by Melissa Reiss, Purchasing Assistant
Feeling inspired by the local produce that’s springing up at the Co-op and at farmers markets? Here are some recipes for springtime brunches featuring fresh, local produce that I found on our website. Head on over to check out more free, easy-to-search-for recipes at: www.willystreet.coop/recipe.
Ham and Asparagus Strata
It’s asparagus time!
7 eggs
1/3 c. milk
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard (heaping)
salt
pepper
3 c. bread (cubed, preferably day-old and dried out)
6 oz. ham (diced)
1 lb. asparagus (ends trimmed)
1/4 c. cheddar cheese (shredded)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch casserole, and set aside. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk. Whisk in milk and Dijon mustard, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Arrange the bread in the casserole dish, then layer the ham over the bread. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and ham, then allow to rest for 10 minutes. Line the asparagus spears on top of the strata, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the eggs are set. Makes 6 servings.
Ramp, Bacon & Ricotta Tart
This recipe features springtime favorite: ramps!
1 pie crust (found in our freezer section, or your favorite recipe)
4 slices bacon
1 shallot (large)
3 c spinach (packed)
1 1/2 c. ricotta
1 egg (large)
salt and pepper (to taste)
18 ramps (cleaned and bulb ends trimmed)
Directions:
Pre-bake your tart crust until lightly golden.
Cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
Retain enough of the bacon grease to heartily coat the bottom of your pan. Add shallot and cook until softened. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
Put the spinach, shallot, ricotta cheese and egg into a food processor and pulse until the spinach is chopped and distributed throughout the mix. Pour into prepared crust.
In the same pan used to cook shallots and wilt spinach, cook the ramps until just wilted (add a little water if necessary).
Crumble bacon over the top of the tart, and artfully arrange ramps. Bake in an oven set to 375ºF, until the top is lightly golden and the tart is set (30-45 minutes). Makes 1 tart.
Local Yokel Hashbrowns
Use local spring onions for this!
4 golden potatoes (boiled for 10 minutes, and cooled)
2 oz ghee
1 yellow onion (roughly chopped, divided)
3 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
salt
pepper
2 spring onions (roughly chopped)
grated cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Directions:
Chop cooled potatoes into large cubes. Heat ghee in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 3/4 of the yellow onion and all of the dried pepper. When onions begin to become translucent, add the garlic and potatoes. Stir until well-coated in ghee and seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Let the mixture cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. When the hashbrowns start to brown, stir in the remaining onions and lower the temperature if you are burning rather than browning. When hashbrowns are lightly browned stir in the spring onions.
The total cooking time should be right at 20 minutes, and the potatoes should be sweet, brown, and very tender. For extra deliciousness, add grated cheddar cheese or sour cream.
Rhubarb Shrub
Here’s a refreshing drink to top of your meal. Be sure to prepare this one in advance! It’ll need two days in the fridge. Make it Thursday night for the weekend!
6 oz. rhubarb (washed, trimmed, and diced)
6 oz. sugar
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
Directions:
Place the rhubarb in a large bowl and cover with sugar. Toss to combine, then cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
After 2 days, place a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl, and pour the macerated rhubarb mixture into the strainer, allowing the liquid to strain into the bowl. Discard the solids, or save for another use.
Pour the vinegar over the rhubarb syrup and whisk to combine. Transfer to a bottle or pint jar and store in the refrigerator.
Serve over ice, topped with sparkling water. Makes 1 half-pint.
