Buttermilk Soda Bread with Fennel Pollen

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

A nice crisp crust and an even crumb give this March favorite a life as a sandwich bread as well as a side to your Irish stew. People who don’t care for soda bread seem to like this one. They usually notice a slightly different flavor but can rarely figure out what it is. Fennel pollen is available from numerous online vendors and will be part of several other recipes I’ll be posting.

Ingredients

4+ cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1¾ cups buttermilk
¼ tsp fennel pollen

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in food processor.
Cut the butter into pieces and add to processor. Pulse 10-12 times to incorporate into flour.
Mix buttermilk and egg; add to processor along with fennel and process until dough comes together and pulls away from sides.
Turn dough onto well floured and form dough mound. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough just long enough to form a round loaf. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add a little more flour. Do not over-flour or over-knead!
Transfer dough to a medium, lightly greased cast-iron skillet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1½“ deep in an “X” shape.
Transfer to oven and bake at 425°F until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. You can check for doneness by listening to the loaf or by inserting a skewer into the center. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Fresh Raspberry Meringues

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

These can be charming when used as cupcake decorations, and they are also wonderful when topping our Sour Cream Cookies along with some fresh fruit. Add a dab of honey to hold them in place on the cookie tops if needed. (Recipe developed by La Bellitude for TABLE Magazine. Photography by Brooke Lark.)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh raspberries*
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites, room temp

Directions

Cook raspberries and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring often and crushing the berries as they cook. A potato masher or muddler works well for this. Remove from the heat when the mixture is syrupy. Strain it through a sieve into a measuring cup, pressing down on the berries to get as much juice as possible. Cool sauce completely.
Put egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the cream of tartar over top. Beat the egg whites til they hold stiff peaks. Carefully fold the raspberry sauce into the egg whites.
Spoon meringue into a frosting bag or ziplock bag, forcing the mixture to one corner of the bag. Snip 1/4″ from the corner of the bag and pipe onto the prepared pan, using a decorative topi if desired. Pipe out circles onto baking sheet at least 1” apart.
Preheat oven to 170°F, or the lowest setting on your oven. Place oven rack in the top of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Bake for 2 hours at 170°F, rotating the baking sheet after 1 hour so they will dry evenly. The meringues should not brown at all. Turn off the oven and leave meringues
in the oven for 2-3 hours to finish drying.
Meringues can be frozen for up to one month. If frozen, allow to thaw to room temp before serving.
* Frozen raspberries can be used in a pinch.

Sour Cream Cookies

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

A breeze to make and not too sweet. Decorate them with the raspberry meringue and fresh fruit, and they taste, look, and feel decadent. (Recipe created by La Bellitude for TABLE Magazine. Photography by Brooke Lark.)

Ingredients

2¼ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold
2 tbsp sour cream
2 eggs yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar

Directions

In a food processor, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the sour cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar until dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or piece of parchment and knead lightly to bring it together. Roll out between sheets of waxed paper and chill.
Remove wax paper from chilled dough. Cut the dough into desired shapes and place on parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or just until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack; sprinkle with powdered sugar or decorate with little raspberry meringues or whipped cream and fresh fruits before serving.

Raspberry Truffle Tartlets

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

Don’t wait for a special occasion to make these beauties. Any day will become special because you made them. And they are soooo easy. (Recipe developed by La Bellitude for TABLE Magazine.)

Ingredients

1 cup dark semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp raspberry liqueur
Fresh raspberries

Directions

Line a regular size muffin pan with unbleached parchment liners, two per cup.
To make the ganache, heat the cream just to a boil and then pour it over the chocolate slowly. Set aside to let chocolate soften. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the liqueur and pour into muffin cups, filling only ⅓ with the ganache.
Let ganache cool partially, then top with raspberries and refrigerate to complete cooling.
To serve, remove tartlets from the tin and remove the parchment cups.

French Mushroom Salad (Salade Des Champignons)

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

This delightful spring salad works just as well any time since mushrooms are available year round. They are gently “cooked” by the acid added to the cream just as seafood is in a ceviche, and the results are delicious. (This recipe was developed for TABLE Magazine. Photography by Dave Bryce)

Ingredients

⅓ pound white mushrooms, washed, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 bunch watercress
2 heads bibb lettuce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
herb of your choice

Directions

Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the cream; then add the garlic. Pour the dressing over the mushrooms and mix well. Cover tightly and leave to marinate for at least two hours.
Wash and separate the greens and arrange on salad plates. Toss the mushroom mixture to distribute dressing and taste for seasoning. Top each plate of greens with the mixture. Sprinkle with chopped herb of your choice just before serving. Parsley will do but tarragon is even better.

Hazelnut Avocado Semifreddo

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

A light but delicious make-ahead dessert that is a real treat in the summer but easy to make and fun to eat at any time of year. Wait til you taste the first crunch of hazelnut!

