In-Season Recipes

I enjoy the culinary "mud season" when I get to play a last time with winter foods while welcoming spring. Here are some recipes for the lingering cold weather, with a nod to the upcoming harvest of early spring! Cream of Cauliflower Soup Yield: 12 cups This straightforward cauliflower soup is a favorite. It just hits the right notes of creamy but not too rich. 8 tablespoons butter ¾ cup sliced leek (white parts only) 1 cup coarsely chopped onion 1 cup sliced celery 5 cups cauliflower florets and core, plus additional for garnish if desired ⅓ cup white rice 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon 1 teaspoon kosher salt Grinding of white pepper 1 cup heavy cream Optional : cooked wild rice or croutons In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leek, onion and celery, and cook for about 10 minutes until soft but not brown, stirring occasionally. Add cauliflower and stir a few minutes longer. Add rice, stock, thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook over gentle heat, about 20 minutes. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Blend in a blender until very smooth. Adjust seasoning. To serve, garnish with roasted cauliflower, wild rice or croutons if desired. Local Ingredients: leeks, onion, celery, cauliflower, stock, cream =========== Sturgess' Whole Grain Vinaigrette Yield: 3 cups Hurray, here comes asparagus season! This vinaigrette is from a New Hampshire native who went to college with my father, and cooking school with my mother, and unintentionally got them together. Forty plus years later Sturgess has a great restaurant, Birdsall House, in Peekskill, New York and we look forward to his summer visits. I toned his original recipe down a bit for asparagus, but do add more mustard and lemon rind for something gutsier like broccoli. 2 cups extra virgin olive oil ¾ cups sherry vinegar 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup whole grain mustard 2 tablespoons shallots 1 heaping tablespoon salt 1 heaping teaspoon black pepper Drizzle on top of cooked asparagus (or broccoli). Local Ingredients: honey, mustard, shallots ==================== Quick Cinnamon Buns My partner Craig has been having lots of fun baking with and for our kids this winter. This crowd-pleasing recipe requires no advance planning, so this suits our household's needs! He's got a few breakfast items on regular rotation, and this one (that borders on dessert) always feels decadent. This is slightly adapted from the New York Times. Filling 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, plus more for greasing the pan ½ packed cup light brown sugar 1½ teaspoons cinnamon Dough 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 1 tablespoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon fine salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ cup vegetable oil ¾ cup buttermilk Frosting 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 ounces butter, softened 4 ounces powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Pinch salt Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8" cake pan. In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and set this filling aside, Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the oil and, using a rubber spatula, mix until incorporated. Stir in the buttermilk until just blended. Form a ball and knead on your counter for about a minute. Dough should be smooth, then roll into a 15" x 8" rectangle. Gather the dough into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute. Roll out the dough into a 15-by-8-inch rectangle. Slather with the filling, roll into a tube and cut into eight pieces using a serrated knife. Place in a prepared cake pan, bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Make frosting by combining cream cheese and butter. This must be thoroughly softened to combine nicely. Add strained powdered sugar and vanilla and salt. Frost as desired. Local Ingredients: butter, buttermilk, flour