Eating Local in Spring (5.11.23)
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Recipes contributed by Anita, Susannah, and Laura Poeppel of Broad Branch Farm.
Early spring is a great time to eat in central Illinois! With a little creativity and some planning ahead, it's not hard to source our food locally, even as winter is only just giving way to warmer weather and new growth. The Poeppels shared some delicious ways to use what's fresh now in the garden, in the forest and fields, and in storage, put up from last year. Fresh food is generally tastier and healthier -- and the closer to home the food is grown, the fresher it will be. So get your taste buds ready to enjoy some delicious local terroir! Click here to download these recipes. Want to try more locally-inspired recipes? Try these: Illinois, 1/7/13 The Mighty Squash, 11/7/16 Apples, 12/5/16 Garlic - Goes with Everything, 11/6/17 |
Spring Quiche
From https://broadbranchfarm.com/spring-quiche
Like pizza with all its various toppings, a quiche is a great opportunity to experiment with all kinds of veggies, meat, herbs and cheese. With our fresh ingredients including our delicious eggs, a quiche doesn’t last long in our house!
In this recipe, we use what is fresh and available in early spring—tender young dandelion and nettle greens, fresh chives, onions and mushrooms. Easy to prepare, quiche makes a perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Give it a try!
Ingredients:
Filling amounts may vary, depending on the size of your pie pan. Adjust the amount of veggies to your taste, and use more eggs if needed.
Unbaked pie shell – single crust, use your favorite recipe (or see Poeppel’s favorite crust recipe below)
Olive oil or butter
1 small onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 cups chopped raw dandelion greens, nettle greens, or substitute any combination of spinach, kale or chard
5 eggs (or more, as needed)
1-2 Tbsp fresh chives, diced
Salt & pepper
½ cup milk
Cheese (we used Cedar Grove Organic Farmer’s Cheese, but any favorite will work)
Instructions:
Sauté diced onion and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil or butter until tender. Add 2 c chopped fresh greens and cook until greens are just wilted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, crack 5 eggs into a bowl and add the chives, a pinch of salt, pepper and 1/2 cup milk. Using a fork, whip to combine.
In the bottom of the prepared pie shell, scatter a few thin slices of cheese. Add the sautéed veggies and spread evenly over the cheese. Pour in egg mixture. Top with a few more thin slices or grated cheese.
Place in 350° oven and bake just until center is just set, approximately 40-45 min. To check for doneness, gently shake the pie pan to see if the center seems barely firm. Slightly soft in the center is okay, as the quiche will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven. Remove and allow quiche to cool and continue to set up for 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Bonus: Cinnamon Pie
Got extra trimmings from your pie crust? Try this, sure to win over kids of any age!
Roll out extra dough to about the same thinness as a pie crust. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Spread with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar (brown or white -- whatever you prefer). Bake at 350° until golden. Let cool a moment, if it's not gobbled up right out of the oven.
Like pizza with all its various toppings, a quiche is a great opportunity to experiment with all kinds of veggies, meat, herbs and cheese. With our fresh ingredients including our delicious eggs, a quiche doesn’t last long in our house!
In this recipe, we use what is fresh and available in early spring—tender young dandelion and nettle greens, fresh chives, onions and mushrooms. Easy to prepare, quiche makes a perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Give it a try!
Ingredients:
Filling amounts may vary, depending on the size of your pie pan. Adjust the amount of veggies to your taste, and use more eggs if needed.
Unbaked pie shell – single crust, use your favorite recipe (or see Poeppel’s favorite crust recipe below)
Olive oil or butter
1 small onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 cups chopped raw dandelion greens, nettle greens, or substitute any combination of spinach, kale or chard
5 eggs (or more, as needed)
1-2 Tbsp fresh chives, diced
Salt & pepper
½ cup milk
Cheese (we used Cedar Grove Organic Farmer’s Cheese, but any favorite will work)
Instructions:
Sauté diced onion and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil or butter until tender. Add 2 c chopped fresh greens and cook until greens are just wilted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, crack 5 eggs into a bowl and add the chives, a pinch of salt, pepper and 1/2 cup milk. Using a fork, whip to combine.
In the bottom of the prepared pie shell, scatter a few thin slices of cheese. Add the sautéed veggies and spread evenly over the cheese. Pour in egg mixture. Top with a few more thin slices or grated cheese.
Place in 350° oven and bake just until center is just set, approximately 40-45 min. To check for doneness, gently shake the pie pan to see if the center seems barely firm. Slightly soft in the center is okay, as the quiche will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven. Remove and allow quiche to cool and continue to set up for 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Bonus: Cinnamon Pie
Got extra trimmings from your pie crust? Try this, sure to win over kids of any age!