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
3 tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
Cooking spray
1 large avocado
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ cups heavy cream

Directions

In a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nuts and sugar mixture to the skillet. Stir constantly until sugar browns, 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving at least a 3” overhang.
In food processor, puree avocado flesh, condensed milk, lemon juice, and a pinch salt. Whip cream to stiff peaks; fold in avocado puree. Break up cooled hazelnuts if clumped and add them to the avocado mix. Pour into prepared pan. Cover with plastic overhang and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours. Slice in the loaf pan or unmold to a platter and slice.

Notes

Hazelnuts are tough to chop (and the processor doesn’t work for this) so I buy them already roasted and chopped from Freddie Guy Hazelnuts in Oregon. They keep well in the freezer and are great for salads and baking.

Polenta with Brown-Butter Balsamic Mushrooms

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

This is a delicious and very satisfying vegetarian recipe. It has also been known to turn mushroom-haters into fans. Do not use corn flour when making the polenta. Most recipes direct you to bring the water to a boil and then add the polenta. Adding it first and whisking as it heats ensures that there will be no lumps.

Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal, medium or coarse
6 cups chicken stock or water
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup shaved Parmigiana
8 oz goat cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream or as needed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 pounds mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (white or cremini)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh chopped basil, oregano, or tarragon

Directions

Measure the stock or water into a large pot; whisk in the polenta, making sure that there are no lumps. Put the pot onto a medium-high element and whisk until it just comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low.
Continue to whisk frequently until polenta just starts to bloom, that is, when it becomes a yellow liquid and not just corn floating in water. This can take up to 10 minutes for coarser grains. Cover with the lid just slightly ajar and cook until finished. The amount of time will depend on the grind of the polenta you use. Very coarse can take over an hour; finer grind may be 25-30 minutes. For all grinds, you will continue to whisk frequently until the polenta becomes too stiff to whisk. When this happens, change to a wooden spoon, making sure to whisk/stir the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. Taste for doneness when it thickens. You do not want the polenta to be al dente!
When you reach this stage, stir in the butter and season with salt to taste. Top with shaved cheese and a drizzle of olive oil or any other topping you choose.
Using a fork, mash the cheese and blend with enough cream to make a smooth spread. Depending on the cheese that you use, this should take 2/3 cup of cream. It should be creamy and able to be dolloped but not runny. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté minced garlic in olive oil about a minute. Immediately add mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Sauté mushrooms until soft and their liquid has cooked off, stirring often. Turn off heat and leave pan on burner to keep mushrooms warm.
While mushrooms sauté, make brown butter vinaigrette. Melt butter in a small pan over low heat until it turns a deep brown color, about 3-5 minutes. Remove butter from heat and cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the brown butter in a glass container and add balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over mushrooms and toss.
To serve, put the basic polenta (no toppings) in a bowl, top with mushrooms, and then top the mushrooms with dollops of the creamy goat cheese. Add chopped herbs if desired.

Notes

Barley Salad with Pom Dressing

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

This hearty salad can be the meal, or you could add roasted chicken or shrimp. For me it is fantastic without. Barley is my favorite grain for this dish.

Ingredients

1½ cups barley or 2 cups farro
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cumin
⅓ cup raisins
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
¾ cup feta, cut in cubes or crumbled
6 scallions, sliced thin, include green
½ cup pomegranate seeds or radishes (or both!)

Directions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add grain and 1 tablespoon salt, return to boil, and cook until tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Drain grain and spread onto rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Whisk oil, molasses, cinnamon, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add grain, raisins, cilantro, and hazelnuts and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread salad evenly on serving platter and arrange feta, scallions, and pomegranate seeds or radishes in separate diagonal rows on top. Drizzle with extra oil and serve.

Crusty Raspberry Chicken

Recipe by La Bellitude

Servings

servings

This is a great entree for an at-home dinner for two, maybe four, that needs virtually no attention during the cocktail hour. It will be in the oven roasting and preparing for the big event! (Recipe developed for TABLE Magazine. Photography by Dave Bryce).

Ingredients

¼ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
2 quarts water
4 chicken breast, skinless and boneless
1 leek
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 tsp raspberry jam
1 tbsp dried tarragon
¼ tsp white pepper
1 puff pastry sheet
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water

Directions

Stir salt and sugar into water in a large bowl until dissolved. Put chicken breasts into the brine and leave for 30-60 minutes. Remove and pat dry.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Slice leeks into thin rings and soak to clean if necessary. Mix dijon mustard, raspberry jam, and tarragon and set aside.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut into fourths. Stretch pieces if necessary so that they will wrap a chicken breast. Lightly sprinkle each chicken breast with white pepper.
Drain leeks and pat dry. Place ¼ of the leeks in the center of one puff pastry square. Top with ¼ of the jam mixture. Place a chicken breast on top. Moisten the edges of the puff pastry with cold water. Fold the edges up to form an envelope and press to seal. Place packet folded side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining three chicken breasts.
Mix the water and egg yolk. Brush the mixture on the top of each puff pastry packet. Bake at 375° until nicely brown, approximately 45 minutes.

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Buttermilk Soda Bread with Fennel Pollen