Ready to put away the down parkas and the warming stews of winter? So are we.
As snows melt and buds break, our thoughts turn to lighter clothes and suppers
in sync with the season.
Our spring collection features the familiar pastels of this time of year --
pale greens and butter yellows -- using seasonal produce to lend freshness and
variety to classic kitchen standbys such as Pasta Primavera, Cream Soup, Cheese
Souffle, Risotto, White Bean Salad, and Potato Gratin.
These six recipes are fabulously adaptable. To demonstrate, we've provided
two variations on each recipe's theme. Some are ideal for company, others for
Thursday dinners when everyone's bushed. Master the main recipe and you can
create your own new variations, as well.
Pasta Primavera
Like a navy suit, pasta is always in style, and its popularity never wanes.
The trick in pasta primavera ("spring" pasta, in Italian) is to balance
the amount of pasta with the other ingredients. Ours stars a short pasta tossed
with sauteed carrots, green peas, and pattypan squash; enhancements include
a splash of wine, a dash of cream, a drift of grated Parmesan, and shards of
fresh basil.
Swap sugar snap peas for the green peas, shrimp for the squash, add arugula,
and the dish changes looks. Substitute asparagus and chicken, and voila! Yet
another glorious ensemble.
Cheese Souffle
Just as a well-tailored little black dress goes from workday to night out with
a swap of earrings and a change of scarves, the souffle is conveniently accommodating.
Our basic version features arugula and fontina cheese. Switch asparagus and
Gruyere for the arugula and fontina, and you have an entirely different approach.
Or go Mediterranean with spinach and feta.
White Bean Salad
A crisp white shirt and a pair of gray flannel trousers are an enduring team.
Likewise, easy and delicious white bean salads are always favorites. Savory
bacon vinaigrette dresses our main version, which features cannellini beans,
spinach, asparagus, and shrimp. Vary the approach by slipping in sugar snap
peas instead of asparagus, with chicken instead of shrimp; or try haricots verts
in place of asparagus and tuna steak in place of shrimp.
Potato Gratin
For lazy Saturday afternoons, broken-in blue jeans are best. And for lazy Saturday
suppers, it's hard to surpass potatoes gratin. We start with haricots verts,
ham, and Gruyere; if that doesn't suit your fancy, there's a baby carrot and
Asiago combination, along with a spinach, turkey, and sharp white cheddar version.
Each is substantive enough to serve as the main course.
Cream Soup
You can compare cream soup to a strand of flawlessly matched pearls -- it's
always a tasteful, adaptable choice. This soup (technically a thin white sauce)
is the foundation for pureed asparagus; lemon zest and fresh thyme brighten
and accent the flavor.
Substitute pureed baby carrots for the asparagus, and the soup takes on a new
taste. Pureed leeks create soup that is understated and subtle.
Risotto
Risotto adds Continental cachet to any menu. We start with Risotto with Sugar
Snap Peas and Spring Leeks; add shrimp and substitute asparagus for the sugar
snap peas, and you have a dressier risotto fit for an entree. Vidalia green
onions, which are sweet like their bigger relatives, pair with blue cheese in
another version.
