'BRIGHTEN UP' FOR SPRING

‘Brighten-up’ for Spring

            How disappointing can it get when you are reduced to looking for a dripping roof as a sign of spring? My usual harbinger of spring, a clump of snowdrops by the front step, was unfortunately still buried in a snowdrift from our ‘Ides of March’ blizzard at the time of the official arrival of spring on Monday.

            Fortunately there are already daffodils and tulips in the store to cheer us up for the seasonal change. Our pair of blue and yellow primroses from Green Thumb, has graced our dining table now for a couple of weeks, brightening mealtimes in their blue and white dish. Somehow we feel a need for color after the stark black and white landscape of winter. It may be a bit unseasonal yet to switch to bright salads, but even relatively hearty mealtimes can be brightened by the addition of some colorful ingredients or decorative touches.

            Home cooks have re-discovered a battered breakfast dish that is easy, fast and has a number of colorful toppings, depending whether you favor a sweet or savory breakfast. This dish is the traditional Dutch Baby, which can be made with a variety of colorful toppings.

                        Fruit Topped Dutch Baby

            Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and set to 450 degrees. In the meantime in a medium bowl beat 2 eggs until foamy and blend in ½ cup milk, 1 Tblsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. lemon rind, ½ tsp. salt, ½ cup flour mixed with ½ Tblsp. cornstarch. Carefully remove pan from oven, coat with buttery cooking spray and 1 Tblsp. butter. Pour in the egg batter and bake 18-20 minutes, or until puffy and brown. Cut up 1 pint of fresh strawberries, toss with 2 tsp. powdered sugar and ¼ cup slivered almonds. Remove baked Dutch Baby from oven, top with strawberry mixture and serve warm. Instead of strawberries, use blueberries or some other colorful berries or cut up fruit.

                        Asparagus and Bacon Dutch Baby

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Trim fresh asparagus and cut in ½ inch pieces to make 1 cup. In a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet crisp 6 slices of bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain most of the fat and cook the asparagus in a hot pan for 1 minute and set aside. In a large bowl beat 3 eggs with 2/3 cup milk, 1 Tblsp. olive oil, ½ cup flour, ¾ tsp. salt, dash of cayenne. Grate ½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese and toss with bacon and asparagus. Preheat cast iron skillet in oven 3 minutes, melt 1 Tblsp. butter, pour in egg mixture and cover with asparagus-bacon mix. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes and serve hot. Variations of the recipe can be made with only bacon or substituting broccoli florets for asparagus.

            Cauliflower and Stilton Bisque

In a 3 quart pot combine: 1 small onion chopped, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 small potatoes cubed, 3 cups cauliflower florets, 1 stalk celery chopped, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. When slightly cooled, puree with 1 cup half and half, return to the stove to heat before serving. Serve garnished with 2 oz. Stilton crumbles, chopped chives and pomegranate seeds for a colorful and appetizing soup.

For an easy and colorful Friday night supper- skip the pizza and serve a pan of colorful hearty nachos.    

            Hearty Sausage Nachos

Brown ¾ lb. hot Italian sausage without casing for 6-8 minutes, breaking the meat in small pieces. Add 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped.  Stir in 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 tsp. oregano and cook until warm for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2-3 tsp. finely chopped picked jalapeňo and 3 chopped scallions. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread with 8 oz. tortilla chips. Spoon sausage mix over the chips and sprinkle with 2 ½ cups grated pepper Jack cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Top with ¾ cup each fresh salsa and sour cream.

Keeping your meals bright may not make the snow melt any faster, but it may convince us that genuine real spring can’t be too far ahead.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)