Spring Spinach Pesto + a few Garden Snaps

Pesto has always been a special favorite of mine… as though its ingredients were terribly rare or difficult to prepare… it's that luxuriously delicious. Fortunately, as pre-packaged versions don't at all measure up to homemade, it's quite simple to make. Pesto can be customized to whatever is in season- or growing in your garden as the case is with me- nothing needs to be measured precisely… all you need is a trusty food processor and you're ready to go.

Last weekend Jim harvested a TON of fresh spinach from our garden, half of which I boxed into leftover stay-fresh spinach boxes I'd saved from the market (for our delicious morning green smoothie) the other half I made into an amazing Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto. I absolutely LOVE spinach pesto -even better than basil or arugula versions. I made a large enough batch that we couldn't use it all immediately so I froze the bulk in ice-cube trays then popped the cubes into a ziplock freezer baggie. Great trick! Now we have Spring Pesto on hand whenever we need it- which er, seems to be every day suddenly…

Slathered on sandwiches

Tossed with a beautiful gluten free pasta

Starring in a potato salad

Smeared on gluten free toast/crackers

Tossed with grilled vegetables…

Jim… I think it's time to harvest the rest of that spinach! We're already running low on our Spring Pesto supply:)

Below, I thought I'd share a few bonus snaps (please click them to enlarge for better, larger view) from the garden which is more and more breathtaking by the day! We've been enjoying collard greens, spinach, radishes and herbs so far this Spring with lots more on the way… purple potatoes, fingerlings, peas, carrots, beets, squash, melon, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers & eggplant! My husband has created the most magnificent world of beauty just outside our kitchen door.

Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto frozen in ice-cube trays & popped into a freezer baggie!

Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto

Ingredients:

8 cups fresh spinach packed (or substitute arugula, flat leaf parsley or basil)
1 cup fresh chopped chives (to help food processor out a bit)
3/4 of a cup walnuts and pinenuts (or substitute your favorite combo of nuts)
fresh vegan Parmesan
2 or 3 cloves garlic coarsley chopped (to assist food processor)
juice of 1/2 lemon- or an entire lemon- suit your taste- provides a beautiful freshness
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil– or more to create desired texture
sea salt to taste
fresh cracked pepper to taste- just a wee bit

Method:

Pulse the greens and chives together in your food processor until the bulk of the spinach is reduced greatly.
Add the toasted nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until you achieve a desirable texture.
Season with sea salt and a WEE bit of fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

The Land of Spinach

Deep within the Land of Spinach

Empty Spinach rows following Jim's record holding Spinach harvest… no worries, there is more growing to the right of this photo.

"Big Red", Jim's trusty wheelbarrow

Beet Greens

The Land of Beets

The Land of Carrots

Deep within the Land of Carrots

Purple Potato Blossoms ~ yes, the potatoes will be purple too!

Baby Peppers growing up near the gorgeous Land of Beets

The Land of Swiss Chard

Sun-drenched Pea

What are your favorite Springtime veggies?

Are you growing anything edible in your yard this year?

Food

Garden Soups ~ Cream of Turnip & Minted Sweet Pea

Cream of Turnip Soup

I've been feeling rather badly that I've barely showcased our bountiful garden this season. Already it has given us so much! Therefore, in honor of the Spring garden turning it's reign over to the Summer garden, today's feature is soup! Two as a matter of fact:

Cream of Turnip, a mild, slightly sweet soup similar to cream of potato- perfect for rainy days and/or ultra air-conditioned environments. And Minted Sweet Pea, a velvety, refreshing soup, delicious hot or cold!

Turnips from Gardner Jim

Cream of Turnip Soup (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small cleaned, chopped leeks (white & light green parts only)
1 clove garlic, chopped
sea salt
4 cups peeled, chunked turnips (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups less-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
chopped fresh chives (for garnish)
fleur de sel & truffle oil (optional for finishing)

Method

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks, sprinkle with salt, and sauté stirring occasionally until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add turnips; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to steady simmer and cook until turnips are very tender, about 10 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed.
Return turnip purée to pot and cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the cream; incorporating 1/4 cup will just smooth out the edges. The more you add, the thicker and more luxurious the soup will become. Check seasoning and add salt to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped chives. If desired, finish with a drizzle of truffle oil and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Enjoy!

