Last weekend, a friend and I went berry picking at Homestead Farm in Poolesville, MD. It was the end of strawberry season and the beginning of tart cherries, so we got to pick both. There is nothing more satisfying or fun than harvesting your own food (though my legs are sore from squatting to pick strawberries, and my arms are sore from reaching up for the cherries).

The farm has a nice open patch of grass for parking next to the main store – which sells vegetables, herbs, and flowers; jams and sauces made at the farm and elsewhere; and already picked berries (sold at a higher price than if you pick your own). From the store you can either walk (a long way) to the berries, or hop on the tractor that drives back and forth between the fields and the store. You can bring your own containers, or pick up a cardboard carton from the store. I ended up with almost 7lbs of berries! I decided to make pies with my haul – a sour cherry lattice pie and a strawberry icebox pie.

My cherry haul.

The cherry filling inside the crust, dotted with butter.

The finished lattice topping.

The baked pie.

My strawberries, cleaned and hulled.

The graham cracker crust.

Making the filling.

The finished pie.

Sour Cherry Lattice Pie
adapted from Martha Stewart

Pate Brisee, recipe follows
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lbs fresh sour cherries, pitted (about 6 cups), or 1 3/4 pounds frozen sour cherries, partially thawed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
vanilla sugar* or coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disc of dough to a 13 inch round, 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim leaving 1/2 inch overhang. Refrigerate crust for 30 min while you prepare the lattice strips.

On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out second disc of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut 14 strips (12 inches long and 1/2 inch wide) with a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife; use a ruler if you have trouble making even strips. Place strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate until cold, about 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add cherries and vanilla, and toss. Pour cherry mixture into prepared pie plate. Dot top with butter. Lightly brush exposed edge of crust with egg.

Make the lattice: Lay 7 strips of dough across pie. Fold back every other strip. Lay another strip perpendicular in center of pie. Unfold the strips over perpendicular strip. Fold back the strips that are under the perpendicular strip. Lay a second perpendicular strip next to the first. Unfold the strips over the second perpendicular strip. Repeat, weaving strips across half the pie. Return to center, lay a perpendicular strip on unwoven side of pie, and repeat. Trim strips to make a 1-inch overhang. Tuck extra under rim of crust, and crimp to seal. Brush lattice with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate 30 min until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Transfer pie plate to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling (if using fresh cherries, begin checking after 1 hour; if using frozen, it will take about 1 hour, 35 minutes). If top begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil and continue to cook.

Let pie cool completely on a wire rack.

*I keep a jar of sugar with vanilla bean pods in it. Whenever I use a vanilla bean, I toss the empty pod into the jar. The sugar becomes infused with vanilla flavor. It is great for baking and for coffee. When the sugar starts to run low I fill up the jar again, shaking it every now and then to distribute the flavor.

Pate Brisee
adapted from Martha Stewart
This is seriously the BEST dough recipe. It is flexible, it won’t crack, it is super tender and flaky and awesome. It is important that everything be COLD.
Makes two 9 inch single-crust pies or one 9 inch double-crust pie

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup chilled butter flavored Crisco, cut in pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Whisk or sift together the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and shortening, and cut together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water evenly over the flour and work together with your hands until the dough just holds together. Do not overwork.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two discs. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 min before using.

Strawberry Icebox Pie
adapted from Martha Stewart

10 graham crackers (2 1/2 by 5 inches)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
2 quarts strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate. In a food processor, blend graham crackers until finely ground. In a bowl, combine crumbs, butter, 3tbsp sugar, and salt. Press mixture into the bottom and up the side of the pie plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, 3 cups strawberries, cornstarch, and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in remaining strawberries. Pour into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours (or up to 1 day). Top with whipped cream, if desired.

We have joined a CSA this year – it stands for Community Supported Agriculture and what it means is that you buy a share in a local farm and they deliver produce to you weekly. The CSA that we joined is Dragonfly Farms and you can read all the information about it here. We got our first share this week and, as you can see, it was packed full with good stuff!

