“When are you going to put ramps and baby carrots on the menu”! I was asked by some customers of mine. My hands are tied since they are not available yet locally (I cook in New York).
As a chef I’m in a bind now because we’re all longing for Spring and the only seasonal vegetables left at the open air market are rutabaga, sunchokes, parsnips and plenty of different kinds of potatoes - it really gets spare around this time of the year – HELP.
Meanwhile, until the Spring vegetables are in abundance, I introduced a three course cheese & early Spring vegetable or “bridging the seasons” menu.
(macaroni pasta with spring peas)
Macaroni with a trio of Alpine Cheese & Spring Peas
This dish is like a football game where the ball is thrown back and forth between seasons. There is the comfort of wintery pasta with three different cheeses from the Alps – nutty Appenzeller from Swizerland, stinky Tilsiter from Austria and Gruyere which brings the right meltability to the trio. Peas are nestled in between which gives a little burst of Spring flavor and a promise of what’s to come.
For the main dish I use an Amish-style chicken from Pennsylvania served with green asparagus and porcini mushrooms. These birds have plenty of land to roam around on and they feed on grain - they don’t contain any steroids or antibiotics because they don’t need it.
(chicken piccata stuffed with Pecorinio)
Pecorino Larded Chicken Piccata with Green Asparagus
(recipe yields four portions)
4 chicken breasts (out of 2-1/2lb heavy chickens)
2 ounces pecorino cheese (grated)
Kosher-style salt
black pepper corn grindings
2 large eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil such as canola or grape seed
8 jumbo green asparagus spears
1. Remove chicken skin from breasts and discard. Put chicken breasts between two layers of plastic wrap. With a meat hammer gently pound chicken breast flat (1/2 inch thick).
2. Season pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper then distribute ground pecorino evenly over the chicken breasts. Roll chicken breast into a sausage-like shape (it should be rolled tightly). I call that a roulade
3. Prepare two plates, one filled with flour and the second with mixed eggs. Dip rolled/stuffed chicken breasts in flour then into egg (making sure to cover all sides with flour and egg)
4. Cook in skillet in vegetable oil on medium temperature (10 minutes or until chicken juices are clear when punctured with a small knife)
5. Transfer cooked chicken to a paper lined plate to absorb excess fat
6. Blanche asparagus in boiling water (45 seconds or so).
7. See photo for plating suggestions
Chef’s Note: larding is usually done with bacon fat or such but in this recipe I replace it with spicy/salty pecorinio cheese.
Chef’s Tip: tratitionally a piccata is served with thin lemon slices and capers - cook these for one minute or so in the remaining skillet fat then pour over the cooked piccata.
(ricotta cheese cake with roasted pears)
Fresh Ricotta Cheesecake with Pears
Classic at Last - for dessert I did not stray far; I serve a fresh Spring ricotta cheesecake. Tonjes dairy farm (which is a family owned farm close to the metropolitan NY area) makes a ricotta from their Hollstein cows and it speaks for itself. It tastes kind of plain which is what ricotta is in general, but it raises my cheesecake to a whole other level because it has a wonderfully rich texture.
I sweeten my cheesecake with a touch of honey from a local beehieve and I add roasted pears tossed with Italian grappa – you must try it, it’s delicous!
So until Spring has finally announced itself enjoy the first gifts with the final bounty of Winter.
