Where The Harvest and Hillsdale Meet -- Sundays 10am - 2pm» Kathryn Yeomans

Spaghetti with Fish (Head) Sauce

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:17:55 +0000

Wild Fiddlehead Fern and Mushroom Sauté

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:47:42 +0000

Fiddlehead ferns are a sure sign that spring has arrived. The unfurled frond of edible species of ferns, this vibrant green vegetable is wild harvested from the wet woods. They are exciting because they are one of the first crisp green spring vegetables to turn up at the market, preceding asparagus often by several weeks. Some liken their taste to a cross between asparagus and okra, though they are distinctly flavored – very green and woodsy. Fiddleheads have a short season, so it’s best to have fun with this whimsical vegetable while it’s here.

Ingredients

2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
half a small onion, chopped
2-3 strips of bacon (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
6-8 oz. assorted fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut to desired size
1 Tbsp. butter if desired
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a small handful of fiddlehead ferns (about 20 pieces)

Steps

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a skillet set over a medium flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and bacon if using and cook, stirring often, until the bacon has rendered its fat and is beginning to brown, and the onions are softened and golden. Stir in the garlic. Cook for another minute and add the butter if using. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are fully cooked. Season all with salt and pepper.

When the mushroom and onion mixture is nearly ready, season the boiling water with salt. Add the fiddlehead ferns to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are tender.* Remove the fiddleheads with a strainer or slotted spoon and add them to the mushroom sauté. Toss together, adjust seasonings, and serve.

*A note on cooking fiddlehead ferns:
Fiddleheads will go from tender to overcooked in a very short time, much in the same manner as asparagus. Taste a fern after 2 minutes of cooking. If you’d like them more tender at that point, let them cook another 30 seconds, then try them again.
Lift them from the cooking water rather than straining them out – sometimes there is a little sediment in the fronds that will come loose and sink the bottom of the pot. Lifting the ferns out will leave it behind.

serves 2

Truffle Butter

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:59:03 +0000

To an amount of good quality sweet butter, add as many chopped truffles as you wish and season with truffle salt.

Truffled Farm Eggs baked with White Beans

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:49:51 +0000

recipe from Chef Kathryn Yeomans
serves 6

½ pound small white beans
(Ayers Creek and Draper Girls Farm both have excellent dried beans)
a small bay leaf, preferably fresh
6 sage leaves
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thickly sliced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the gratin dishes
6 farm eggs
Springwater Farm truffle salt
freshly ground black pepper
black or white Oregon truffles
New-harvest olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil
a loaf of crusty bread (optional) and homemade truffle butter (also optional)

Rinse the beans and soak them overnight.

Drain the soaked beans, and put them in a 3-qt. pot with the herbs, garlic and oil. Add fresh cold water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a slow, steady simmer. Cook, partially covered, for about 40 minutes, or until the beans are cooked through but not mushy. When the beans are tender, remove them from the heat, remove the cover, and let them rest for 10 minutes. Then season with salt (about ½ to 1 tsp.) and allow them to cool in the pot for at least half an hour so that the flavors can marry. The beans can be made ahead, and will keep, refrigerated with their liquid for 2-3 days.

Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil 6 small gratin dishes. Warm the beans in a pot over the stove. When they are hot, add a spoonful of beans with their liquid to each gratin dish. Crack an egg into each dish, season the egg with truffle salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place in the oven. The gratin dishes can be placed on a baking sheet, if desired, to make it easier to take them out of the oven. Bake the dishes until the eggs are set to desired doneness, or slightly under (the hot beans and dishes will add a couple minutes of “carry-over” cooking to the eggs).

Shave a generous amount of black or white truffle over each egg, and drizzle with new-harvest olive oil. A garnish, such as chopped fresh chives, may be added if desired. Serve to your guests with additional truffle salt and black pepper, and a slice of crusty bread with truffle butter.

Truffle Butter
To an amount of good quality sweet butter, add as many chopped truffles as you wish and season with truffle salt. For more information on making truffle butter, or about truffles, inquire at the Springwater Farm booth.