Pasta with Leeks & Peas
Dice bacon into batons 1/4 inch thick. Sauté in olive oil until browned. Add thinly sliced leeks and minced garlic and cook until leeks are tender.
Add cream, shelled peas, and cooked and drained pasta to the pan. Cook, tossing, until the cream has reduced and coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and top with shaved pecorino cheese.
Beef & Leek Stir-Fry
Stir together stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar and cornstarch.
Sear thinly sliced flank steak until
well browned. Transfer to a bowl. Add sliced green parts of leeks and 10 Chinese dried red chiles. Cook until leeks are crisp-tender.
Return steak to pan. Add stock mixture and cook, tossing, until liquid has thickened.
Gratinéed Leeks in Cream
Cut leeks crosswise into rounds about 1 inch thick. Arrange in a single layer in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, and cover with cream and grated Parmesan.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400ºF for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the cream has reduced, the leeks are tender and their tops are golden brown.
Leek Risotto
Sauté sliced leeks in butter until tender. Add Arborio rice and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted. Deglaze pan with white wine. Bring to a simmer, stirring in warm stock as needed, until the rice is tender.
Meanwhile, fry julienned leaks in oil until golden brown.
Season risotto with salt and pepper, stir in butter and grated Parmesan, and top with fried leeks.
Vichyssoise
Sauté thinly sliced leeks and minced garlic in butter until tender. Add peeled, diced russet potatoes and stock to cover. Simmer until potatoes are cooked through.
Puree soup until smooth, season with salt and pepper, and stir in cream.
Puree canola oil with a bunch of chives and a handful of parsley leaves until smooth. Drizzle over soup before serving.
Fried Egg with Leeks & Pancetta
Dice pancetta into 1/4-inch cubes and sauté in olive oil until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Add thinly sliced leeks to the same pan and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in butter to finish.
Spoon leeks onto a plate, top with a fried egg and sprinkle with pancetta.
Citrus Compote
Peel oranges, grapefruit and tangerines; cut into segments, reserving juice. Place segments in a bowl.
In a saucepan, heat juice and sugar to taste until sugar is dissolved. Let syrup cool, then stir into citrus segments. Sprinkle with slivered mint or basil.
Serve over pancakes, waffles or pound cake.
Crab Salad with Grapefruit & Avocado
Whisk together grapefruit juice, Champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Toss torn butter lettuce with some of the vinaigrette; divide among plates. Top with fresh crabmeat, grapefruit segments and thinly sliced avocado.
Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette; sprinkle with snipped chives and finely chopped parsley.
Citrus Salad with Shaved Fennel
Peel oranges, blood oranges and grapefruit; cut into segments. Arrange on a plate.
Thinly shave a fennel bulb and arrange on top of citrus. Sprinkle with pitted niçoise olives.
Drizzle salad with extra-virgin olive oil; sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper.
Citrus Granita
In a saucepan, heat equal parts sugar and water; let cool completely.
Mix 2 parts syrup with 2 parts mixed fresh citrus juices. Adjust sweetness as necessary.
Pour mixture into a shallow pan; place in freezer. Scrape with a fork every 30 to 60 minutes until frozen solid, about 2 1/2 hours.
Lime Curd
In a small saucepan, whisk together 5 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk in 1/2 cup fresh lime juice and stir over medium-low heat until thickened slightly.
Remove from heat and gradually whisk in 6 Tbs. cubed unsalted butter. Strain and let cool.
Serve with scones or assorted berries.
Broiled Grapefruit
Preheat a broiler. Cut grapefruit in half crosswise. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each half.
On a baking sheet, sprinkle grapefruit with brown sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter and broil until golden and bubbly.
Sprinkle with finely chopped toasted almonds and slivered mint.
Spaghetti Squash "Pasta"
Drizzle halved, seeded spaghetti squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender.
Scrape squash with a fork to form "noodles." Toss with melted butter, chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Combine sautéed diced onions and celery with cooked wild rice and brown rice, dried cranberries and chopped pecans and parsley.
Halve and seed acorn squash. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Roast at 450°F until tender, stuffing with rice mixture halfway through roasting time, about 45 minutes total.
Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter
In a Dutch oven, sauté diced onion, celery and carrot with minced garlic. Add diced butternut squash, stock and chopped thyme and sage. Simmer until squash is tender.
Puree soup until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with brown butter and garnish with fried sage leaves.