Roll out extra dough to about the same thinness as a pie crust. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Spread with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar (brown or white -- whatever you prefer). Bake at 350° until golden. Let cool a moment, if it's not gobbled up right out of the oven.
Flaky Tart Dough
From Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, by Jacques Pépin and Julia Child
Yield: Dough for 1 large tart
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 oz.)
7 oz. unsalted butter (1 ¾ sticks), chilled and cut into ½-in pieces
1 Tbs vegetable shortening, chilled
Scant ½ tsp salt
Scant ½ tsp sugar
1/3 cup ice-cold water, plus more if needed
Special equipment: A food processor fitted with a steel or plastic blade; plastic wrap
Instructions
Place the flour, butter pieces, shortening, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of the food processor. Blend in short, second-long bursts, pulsing the machine 8 or 9 times. Uncover and check the consistency—the dough should be crumbly, with the butter broken up into small but still visible pieces, about ¼ inch or so. If there are larger chunks of butter, pulse a few times more.
Add all but a tablespoon of the water through the feed tube of the machine, and immediately puse 3 or 4 times, no more than 5 seconds in all. Feel the dough and press some of it in your hand to see whether it clumps together and is evenly moist. If it does not adhere, add another spoonful of water and pulse only for another second or two—don’t overmix so the dough clumps together in the center.
Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap and turn the loose dough onto it. Lift up the sides of the plastic, gathering the dough together, then fold the wrap over and press the dough into a single compact mass. If some dry bits don’t adhere, sprinkle those with drops of water and press together.
The dough can be used right away if necessary, but will benefit from refrigerated rest for an hour or two. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, pressing it into a flat disk shape, and enclose in a plastic bag. Refrigerate until needed. Dough that will not be used within a day or two should be store in the freezer, where it will keep for several weeks.
Yield: Dough for 1 large tart
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 oz.)
7 oz. unsalted butter (1 ¾ sticks), chilled and cut into ½-in pieces
1 Tbs vegetable shortening, chilled
Scant ½ tsp salt
Scant ½ tsp sugar
1/3 cup ice-cold water, plus more if needed
Special equipment: A food processor fitted with a steel or plastic blade; plastic wrap
Instructions
Place the flour, butter pieces, shortening, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of the food processor. Blend in short, second-long bursts, pulsing the machine 8 or 9 times. Uncover and check the consistency—the dough should be crumbly, with the butter broken up into small but still visible pieces, about ¼ inch or so. If there are larger chunks of butter, pulse a few times more.
Add all but a tablespoon of the water through the feed tube of the machine, and immediately puse 3 or 4 times, no more than 5 seconds in all. Feel the dough and press some of it in your hand to see whether it clumps together and is evenly moist. If it does not adhere, add another spoonful of water and pulse only for another second or two—don’t overmix so the dough clumps together in the center.
Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap and turn the loose dough onto it. Lift up the sides of the plastic, gathering the dough together, then fold the wrap over and press the dough into a single compact mass. If some dry bits don’t adhere, sprinkle those with drops of water and press together.
The dough can be used right away if necessary, but will benefit from refrigerated rest for an hour or two. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, pressing it into a flat disk shape, and enclose in a plastic bag. Refrigerate until needed. Dough that will not be used within a day or two should be store in the freezer, where it will keep for several weeks.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
You can use pretty much any combination you like of fresh and/or frozen fruit for this, but strawberry-rhubarb is an irresistible springtime classic!
Crumb Topping
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
Fruit
2 cups chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen
2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sucanat or sugar
Instructions
Note: Crumb topping can be made in advance and kept in the fridge or freezer.
In a bowl, whisk the flour and sugar until blended. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, or cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. In addition, you can also add ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, finely chopped nuts and/or rolled oats to the crumb topping.
Heat oven to 375° F and butter an 8x8” baking dish.
In a medium bowl combine all fruit ingredients and transfer into the buttered dish. Prepare crumb topping and spread evenly over the fruit. Bake for about 40 minutes. Serve warm. Best with vanilla ice cream!
Crumb Topping
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
Fruit
2 cups chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen
2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sucanat or sugar
Instructions
Note: Crumb topping can be made in advance and kept in the fridge or freezer.
In a bowl, whisk the flour and sugar until blended. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, or cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. In addition, you can also add ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, finely chopped nuts and/or rolled oats to the crumb topping.
Heat oven to 375° F and butter an 8x8” baking dish.
In a medium bowl combine all fruit ingredients and transfer into the buttered dish. Prepare crumb topping and spread evenly over the fruit. Bake for about 40 minutes. Serve warm. Best with vanilla ice cream!