Pea, Lemon & Crème Fraiche Pasta

The snow is gone, my bike tires are filled, and I'm anxiously waiting for a spring day that isn't too cold, windy or rainy. It's a bit of project to get to a good grocery store here without a car. I look forward to the imminent biking days that will give me more freedom over my limited free time. 

While we wait for the beautiful days ahead, I give you a simple and bright recipe that is delicious with frozen peas, but even better with fresh spring peas. Use what you have available, and color me a bit jealous if you are already enjoying the bounty of the new season.

Pea, Lemon & Crème Fraiche Pasta

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti or linguine (I used whole wheat).
1 Tbl olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 C of fresh or frozen peas
1 C of crème fraiche
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1.5 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Method

In a large stockpot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the peas, cooking until they begin to brighten and are warmed through. 

While the peas cook, combine the crème fraiche, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. When the peas have finished cooking, turn off the heat and toss the peas with the sauce. Stirring a minute or two to coat. Add the lemon juice and a generous amount of black pepper. 

Drain the pasta, reserving half a cup of the cooking water, and toss with the peas. If necessary, add the cooking water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is your desired consistency. 

Macaroni and Blue Cheese with Figs and Rosemary

Macaroni and cheese is the epitome of comfort food. It's not so bad out of the box, but nothing beats homemade. Sharp white cheddar, Roth Käse Buttermilk Blue Cheese, rosemary and black mission figs make this a deeply flavorful version fit for a special occasion. This dish is decadently rich. Serve it with crusty bread, a simple salad, and a glass of white burgundy for a delicious dinner.

This recipe calls for quite a bit of blue cheese, but the flavors come together perfectly and the cheese melts beautifully into the sauce. Just be sure to go easy on the salt as you are cooking. I usually don't like breadcrumb toppings on baked macaroni and cheese, so I developed this recipe without it. Feel free to add in this step if you desire. 

Macaroni and Blue Cheese with Figs and Rosemary

Serves 8 to 10 people

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (I used pipe rigate, but rigatoni or rotini would work well too)
10 Tbl butter, divided
1 1/4 C dried black mission figs, diced
1 1/4 Tbl fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 C flour
3 C whole milk
2 C heavy cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground
12 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled and divided
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Grease a two-quart baking pan with one tablespoon butter and set aside.

Bring salted water to a boil in a six-quart pot. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain well and add the pasta to the baking dish. Toss with two tablespoons of butter. Set aside.

In a six-quart pot, melt the remaining seven tablespoons of butter of medium heat along with the onions, figs, and rosemary. Cook until the onion is soft, about six minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook an additional two minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Cook, while whisking, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until fairly thick. 

Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in an 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, and the 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg.  Quickly mix in the cheddar and the 3/4 of the blue cheese. (I find it is helpful to work in batches.)

When the mixture is smooth, pour it over the pasta.  Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the pasta and sauce together. Dot the top of the dish with the remaining blue cheese and a bit of salt and pepper. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and slightly browned. 

Disclosure: I was asked to develop this recipe for the second annual "30 Days, 30 Ways" Mac and Cheese event hosted by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. I received compensation for my participation. 

Mushroom Bourguignon Recipe

My first weekend back in Chicago was a snowy, blustery one. Roofs were blown off buildings, buses were traveling at a comically slow speed, and I made a trip to the nearest shoe store for some very ugly, but very waterproof snow boots. I was back in the city for a brief visit in order to interview for two winter internships with the American Library Association. I'm happy to report that I will be able to accept both of them and I'm looking forward to working with and learning from the APA and ALCTS staff members.

After my interviews, I took the train back to Champaign in order to work for a few more days at my graduate assistantship before officially leaving for winter break. Amazingly, I managed to work ahead over 45 hours this semester, which will allow me pursue other work experience with my time off from school. Campus is covered in a blanket of snow and ice, and though it is finals week, many students have already left and everything is quieting down.

Tonight, I will take my sixth train ride in six days back to Chicago - and hopefully stay put for a bit. Long days of travel and bracing cold have me hankering for warm, hearty dinners like this mushroom bourguignon.

Mushroom Bourguignon

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

2 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl butter, softened
2 lbs cremini mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (no stems)
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C full-bodied red wine
2 Cvegetable broth
2 Tbl tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 Tbl flour
1 C frozen pearl onions, peeled and thawed
Salt and pepper
Egg noodles, for serving
Sour cream
Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Method

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms for three to four minutes.  The mushrooms should brown, but don't cook so long that they release their juices.  Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the carrot, onion, thyme, salt and pepper for about 10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan, and then turn the heat all the way up and reduce the liquid by half. Add the tomato paste, broth, and the mushrooms- along with any juices. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender.

In a small bowl, mix one tablespoon of butter with the flour until smooth. Add this mixture to the stew and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the stew has the consistency your desire. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the stew over a bowl of egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream and a small handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley.