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Enjoy the season’s vibrant harvest with these recipes.
Asparagus is the gift that keeps on giving — literally! This spring superstar pops up early in the season and rewards your patience with crisp, green spears year after year. Once it’s established, it’s like planting your future meals.
– Old Farmer’s Almanac
RECIPE: Green Garlic Soup
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
“I make this soup a lot when I’m sick,” says North Tabor Farm’s manager, Ruby Dix, “because it’s really good for you.” Green garlic, a relatively new addition to farm stand offerings, is very young garlic picked while the bulb is still very small and hasn’t yet formed cloves. The entirety of the plant is used in this waste-busting recipe. Incorporating tofu or chicken, rice, and a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs, this soup is a meal unto itself.
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 lb spinach
- 1 heaping cup of leftover cooked rice
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
- 3 stalks of green garlic
- 1 cup parsley
- Roughly chopped jalapeños, to taste (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or one block of firm tofu, cubed and seasoned; see note)
- Soy sauce to taste
- Lime juice to taste
- Crispy onions or toasted cashews for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a boil in a soup pot and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a blender and set aside to cool.
- Add the rice to the broth and reduce to a simmer.
- To the blender with the spinach, add the garlic, ginger, green garlic, parsley, jalapeños (if using), 1/4 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt, and blend until smooth.
- Add the chicken or tofu to the broth and rice. Pour the spinach mixture in the soup pot, and stir to combine. Taste, and add salt if needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Top with crispy onions or cashews if you want a bit of crunch.
Notes
We season our tofu cubes with “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400℉ before adding it to the broth.
RECIPE: Skillet Ricotta Quiche With Greens and Lemon in an Almond Crust
- Yield: Makes 1 9-inch round quiche 1x
Description
To me, this airy, fluffy quiche — loaded with herbs, lemon zest, and a touch of spiciness from the arugula — is a sort of culinary representation of late spring and early summer. The crust is made with blanched almond flour, which provides a subtle, toasty flavor that I love. This is a great option for a brunch, and it travels well if you are bringing it to someone else’s event.
Ingredients
The crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely ground blanched almond flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsps cold, unsalted butter
- 3-6 Tbsps ice water
The filling
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 5 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup packed baby arugula
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and butter in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas.
- Add the ice water and pulse until the dough is moist. The dough will look crumbly. Place some in the palm of your hand and squish it; if it holds together, it is ready. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then roll a rolling pin over it until it forms a disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Have a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or heavy bottomed pie plate ready.
- Place the dough on top of a roughly 12-by-16-inch piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle with a 12-inch diameter. Transfer the parchment with the dough into the skillet or pie plate, pressing it down to fit snuggly. Dock the dough all over with the tines of a fork, then place a piece of parchment paper on top and fill it with pie weights. Transfer the skillet or pie plate to the oven and bake until the crust is beginning to set, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the pie weights and continue to bake until the crust is lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ricotta, cream, eggs, egg yolks, parsley, basil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and process until light green and very smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared quiche shell, then top with the arugula leaves, gently swirling with a fork to combine. Return the quiche to the oven to bake until set, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool until just warm, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.
Extra Egg Whites?
There’s no need to pitch an egg white when a recipe only calls for one of them. For either, add extras to egg dishes (like a frittata), swirl into a soup, or fry into leftover rice. If you just have one white, you can use it as a binder in homemade granola or use it to add a foamy, frothy head to a cocktail (like this vodka-based Morning Glory). If you have a few left over whites, consider making meringue (here’s a fancy dessert or you can just do the meringue part and bake them into cookies!).
RECIPE: Penne With Local Asparagus and Shiitakes
- Yield: Serves 2–3 1x
Description
Eggs, Parmesan, and a bit of pasta water create a luscious creamy sauce for the asparagus and mushrooms. It’s nice if you can cut the asparagus on a diagonal to make the dish look prettier — it’s cooked in a hot pan without water for a crisp, tender result. Look for local, tender asparagus and flavorful shiitake mushrooms at local farms or farmers markets each spring.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Boil a pot of salted water and cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat the largest skillet you own on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the asparagus and cook for 4 minutes, stirring very often to make sure all sides are cooked. Add a pinch or two of salt. Once the asparagus is crisp and tender, set aside in a bowl.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil on medium-low heat and add the shitake mushrooms. Stir for a few seconds, then add the garlic. Cook, mixing often, until mushrooms are cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt, add to the asparagus, and set the skillet aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan, and lemon zest together. Season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture.
- Drain pasta and place into the skillet. Add the sauce to the hot pasta and mix well. Add the asparagus and mushrooms. The heat of the pasta should be enough to warm the asparagus and mushrooms, but you can heat on low if not.
Notes
Shiitake mushrooms are climate resilient! Read more here.
RECIPE: Carrot Cake With Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
- Yield: Serves 10–12 1x
Description
This recipe was inspired by and adapted from a carrot cake recipe Pascale saw being made by Australian cookbook author Donna Hay. The granola topping gives the opportunity to DIY with whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Ingredients
The cake
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/4 cups pecans
- 3 oz dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsps vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
The frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 oz mascarpone
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 4 oz granola for topping (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil an 8-inch springform pan, and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Place the carrots and pecans into a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until finely chopped. Add the dates and sugars and process again until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, and process until just combined. It will look very wet at this stage — don’t panic!
- Add the cinnamon, allspice, flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and process for just a few seconds until the mixture has just come together.
- Pour or scrape the cake batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. When tested with a skewer, it should come out just clean. Allow to cool in the tin. Once cooled, slice the cake in half, horizontally. Place the bottom half of the cake on a cake plate or cake stand.
- To make the mascarpone frosting, place the cream cheese, mascarpone, lemon juice, zest, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. This can be made ahead of time.
- Spread one quarter of the frosting over the bottom layer of the cake. Place the second layer on top. Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting and then top the cake with the granola.
Notes
To avoid extra packaging and use ingredients you have on hand, make your own granola from scratch (here’s a recipe) for the topping on this cake.
