The story below is from our March/April 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
The promise of spring provides a magical time in the kitchen, indeed.
Ashley Cuoco
Spring Chicken Salad
Swing open your windows and look outside! The sun is shining, birds are singing and the whole world is embracing the wonder that is spring. The promise of spring is a magical time to be in the kitchen especially since the ingredients in this season’s recipes may actually have a connection to royalty. White asparagus is truly special and is known in some circles as “the royal vegetable.” It is also known as “white gold” or “edible ivory.”
Tiny asparagus shoots are covered with soil so they are not exposed to sunlight, so they do not turn green as they grow. The result is a milder, delicate flavor. Truffles were King Louis XIV’s favorite treat and are still highly regarded as a food fit for a king. If you haven’t tasted elderflower, now is the time to indulge. Elderflowers are the flower of the elderberry bush and they taste delicately sweet with light floral notes. The flavor is so loved in the UK that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ordered a lemon elderflower wedding cake. Enjoy these recipes with a bit of royal flavor!
Spring Tarragon Chicken Salad
Yield: 4 servings
- 1.40 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 stalks celery, chopped fine
- ¼ cup whipping cream, whipped
- 1/3 cup sweet salad cubes
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- ½ cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place olive oil in a baking pan. Place chicken breasts in baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake chicken for 1 hour or until chicken is thoroughly baked. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Chop chicken and place in a mixing bowl. Add celery, whipping cream, sweet salad cubes, tarragon, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lemon juice and almonds. Stir to combine all ingredients with chicken. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Fresh Corn and White Truffle Oil
Yield: 3 servings
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 8 fresh Brussels sprouts, shaved on a mandoline or box grater
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon white truffle oil*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
Cook corn and remove corn kernels from husks. Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add white truffle oil. Put Brussels sprouts in melted butter/white truffle oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium high heat for one minute. The Brussels sprouts should be cooked, but still slightly crunchy. Reduce heat to low and add corn, 1 tablespoon butter and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed.
Ashley Cuoco
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Fresh Corn and Truffle Oil
Elderflower Orangina Spritzer
Makes 1 cocktail
- 3 ounces Orangina*
- 1½ ounces St-Germain Elderflower liqueur
- 3 ounces rosé sparkling wine
- Ice cubes
- Orange and lime slices for garnish
Place Orangina and St-Germain Elderflower liqueur in a cocktail shaker. Add ice cubes. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass filled with small ice cubes. Top with rosé sparkling wine. Garnish with orange and lime slices.
Southern Sour Cream Dill Potato Salad
The addition of capers and mustard gives this creamy potato salad a pleasantly tart taste.
4 – 6 servings
- 6 large new potatoes
- ½ ounce fresh dill, chopped fine
- 3 tablespoons non-pareil capers
- 1 stalk celery, chopped fine
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoons Boar’s Head brand Pepperhouse Gourmaise*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated onion
- ½ cup steamed fresh or frozen baby peas
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sweet salad cubes
- 1/3 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
Place new potatoes in a large pot of boiling lightly salted water. Cook until fork tender. Remove from heat, drain and allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine dill, capers, celery, sour cream, Dijon mustard, Gourmaise, salt, pepper, onion, peas, lemon juice, salad cubes and mayonnaise. Stir to combine. Cover and chill until ready to mix with potatoes.
Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pour the dressing over the potato cubes and stir to cover the potato cubes with dressing. Cover and chill. Serve potato salad very well-chilled.
*Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise is real mayonnaise with a touch of Boar’s Head Deli Mustard and a house blend of black, white, pink and green peppercorns.
White Asparagus Boursin Salad
4 servings
- 12 white asparagus spears, trimmed
- 8 gem lettuce leaves
- 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon olive oil*
- 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Place salad plates in freezer to chill. Steam asparagus spears, until cooked but still a bit crunchy. Chill asparagus.
Place 2 gem lettuce leaves on each salad plate. Place 3 asparagus spears on top of lettuce on each plate. Sprinkle asparagus with crumbled Boursin cheese. Drizzle Boursin cheese with lemon olive oil and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
To toast pine nuts: Preheat to 350 degrees and bake the nuts on a baking sheet about 5 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Don’t leave the oven because they can burn easily. Sprinkle pine nuts with a little sea salt as soon as you remove them from the oven.
*Buy it local:
- White truffle olive oil: Oliveto Artisan Oils and Vinegars
- Orangina: Fresh Market (in the bottled beverage section)
- Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise: Kroger or online
- Lemon Olive Oil: Oliveto Artisan Oils and Vinegars
The story above is from our March/April 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!