It takes me 1 ½ hours by train to get to my parents’ house.  It usually takes me three minutes to walk in the door, drop my bags, and feel completely at home.  The ability to scoot over to my family’s home for the Not-So-Important holidays are the sweetest gift of living back in the Northeast.  The days leading up to Easter, I was chomping at the bit… tossing around menu ideas and recipes and sketching a timeline in my head.  I could not wait to cook my heart out in my mother’s kitchen.

We were having a 1pm lunch on Easter Sunday and the satisfying and wholesome menu I decided on was:

Shaved Spring Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Classic, Buttery Popovers

Rack of Lamb with Crunchy Mustard-Herb Crust

Cauliflower and Leek Gratin

Sauteed Green Beans with Tarragon Butter and Almonds

Coffee and Herbal Teas

Passion Fruit Cheesecake Tart

 

I have to say that this menu was ideal.  It was diverse, intriguing and visually pleasing.  It celebrates spring’s bounty and was light enough to indulge in every course without feeling like you might need to change into stretchy pants.  Although I made these dishes for Easter, please make them for any lunch, dinner, or party you have this season.  I certainly will be placing them back in rotation before summer sweeps around the corner.   As my father ate his third bite of his Passion Fruit Cheesecake Tart he commented, “Gosh, it’s like a four star restaurant every time you come home.”

When I play Easter Bunny, I don’t mess around.

*Note:  I have not included the Rack of Lamb Recipe here, but it will be soon to come.  Here are a few to get you started…

SHAVED SPRING VEGETABLE SALAD WITH TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

BY:  Geoffrey Zakarian

SERVES 12

1 bulb fennel

5 medium radishes

2 heads radicchio, halved and thinly sliced

6 large asparagus, shaved lengthwise with a peeler

2 cups frisee, white and yellow parts only

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves

½ cup Tarragon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Set a large colander into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Put the asparagus strips into the colander to stay crisp in the ice water.  Thinly shave fennel and radishes on a mandolin, or by hand if you do not have a mandolin.  Place in colander until chilled.  Drain and pat dry.

Place radicchio in a large bowl and add frisee, parsley and the chilled and dried shaved vegetables.  Add dressing and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

MAKES: 2 cups

¼ cup coarsely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup Champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 large egg yolk

¼ bunch fresh tarragon leaves

¼ cup grapeseed oil

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place shallot, mustard, vinegar, honey, egg yolk, and tarragon in the jar of a bender.  Begin to puree, starting on low and slowly increasing speed to high.  Slowly add grapeseed and olive oil and blend until emulsified; season with salt and pepper.  Dressing may be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days.

CLASSIC, BUTTERY POPOVERS

YIELDS:  6 Popovers

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup  skim milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 even pieces

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set rack in the middle of the oven

Spray popover pan (6 cup) with cooking spray, making sure to coat the sides of the cups.

Whisk flour, salt, eggs, milk and the melted butter together until mixture is the consistency of

heavy cream and completely blended, about 1 -2 minutes.  This can also be done using a hand mixer.

Note:  At this point the batter can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.  Make sure

it is at room temperature before using.

Place 1 small piece of butter in each cup of the popover pan and place pan in preheated oven until butter is bubbly, about 1 minute.  Remove pan from oven.

Fill each cup half full with batter and bake for 20 minutes

Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes more.

Serve hot from the oven.

CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK GRATIN

Adapted From:  The Martha Stewart Show, February 2012

Yield: Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, trimmed, and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

2 small shallots, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds

1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until slightly tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks, shallots, red-pepper flakes, and thyme; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour until well combined. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, until well combined. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; let boil 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cups cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Pour leek mixture over cauliflower mixture and stir until cauliflower is well coated; transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese over top. Transfer to oven and bake until bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Transfer baking dish to broiler; broil until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

SAUTEED GREEN BEANS WITH TARRAGON, BUTTER AND ALMONDS

SERVES:  6

1 ½ lbs. green beans, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

¼ cup sliced almonds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans, and cook until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Transfer green beans to the ice water bath using a slotted spoon.  Once they are cool, drain and pat dry.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Melt butter until just starting to brown, then add green beans.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat completely with butter, add tarragon and almonds and cook two minutes more.  Taste and season again if necessary. Serve.

PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE TART

Adapted From:  The Martha Stewart Show 2012

Yield:  Makes One 9 inch Tart

For The Crust:

9 graham crackers

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

For The Cheesecake Layer:

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 large egg

For The Passion Fruit Layer:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup passion fruit puree

Pinch of salt

Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor; process until coarsely ground; add sugar and continue pulsing until finely ground. Add melted butter and pulse until mixture comes together.

Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Transfer to oven and bake until crust is lightly golden and fragrant, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Make the cheesecake: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese, sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add egg and whisk to combine. Pour into cooled tart shell and transfer to oven; bake until just set, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Make the passion fruit layer: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, passion fruit puree, and salt; pour over cooled cheesecake layer. Transfer to oven and bake until set but center still has a slight jiggle, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Transfer tart to refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving and up to overnight; slice tart and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

*My Two Cents: 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice plus 1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest may be substituted for the passion fruit puree.