Minted Sweet Pea Soup

Minted Sweet Pea Soup (Serves 6)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks chopped (white and light green parts only)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups organic, low-sodium chicken stock
5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
2 teaspoons course sea salt (or kosher)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives for garnish

Method

Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender but not browned.
Add stock, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will only take 3 min.) Remove from the heat, and add the mint, salt, and pepper.
Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in blender, place lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in lid and slowly add more soup til the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed.
Add the soup back to the pot and gently reheat. (Also lovely served chilled or at room temperature as well!) Remove from heat and whisk in creme fraiche to incorporate. Stir in chives leaving a few for garnish. Enjoy!

Gardner Jim's beautiful sweet peas, freshly shelled

Food

Triple Berry Parfait with Cashew Cream

Fresh Berries with Cashew Cream

Triple Berry Parfait with Cashew Cream was a perfect start to this sunny, spring day. Fresh, organic berries topped by a luscious, honey-sweetened mousse…

The only thing better than looking forward to having this for breakfast the next couple of days is knowing how healthy it is! A lovely little meal packed with antioxidants, protein, fiber and iron.

Serve cashew cream with any mixture of fruit or simply substitute it anywhere you'd use a sweet topping like whipped cream or mascarpone. It's to die for!

This is my submission to Sarah at Dead Easy Desserts for the August 2014 Raspberry Theme!

Cashew Cream (makes 2 cups)

Ingredients:

2 cups raw cashew nuts (soaked overnight to remove enzyme inhibitors & release live nutrients by initiating the sprouting process)
2 cups cold water (plus extra as needed)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raw coconut nectar or raw honey (3 if you like it sweet!)

Method:

Place cashews, 2 cups cold water, raw honey and vanilla extract into a heavy-duty blender such as a Vitamix. (If your blender isn't "heavy-duty" just soak the cashews in the water overnight to soften. After step 2 strain the final, blended mixture through a sieve if necessary- or just keep it rustic.)
Blend on high speed for about 1 minute. Add a little more water and blend again until smooth. Taste the cream and add a bit more honey if necessary.
The cream thickens and settles as it refrigerates. If you're preparing for immediate use, only add enough water to bring it to immediate desired thickness. To prep in advance, leave the cream a little runnier by adding another few tablespoons of water, blending til incorporated.
Cashew cream may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Triple Berry Parfait

Raspberries
Blackberries
Strawberries sliced
Mint sprigs

To assemble Triple Berry Parfait, simply arrange blackberries, raspberries and strawberries into a dish and drizzle a generous dollop of cream over top. Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!

Tip: A festive breakfast, brunch or dessert treat to serve on Forth of July with its red, white and blue color scheme! Just substitute blueberries for the blackberries.

Food

Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries

Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries

What better way to celebrate the onset of Spring than with these beautiful italian-inspired cupcakes! Fresh berries atop a sweetened, cornmeal cake and a pillow of mascarpone cream.

Simple. Beautiful. Delicious.

And a perfect time to share two of my favorite cupcake accessories…

Silver cupcake liners, which I always have in stock for when the cupcake mood strikes. And, since cupcakes are a great treat to share with other people, a practical and easy way to transport them – the Cupcake Courier. I highly recommend this little baby. It has room for the tallest of cupcakes, or mounds of berries as the case may be, and they're all safely nestled and snapped into an easy to use container that I believe will survive even the bumpiest of car rides.

Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries nestled inside the Cupcake Courier (the top is currently off).

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup polenta, finely ground (if you'd prefer a more "textured" cupcake, substitute medium ground polenta)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the best you can get, it makes a HUGE difference in your baking results)
zest of 2 lemons
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus a pinch for the egg whites
4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, blackberries & raspberries)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 muffin liners. Sift together the flour and baking powder then whisk in the polenta and salt.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. While the mixer is running add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients to this mixture until just incorporated.

In a separate, clean, dry bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a teaspoon of powdered sugar while the whites are mixing. Add half of the whites to the first mixture and beat with the paddle. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites with a large spatula to lighten the batter by incorporating air.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling each til about 2/3 full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool each pan on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cupcakes. Again, cool the cupcakes completely to room temperature while before frosting.

Combine the mascarpone cheese with the confectioners' sugar slowly. Once you're past the stage of loose powdered sugar, beat together with a whisk until combined. Ice the cupcakes with the mascarpone frosting and top each with a mound of berries. Enjoy!

Recipe inspired/adapted from Michael Chiarello

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