Spring is a marvelous time for entertaining, and I like to make the most of the seasonal produce like fresh asparagus. This elegant little torte is delicious and unusual, but highlights the lovely flavor of spring’s best asparagus. I add just a little lemon zest and shallot to bring out that freshness because I find the addition of herbs or spices unnecessarily overpowers the … [Read more...] about Spring Asparagus Torte
Spring
Lemon Lavender Curd Crumble Cake
There is no question this is an indulgent cake. But it is also thoroughly worth the indulgence. A butter rich dough filled with a simple lemon curd under a rubbly top studded with lavender. The original recipe for this which I cut from a magazine years ago is called Belgian Lemon Tea Cake, I don’t know why. This cake appears so simple and unassuming, but slice into it and there … [Read more...] about Lemon Lavender Curd Crumble Cake
Green Spring Vegetable Soup
Spring is busting out all over, and so too are the first hints at the green vegetables of the season – asparagus and green peas, balanced with leeks and fennel and fresh herbs. This delicious soup makes the most of all the lovely shades of green that are so evocative of spring, and best of all wastes nothing. It’s perfect for the early days of the farmers market or a spring CSA … [Read more...] about Green Spring Vegetable Soup
Strawberry Popovers with Whipped Vanilla Bean Butter
When I was growing up, there was a very nice restaurant in Memphis that served an eclectic mix of southern, French and Hungarian food. My family went there for brunch after church all the time (and later in life I served on a board that had meetings there for lunch). The staple specialty of this place was popovers with strawberry butter. The table was always served a basket of … [Read more...] about Strawberry Popovers with Whipped Vanilla Bean Butter
Leek, Lemon and Goat Cheese One Pot Pasta
A few years ago, I started reading about “one pot pasta” recipes on the internet. I pinned a couple, and was a little curious, but didn’t jump right on the bandwagon. I’ve never really thought of boiling the pasta separately as an overburdensome task. But then I did think about dirty dishes. I do A LOT of dishes, and many of my recipes have been streamlined to dirty as few as … [Read more...] about Leek, Lemon and Goat Cheese One Pot Pasta