Beautiful! What was in the crate:
1 head of butter lettuce
1 head of Romaine
a big bag of spinach (10-15 oz)
a bunch of asparagus
2 green/spring onions
several stalks of rhubarb
a pint of hothouse strawberries
4 tomatoes on the vine
a pint of English peas (more…)

Leeks are a fantastic spring vegetable. They have a light onion and garlic flavor, similar to shallots, but much milder. Their smaller cousins, ramps, have a more intense flavor but a shorter peak season – take advantage of them when you can find them. I like to add leeks to pizzas, pastas, soups, and casseroles. Here I combined them with spinach and shrimp in a lovely spring pasta dish.

Leeks grow up through the earth, resulting in dirt becoming trapped in their many tight layers. The easiest way to clean them is to cut them into half moons and soak them in water.

Swish the leeks around with your hand, then let the dirt settle to the bottom of the bowl – the leeks will float. Scoop the clean leeks out from the top of the water and let drain in a colander for a few minutes.

Saute the leeks in butter.

Add shrimp and lemon zest and cook until opaque.

Use short, firm pasta – gemelli is my favorite.

Add spinach and cream to the pasta, mix in the shrimp and leek mixture. Enjoy!

Shrimp, Leek, and Spinach Pasta
adapted from Real Simple

12 oz gemelli, fusilli, or some other short pasta
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), cut into half-moons
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup heavy cream
10 oz baby spinach

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, do not rinse.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks have softened, 3 – 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and lemon zest and cook, tossing frequently, until the shrimp is opaque throughout, 4 – 5 minutes more. Add the cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pasta in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 – 2 minutes. Add the shrimp mixture and the spinach to the pasta and toss to combine.

I had some left over ingredients from some of my dishes this week: a leek, some shredded zucchini, and some basil. I didn’t want these to go to waste so I decided to throw them all together into a quiche – adding a little bacon for flavor and because, well, it’s bacon.

I started by cutting the bacon into small pieces and frying it. Then I sauteed a diced onion in some of the bacon fat, adding the zucchini and the leek.

I blind baked a pie crust, then sprinkled it with cheese to seal the crust and keep it from getting soggy. I would have liked to use mozzarella or Gruyere, but all I had on hand was Mexican 4-cheese blend.

I mixed up a few eggs with a little cream, salt and pepper, and basil.

I combined the egg mixture with the vegetable mixture and poured it into the pie shell.

I covered the edges of the pie shell in foil to prevent over-baking.

After 45 minutes of baking – I had a gorgeous lunch.

Bacon, Zucchini, and Leek Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust
1/4 lb of bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, diced
1-2 medium zucchini, shredded or grated
1 leek, white and light green parts only, cut into half moons
3 eggs
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1-2 tbsp basil
3/4 cup shredded soft cheese (mozzarella, Gruyere, cheddar)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pie dough into a 9inch pie pan and press into the bottom. Cover the dough with foil, pressing into the bottom and edges, and fill with pie weights, beans, or rice. Bake for 12 minutes, remove the foil and weights, bake another 5 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly. Sprinkle 1/4 of the soft cheese over the bottom of the crust to seal it. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the bacon pieces in a cold skillet and set over medium high heat. Cook until crispy, then set aside on paper towels. Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded zucchini, the leeks, and 1/2 tsp salt, cook a few more minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, cream, basil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the vegetable mixture, bacon, remaining 1/2 cup soft cheese, and Parmesan to the eggs. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, cover the edges with foil, and bake 35-45 minutes – until the center is set. Cool on a wire rack 10-15 minutes before serving.

When I first saw this recipe, I was thinking – that is a lot of butter, and what’s with the Mt Dew? But seriously, this is the most dangerously addictive, unhealthy dessert. It is rich and complex and fantastic. The Mt Dew cooks down into a tangy caramel sauce that is absolutely scrumptious. The recipe makes 16 dumplings, but unless you are feeding an army, you do not want to make that many. They lose their crunchy topping when reheated, and that is one of the best parts. So you only want to make enough to eat immediately – for us, that is 2 dumplings each (or 1/4 of the recipe).

I was so excited to eat these, that I forgot to snap a shot after they were cooked. I will be sure to do that the next time I make it and add it to this post.

