Spring Pea Veloute with Lemon Thyme Croutons

If this doesn't scream Springtime I don't know what does! I served this wonderful soup at a dinner party last week and just adored the bright sweetness from the English peas I picked up at the farmer's market. I was ecstatic to find freshly shelled peas at the stand, which saved me from a solid thirty minutes of shelling, at least. Not that I mind too much ordinarily, I actually find it somewhat meditative...but for this SIX COURSE dinner party I was more than happy take advantage of the shortcut!

Shelling peas for another dish...

I usually enjoy the process, except for when I have 1,000 other steps to complete!

For a garnish I made a batch of lemon-thyme croutons and added a dollop of crème fraiche mixed with lemon zest just before serving. The tangy crunch of the croutons is a perfect contrast to the soup's velvety smooth texture.

 I served the soup warm but think it would be fabulous chilled as well. Would you serve this soup hot or cold? Let me know in the comments!

 Ingredients 
for the veloute: 
1/4 cup crème fraiche
zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 lbs fresh shelled English peas
1 cup heavy cream
Salt

 for the croutons: 
3 slices day old baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon thyme, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 Instructions 
1. Stir the crème fraiche and the lemon zest together in a small bowl, and set aside to infuse.
2. Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add the butter. When butter has melted add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the stock, season with salt and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cream and return to a boil.
 4. When peas are tender remove from heat, puree with an immersion blender and strain soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids with the back of a wooden spoon. Season to taste with additional salt if necessary.
5. To make croutons, heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine lemon zest, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Spread on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and finish each with a dollop of lemon crème fraiche and a few croutons.

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Spinach and Fava Bean Empanadas with Chimichurri Sauce

I love playing around with recipes that allow me to get in touch with my Latin heritage (Peru & Mexico, in case you were wondering). These empanadas were so much fun to make because they are a distinctively Latin dish with a decidedly lighter twist. Instead of a traditional meat or cheese filling, these savory pastries are packed full of fresh green fava beans, spinach, peas and green beans.  These gorgeous fava beans I spotted at the farmer's market earlier in the week had found their place in this perfect Springtime dish!

I'm kind of a sauce nut and a firm believer in using them to punch up the flavor of pretty much anything, so I paired the empanadas with one of my favorite South American sauces: chimichurri. This herb and garlic-based oil which is usually added to meat and fish dishes works just as well as a dipping sauce here. I hope you'll give them a try!

adapted from Food & Wine
makes 16 large empanadas or 32 small empanadas  
Ingredients
for the chimichurri:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

 for the dough:
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
3 3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
Milk, for brushing on dough before baking

 for the filling:
10 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup shelled fava beans (lima beans would also work well)
1/4 pound green beans
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shelled peas
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions 
1. To make the chimichurri, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt, butter and paprika and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the 3 3/4 cups of flour until the dough comes together. On a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the dough until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the spinach for 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a colander with a slotted spoon. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green, 1 minute. Transfer the fava beans to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 4 minutes. Drain and finely chop the green beans. Peel the tough outer skins from the fava beans. Squeeze the excess water from the spinach, then coarsely chop.
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, fava beans, green beans and peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mint and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
5. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 32 rounds from the dough (or 16 rounds using a larger biscuit cutter). Moisten the edge of 1 dough round with water. Mound 1 tablespoon of the vegetable filling on half of the round and fold the other side over. Press to seal the dough and pinch at intervals to make pleats. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.
6. Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets, brush the tops with milk and bake at 350 degrees in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 30 minutes, until browned. Serve the empanadas warm or at room temperature with chimichurri sauce.

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Brown Butter Tart with Fresh Fruit

This beauty was inspired by a dessert served at a local restaurant I used to work at called Opal Restaurant & Bar. I highly recommend it if you've never been; the service is impeccable and their menu is full of gems like this Brown Butter Tart with Fresh Fruit! It was by far my favorite item to splurge on after a long shift, so I knew I wanted to offer something similar on my own menu one day.

I recently delivered this tart to some regular clients to serve after an intimate dinner party and it was a massive hit! The soft, cookie-like tart has a wonderful nutty flavor due to the browned butter in the filling, and the shiny rainbow of glazed fruit on top makes for a show-stopping presentation. Although this dessert is absolutely divine on its own, try pairing it with a base of vanilla bean creme anglaise on the plate for an even bigger indulgence!

adapted from Opal Restaurant & Bar
Ingredients
for the crust:
7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Pinch of salt

for the filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, diced

for the glazed fruit topping:
assorted fresh fruit of your choice (I chose strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, and mandarin oranges)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. corn syrup

Instructions 
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Using a rubber spatula mix melted butter, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using fingertips or a flat-bottomed cup, press dough evenly onto sides and bottom of pan. Bake crust until golden, about 18 minutes (crust will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.
2. Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Cook butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often. Immediately pour browned butter into a glass measuring cup. Gradually whisk browned butter into the sugar-egg mixture and whisk until well blended.
3. Carefully pour browned butter mixture into cooled crust. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet and bake until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool tart completely in the pan on a cooling rack, then remove tart from pan and place on a platter.
4. Neatly arrange fruit on top of tart. To make glaze, Bring sugar to a boil with 1/2 of the water. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 water or juice and add to the sugar mixture. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens and clears. Stir in corn syrup. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Cool completely before brushing over fruit with a pastry brush.
5. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Heirloom Tomato & Goat Cheese Mousse Napoleon with Herb Oil & Toasted Hazelnuts

Spring is in full bloom here in beautiful Santa Barbara, and with it comes a whole new crop of seasonal ingredients to inspire my dishes. I love incorporating all the colors and vibrant flavors of the warmer seasons into my food! This Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Mousse Napoleon makes for a stunning presentation but couldn't be easier to prepare- no cooking required! It's the perfect thing to serve as the first course at a dinner party.

This dish was partly inspired by the wild mint scattered throughout my garden...it's actually starting to take over a bit but I don't mind, I'll just keep finding new ways to put it on the plate! Making herb-infused oil is a clever way to use up an abundance of herbs, and it also adds brightness and bold flavor to any dish. Try adding the leftovers to a homemade salad dressing and drizzle it over meat, fish, vegetables or pasta! And here's another tip: the goat cheese mousse has several uses as well. It makes various cameos in my catering menus and is absolutely wonderful piped onto little puff pastry tarts with a bit of jam or over fresh figs drizzled with honey.

What other uses can you think of for the herb infused olive oil and goat cheese mousse? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4 
Ingredients 
3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3/4 in thick
8 oz goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup hazelnuts salt & freshly ground pepper

 Instructions 
1. Toast hazelnuts on a foil lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Rub between a dish towel to remove skins and set aside to cool. Chop hazelnuts coarsley when cooled.
 2. Add the mint and basil to a food processor and pulse a few times. Gradually add olive oil in a slow stream with the machine running. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
 3. Combine goat cheese and heavy cream in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
 4. To assemble, place half the tomato slices on serving plates and top each with a spoonful of the goat cheese mousse. Layer with another tomato slice and another spoonful of mousse. Drizzle with herb oil and scatter hazelnuts around the plates.

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