5 minute read
High Five Recipes for Spring
By Leigha Staffenhagen
Spring is springing, and we’re here to embrace the cooking fun! These recipes celebrate the bounty of Skagit spring, embrace zero-waste cooking, and show some rainbow Pride for the month of June. As always, these High Five recipes call for just 5 ingredients or less and are an easy way to spend less time in the kitchen and more time out enjoying spring in the Magic Skagit!
Asparagus Tart
Recipe adapted from House of Nash Eats
When bright green spears start popping out of the dirt and reaching for the sky, you know it’s spring in the Valley. This tart is perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, or really any spring celebration that calls for a fancy but simple appetizer.
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 bunch of asparagus, washed, tough ends trimmed off
3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to the temperature on the puff pastry package. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the puff pastry to fit the size of the baking sheet—be careful not to rip the pastry. Using a fork, poke holes through the puff pastry for a more even bake.
Spread the Dijon mustard in a thin layer all over the pastry.
Sprinkle shredded Gruyere evenly over the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides, so you have a crust.
Arrange asparagus spears parallel to one another on the puff pastry.
Top with a layer of parmesan cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is puffy and golden. Cut in and enjoy!
Queso Fundido
Recipe adapted from The Modern Proper
Fiesta time or any time, this queso fundido is cheesy, meaty, and perfectly spicy—exactly what you want for a Cinco de Mayo dip!
1 lb Co-op Chorizo Sausage
4 oz can chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups of grated cheese, blend of Oaxacan, Monterey, Pepper jack or whatever you prefer
1 cup pico de Gallo
Additional pantry ingredients: cilantro for serving, your favorite tortilla chips for dipping
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook chorizo in an oven-safe skillet (we suggest cast iron), breaking into crumbles. Drain the fat, and set aside 1/4 of the chorizo, leaving remaining chorizo in the pan.
Add green chiles and stir to combine. Cover the chorizo and chiles with the cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Remove the skillet from the oven, top with the reserved chorizo, pico de gallo, and cilantro. ¡Buen Provecho!
Avocado + Black Bean Salad
Recipe adapted from Co+op
To balance out the cheesiness of the Queso Fundido, enter this light and bright salad!
15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly cut red onion
2 large avocados, diced
4 oz queso fresco or cotija cheese
Additional pantry ingredients: 1 clove garlic, 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tbsp avocado oil, salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine black beans, grape tomatoes, red onions, and queso fresco. Toss to mix.
In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and salt to taste.
Whisk to combine.
Add the diced avocado to the black bean mixture, then pour the lime juice mixture over it. Toss to mix and serve.
Zero-Waste Strawberry Syrup
Recipe from PlantYou
One might assume that strawberry tops are useless, but something tells me that you scrappy, zero-waste food cooperators probably know otherwise. And you’d be right! Those strawberry tops still have a ton of flavor in them and deserve the chance to be enjoyed, too. This zero-waste strawberry syrup can be used to enhance so many things, from pancakes and yogurt to mocktails and baked goods.
2 cups of strawberry tops (sub in some cut strawberries if needed)
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
Directions:
Add the ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil and then a simmer.
Strain the liquid into a bowl, and compost the strawberry tops.
Return the strained liquid to the pot and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until it has thickened to a syrup-like consistency.
Allow the sauce to cool and use immediately or store in a mason jar and refrigerate. Due to the high sugar content, this syrup should keep well.
Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
June is for Pride and, of course, rainbows. These fruit skewers are a fun way to celebrate the month and all the fun outdoor meals that spring brings along with it.
1 kiwi, peeled and cut crosswise into 4 rounds
1 large orange, peeled into segments
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
12 strawberries
Additional pantry ingredients: dark chocolate bar (yes, this is a pantry item!)
Directions:
Cut kiwi rounds and orange segments into 3 pieces—you should end up with 12 pieces of each fruit.
Prepare the chocolate dipped strawberries: using a double boiler method, melt 1/2 a bar of dark chocolate. Cool slightly before dipping the tips of the strawberries in the chocolate. Set aside on a waxed-paper lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Prepare the skewers: place 2 blueberries 1/3 up the skewer, followed by a piece of kiwi, pineapple chunk, piece of orange, and a chocolate-dipped strawberry.
Simple Rhubarb Bars
Recipe from West Coast Kitchen Garden
This is the year you finally give rhubarb a try! These simple rhubarb bars are sweet and a little tangy, but a simple way to cook this sometimes-intimidating vegetable. Yes, vegetable!
1 cup rolled or quick oats
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
2 cups rhubarb, sliced in 2-inch pieces
Optional (but not really): a pint of Co-op vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 glass baking dish with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine oats, flour, and brown sugar and mix until combined. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the dish.
Spread the rhubarb evenly across the dish and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars begin to brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 9 pieces. Then go à la mode!