*EDIT* Here are some pictures of the finished product!

All baked and bubbling.

Melting together with some vanilla ice cream. *END EDIT*

Apple Dumplings
adapted from Pioneer Woman
Time: 1 hr Serves: 8

2 granny smith apples
2 cans (8oz) crescent rolls (Pillsbury)
2 sticks salted butter (or add 1/2 tsp salt to 2 sticks unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
1 can (12oz) Mt Dew Soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and core the apples, cut into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place each roll in a buttered 9 x 13 pan. Melt the butter, then add the sugar and barely stir (you want the mixture to by lumpy, that’s what makes the tops crunchy). Add the vanilla, barely stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour the Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan, and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sauce from the pan over the top.

I was watching The Food Network – my favorite channel – when I saw Rachel Ray make this dish. It looked so good that I made it the next day! It is a healthier version than the traditional battered-and-fried, dripping with cheese version. The pepper had a lovely charred, roasted flavor and the rice was vibrant and herbaceous. I don’t like spicy food or cilantro so I made a few adjustments (bell peppers instead of poblanos, no jalapenos, parsley instead of cilantro), and it came out wonderfully. I also replaced 1 cup of corn from her vegetarian version with a cup of shredded chicken. You can certainly switch that back to make it vegetarian again.

Charred “Chile Relleno” with Green Rice
adapted from The Food Network
Time: 30 min Serves: 4

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1 bay leaf
2 cups white rice
4 large green bell peppers
2 cups frozen corn kernels
3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well (use fire-roasted if you can find them)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken **see below
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 lb spinach leaves, deveined and coarsely chopped
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat broiler or grill pan to high. Place peppers under broiler or on hot grill and char evenly all over, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 3 1/2 cups of the stock in a sauce pot with a bay leaf to boiling. Add rice, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer 18 minutes or until tender. Place the parsley, spinach, scallions, lime zest, 1/2 cup of stock and a tbsp of oil in a food processor and process into a coarse green paste. Stir the paste into the rice during the last 3 to 4 minutes of its cooking time.

Meanwhile, defrost corn and dry by spreading out on clean kitchen towel. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil smokes or ripples add corn and onion and toss until the vegetables char at edges and onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in garlic, tomatoes, and chicken and season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes, remove from heat. Sprinkle the lime juice over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open (but not in half) and scoop out the seeds. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each split pepper with lots of the corn mixture, top each pepper with 1/4 cup cheese and place back under the broiler to melt and char the cheese.

Serve the peppers with a big pile of the rice.

**Cooked, shredded chicken is a staple ingredient for me. I always have it around, whether from a rotisserie chicken or poached breasts. I can throw it into any number of dishes to round them out. My favorite method is to poach chicken breasts, then freeze them – thawing and shredding or chopping them when I need to. Below is the method I use to ensure they turn out flavorful and moist.

Poached Chicken

Place chicken breasts into a large stock pot or dutch oven. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover. Add a couple sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, a few pepper corns, some salt, some halved onions, and roughly chopped celery and carrots. Bring to a boil over high. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat so that it is barely simmering. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the hot liquid for another 15 minutes. Check one breast to make sure it is cooked through. Remove from the liquid, allow to cool completely, then use immediately or freeze.

Pork loin is a relatively inexpensive and lean cut. It takes many flavors well, making it a blank canvas. I like to buy a large loin (10 lbs or so), butcher it myself and freeze 1/2 – 3/4 of the meat – that way I always have some on hand. Below are two fast and easy recipes for boneless chops. As always, have your chops sit out at room temperature for 20 min before cooking to avoid tough meat.

Pork chops are pan fried and covered with a creamy white wine, mustard, and caper sauce. Served here with mashed potatoes; also good with rice.

Pan-fried Pork Chops with Mustard-Caper Sauce
adapted from Williams Sonoma
Time: 45 min Serves:4

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup semidry white wine
1/3 cup capers
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp whole grain mustard

Season the chops with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 170 degrees F, place a platter in oven to keep warm. Place a large fry pan over medium-high heat and add half of the oil. Add two of the chops and don’t touch them for 3 min, turn and cook another 3 min before transferring to the platter. Repeat with the remaining two chops. Pour off the oil, add the wine to the pan and deglaze. Add the capers and cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, vinegar, pepper to taste. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, whisk in mustard. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon over the chops.

