasts are best slightly warm, so hold off on toasting the bread until just before serving. You can use cremini mushrooms if you can t find the exotic varieties listed below. Serves six to eight. 1 lb. wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, maitakes, hedgehogs, or morels 2 Tbs. unsalted butter 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed Kosher salt 2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme 1/2 cup crème fraîche (about 4 oz.) 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Freshly ground black pepper 18 slices baguette (cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Gently clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or a paring knife to remove any dirt or dark spots. Cut off any tough stems. If the mushrooms appear muddy, quickly dip them into a large basin of water and drain. Leave small, bite-size mushrooms whole; quarter or halve larger mushrooms. Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter together with 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are nicely browned, 5 to 8 minutes. (If the mushrooms are dry and the pan begins to scorch, add a drizzle of olive oil.) Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board. Let them cool slightly and chop them coarsely. TIP: The mushroom topping can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated, but hold back about half of the crème fraîche. When you re ready to serve, reheat the mushrooms over low heat and add the rest of the crème fraîche (don t overheat or the cream will break). photo: Scott Phillips Return the pan to the stovetop over medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil. When the butter has melted, add the shallots, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are tender and lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan, stir in the crème fraîche (if you re making this ahead, see the note below), and cook, stirring, to coat the mushrooms with the crème fraîche. Stir in the parsley and season with several grinds of pepper. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and hold in a warm spot. Shortly before serving, position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler to high. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Broil until the bread is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and toast the other side, about 1 minute. Spread the warm mush room mixture on the toasts, sprinkle some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top, and serve.

4 Artichoke & Butter Lettuce Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette by Janet Fletcher In larger portions, this salad makes a nice lunch. An alternative cooking method for the artichokes is to steam them whole first and then remove the choke and leaves. Serves six to eight as a first course. For the vinaigrette 1-1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 large shallot, minced (to yield 3 Tbs.) 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard 4-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salad Juice of 1 large lemon 4 large whole artichoke bottoms (see How to prepare artichoke bottoms) 2 heads butter lettuce, such as Bibb or Boston (about 6 oz. each), tough outer leaves removed, pale inner leaves washed and dried 3 hard-cooked eggs, quartered photo: Scott Phillips Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, shallot, and mustard and then gradually whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion. Add the tarragon; season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving time. Make the salad: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lemon juice and the prepared artichoke bottoms. To keep the artichokes from bobbing to the top, weight them with a pot lid that s smaller than the boiling pot. Keep the pot uncovered and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain upside down on paper towels until cool. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces. Halve each artichoke bottom and cut each half into 5 or 6 wedges. Put the artichoke wedges in a salad bowl and add 2 Tbs. of the vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add the lettuce and the remaining dressing and toss gently. Arrange the salad on six plates and garnish with the egg wedges. Serve immediately.

5 Spring Vegetable Ragout with Fresh Pasta by Allison Ehri Kreitler This quick pasta is spring incarnate: fresh baby vegetables and their tender shoots, delicate pasta, and a light, brothy sauce. Serves four. Kosher salt 3/4 lb. fresh pasta sheets 1 small clove garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper 3 cups mixed spring vegetables (such as medium-thick asparagus, baby carrots, baby turnips, spring onions, and sugar snap peas), trimmed and cut into 1- to 3-inch long by 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide pieces 1/2 cup shelled peas or peeled fava beans 1/3 cup loosely packed pea shoots or watercress sprigs; more for garnish 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, chervil, mint, parsley, and/or tarragon; more for garnish 4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1-1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish (optional) Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. With a pizza cutter or chef s knife, cut the pasta sheets into rustic strips about 1/2 inch wide. In a 10- to 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan, bring 2-1/2 cups water, the garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper to a simmer over high heat. Add the mixed vegetables and simmer briskly, adjusting the heat as necessary, until just crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate. If using peas, simmer them until barely tender, about 2 minutes, and transfer to the plate with the slotted spoon. (If using favas, skip this step.) Raise the heat to high and boil the liquid until reduced to 1 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until barely al dente, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain. Add the cooked pasta, vegetables, favas (if using), pea shoots or watercress, herbs, butter, and lemon zest to the broth. Toss over medium-high heat until the butter is melted, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with pea shoots or watercress, fresh herbs, and Parmigiano (if using). TIP: To peel fava beans, shuck them and cook them in boiling salted water until tender, 1 to 2 minutes, then rinse them with cold water and peel off the skin. photo: Scott Phillips

6 Strawberry Hazelnut Torte by Stephen Durfee While the hazelnut crust is cooking, make the strawberry, whipped cream, and mascarpone filling and let it firm up in the refrigerator. When the crust is completely cool and the filling is chilled, you can assemble the torte and refrigerate it for a couple of hours before serving. Some are listed by weight (ounces) and by volume (cups, tablespoons); use either measurement. Serves eight to ten. For the crust: 4 oz. (about 3/4 cup) whole hazelnuts (unskinned) 3/4 cup sugar 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) all-purpose flour 6 oz. (12 Tbs.) cold butter, cut in pieces 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract For the filling: 1/3 cup sugar 1 pint strawberries, rinsed if necessary, hulled, puréed, and strained (to yield 1 cup), and then chilled 1 cup well-chilled heavy cream 1/2 cup mascarpone For the topping: Very small or quartered strawberries, rinsed and hulled photo: Rita Maas Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 F. Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the sugar and flour and pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and process until the dough just comes together. Lightly flour your fingertips and press the dough into a 9-inch springform pan. Gently make a large depression in the center of the dough to create about a 1/2-inch rim all the way around the edge of the crust. Bake the crust until puffed, lightly browned, and a pick comes out with just a few crumbs, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on rack. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan before removing the sides of the pan. Slide a spatula under the crust to loosen it, and then remove the crust from the bottom of the pan. Make the filling: Stir the sugar into the strawberry purée and return the mixture to the refrigerator. Whip the cream until it forms firm peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk onequarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Gently fold in the chilled purée. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. The filling will firm up as it chills. Assemble the torte: Gently spoon the chilled filling into the torte shell. Don t level the filling leave it looking free-form and scatter the small or quartered strawberries across the top. Cut into wedges and serve.