Kabocha Squash Stuffed with Lamb & Currants
Halve kabocha squash and scoop out seeds.
Sauté diced onion in olive oil; add ground lamb, cumin and cardamom and sauté until browned. Fold in cooked rice, currants and pine nuts.
Fill squash with lamb mixture and roast at 375°F in an oiled dish until squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Chipotle
Cut acorn squash into 1-inch wedges; toss with olive oil, minced chipotles, a touch of maple syrup, salt and pepper.
Place squash on a nonstick baking sheet; roast at 400°F, turning wedges over once, until tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto
Sauté a chopped onion in 3 Tbs. olive oil until softened. Add 1 cup Arborio rice; stir 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup white wine; stir until absorbed. Add warm chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, waiting until liquid is absorbed before adding more.
When rice is tender, fold in 2 cups cooked, diced butternut squash. Sprinkle with parmesan and top with fried sage.
Persimmon Salsa
In a small bowl, stir together peeled, diced Fuyu persimmons with finely diced jalapeños, diced red onion, minced fresh ginger and thinly sliced mint. Stir in a splash of olive oil, lime juice and salt to taste.
Serve the salsa with tortilla chips or spoon on top of grilled fish or chicken.
Persimmon Chutney
Combine equal parts apple cider vinegar and brown sugar with minced shallot and ginger, raisins, grated lemon zest, cinnamon and salt. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Stir in peeled and diced Fuyu persimmons and cook until tender.
To serve, spread crostini with goat cheese, top with baby arugula, and dollop with chutney.
Persimmon Salad with Bitter Greens
Whisk together honey, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine coarsely torn escarole, frisée and radicchio with thinly sliced red onion and thinly sliced Fuyu persimmons. Toss with vinaigrette to taste. Season with salt and pepper and top with crumbled goat cheese and pepitas.
Persimmons with Prosciutto
Slice Fuyu persimmons into 6 wedges each. Wrap each wedge with a thin slice of prosciutto and secure with a toothpick.
Arrange the persimmons on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 400°F until the persimmons have softened and the prosciutto is crispy. Serve warm.
Kale and Quinoa Salad with Persimmons
Whisk together olive oil, minced shallot, Dijon mustard and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine 1 bunch thinly sliced kale leaves, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1 peeled and sliced avocado and sliced Fuyu persimmons. Toss with vinaigrette to taste and sprinkle with 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts.
Roasted Persimmons with Greek Yogurt
Cut ripe Hachiya persimmons in half crosswise. Arrange cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Roast the persimmons at 400°F until tender, about 20 minutes. Divide among individual bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with chopped toasted pistachios.
kale & white bean crostini
Brush baguette slices with olive oil; sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350°F until golden.
Sauté chopped Tuscan kale in olive oil until wilted. Add minced garlic and chicken broth. Cover; cook until almost tender.
Add rinsed and drained cannellini beans; cook until broth is absorbed. Mash beans lightly with a fork. Top crostini with kale mixture.
orecchiette with kale & sausage
Sauté diced onion and minced garlic in olive oil until softened. Add crumbled Italian sausage; cook until browned. Drain on paper towels.
Add sliced kale to pan; cook until tender, adding water if needed. Add red pepper flakes.
Return sausage to pan. Toss with cooked and drained orecchiette pasta. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
kale-quinoa bowl with
fried egg
Simmer 1 part quinoa in 2 parts salted water until grains are tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Sauté chopped kale in olive oil just until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Fluff quinoa with a fork and spoon into individual bowls. Top with kale and a fried egg.
kale salad with apple & walnuts
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, cider vinegar, brown sugar, whole-grain mustard, minced shallot, salt and pepper.
Tear curly kale into small pieces; add to bowl. Thinly slice Granny Smith apples and add to kale.
Add toasted walnuts and vinaigrette to salad and toss to combine.
Kale Hummus
In a large food processor, puree one 15-oz. can drained chickpeas with 1 clove garlic, 4 Tbs. tahini, and olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.
Add 1 cup coarsely chopped and tightly packed kale leaves; process until smooth, adding water as needed for a creamy consistency.
Serve with assorted crudités and pita chips.
Kale Chips
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Remove stems and ribs from 1 bunch curly kale; discard. Tear leaves into 3-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and season with salt.
Arrange in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake, rotating baking sheets and stirring kale halfway through cooking time, until crispy, about 30 minutes.