Pork chops are stuffed with a mixture of dried cranberries, apricot preserves, and coriander. You could use dried cherries, if you prefer. Served here with salad and quinoa.

Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops
Time: 20 min Serves: 4

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2 tbsp apricot preserves
1/2 tsp ground coriander

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine cranberries, preserves, and coriander in a bowl. Cut a deep pocket into each chop, stuff with the cranberry mixture, season the outside with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium-high. Brown the chops 2 minutes per side, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 4-6 minutes.

Shrimp cooks very quickly, so it is great to use when you need dinner in a hurry. Baking shrimp with wine and garlic adds a lot of flavor while cutting down on active prep work.

Combine peeled, deveined shrimp with white wine and garlic.

Mix together softened butter, panko, and parsley. Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb that is incredibly crispy. It should be a pantry staple.

Drop the panko mixture onto the shrimp.

Bake until the shrimp are opaque

Serve over pasta, rice, or warm crusty bread. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Baked Garlic Shrimp
adapted from Real Simple
Time: 25 min Serves: 4

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
2 tbsp white wine
salt and pepper
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In a baking dish, combine the shrimp, garlic, white wine, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. In a small bowl, combine the butter, panko, and parsley. Sprinkle panko mixture over the shrimp and bake until the shrimp are opaque, 15 to 18 minutes.

Ah, spring – new beginnings, new growth, and the start of peak veggie season. I am a vegetable fan, but I despise the plain steam treatment, so I am always looking for new ways to incorporate vegetables into fun dishes. Zucchini and spinach are two of my favorites because they are incredibly versatile and easy to add to any dish. One of my favorite spring dishes combines them with pasta and a Gruyere sauce for a creamy, cheesy, and flavorful veggie casserole. You can add in shredded or diced cooked chicken for more protein, if you wish.

Start with fresh, medium sized zucchini – they have fewer seeds and more flavor than larger ones. Also look for vibrant skin – younger, fresher zucchini will have a more tender skin that is easier to eat. Leave the skin on – it has a lot of nutrients!

A food processor makes shredding so much easier.

Gruyere – my favorite cheese to pair with vegetables. Buying a block and shredding it yourself gives you more flavor than buying it pre-shredded. (more…)

In college, I learned a great trick to fast and easy dinners by using couscous. Couscous is a tiny round pasta that cooks in 5-10 min; it is a wonderful blank canvas that you can add anything to. In college, this usually meant whatever canned vegetables I had lying around in the pantry. Over the years, I developed several go-to mix-in combinations that I threw together whenever I didn’t have a dinner plan.

To make the basic version, bring 1.5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup couscous, salt and pepper. Cover and let sit 10 minutes, uncover, and fluff with a fork. Add your mix-ins when you add the couscous to the stock, and they will warm up as it sits. Below are some of my favorite variations.

Italian
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained
3tbsp pesto
1 clove garlic, minced

Add 1/2 (15 oz) can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), or 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken for protein
Sprinkle w/ chopped fresh basil

Optional – add some grated Parmesan, crumbled feta, or crumbled goat cheese.

Moroccan
1/2 cup dried apricots, minced or slivered
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp tumeric

Add 1/2 (15 oz) can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), or 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken for protein
Sprinkle w/ chopped fresh mint

Optional – orange zest and lemon juice, dried currants or raisins, crumbled feta

Southwest
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 (15 oz) can beans (black, kidney, pinto), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn kernels (defrosted, if frozen)
1/4 tsp cumin

Optional – diced bell pepper, diced jalapeno, shredded Jack cheese, 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley

Spanish
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped green olives
pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp cumin

Optional – add 1/2 cup English peas, defrosted if frozen

Add 1/2 (15 oz) can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), or 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken for protein
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley

Indian
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp curry powder

Add 1/2 (15 oz) can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), or 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken for protein
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley

By now you get the idea, and you should be able to come up with combinations of your own. I hope this saves you some time and stress.