Raw Artichoke Salad

Sliced very fine on a mandoline, artichoke hearts make a refreshing and very pretty salad. We love to use the smallest artichokes for this dish but the full grown versions can also be used. The trimmings can be simmered in a flavorful stock, strained and the resulting broth seasoned with crème fraîche for a simple and delicious artichoke soup. These two can be combined, a ladle of hot soup with a garnish of raw salad to great effect.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 people

  • 6-8 small artichokes: hearts trimmed out and placed immediately into a bowl of acidulated water. The leaves, stems and chokes can be reserved for soup.

  • 2 cups parsley leaves

  • Juice from 1 lemon or 3 Tablespoons Verjus

  • 3 Tablespoons peppery olive oil

  • Good sea salt

Preparation

Prep: 10 min • Ready in: 10 min

Acidulate a bowl of water with a half a lemon or a splash of vinegar and drop the trimmed artichoke hearts into it as you prepare them. Collect the trimmings in a separate bowl and put these to simmer in a flavorful stock if you want to make the bi-product recipe described in the introduction.

Using a mandoline, set at the finest setting, slice the trimmed artichoke hearts into a bowl and toss in the parsley leaves. Dress these with the olive oil, Verjus or lemon juice and a good pinch of salt.

Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen

Green Garlic and Spring Onion Alfredo Sauce

This harbinger of spring is best served on our Roan Mills Organic durum spaghetti, the flavor of the whole wheat compliments the marriage of cream and allium.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 people

  • 1 bunch green garlic, sliced fine to make 2 cups

  • 1 bunch spring onions, sliced fine to make 1 cup

  • 1 Tablespoon butter

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 4 Tablespoons chervil chopped fine

  • 10 ounces Roan Mills organic Durum Spaghetti

  • Sea salt

Preparation

Prep: 10 min • Cook: 10 min • Ready in: 20 min

Put a pot of well salted pasta water to boil over high heat.

Meanwhile add the butter to a 10” skillet over high heat and when it foams up toss in the chopped green garlic and spring onion, stir and when it becomes fragrant add the cream. Bring this to a fast simmer and stir constantly to keep from boiling over as the cream reduces and thickens slightly. Toss the pasta into the boiling water and cook for five minutes. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta into the skillet with the sauce, combine well, salt to taste and toss in the chervil. Serve immediately while piping hot.

Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen

Orange and Hazelnut Crumb Cake

This is an unusual and delicious cake that we discovered at Camino Restaurant in Oakland and were directed to Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookbook for the recipe. It is so easy to make and relies on breadcrumbs and ground nuts so no fear of overworking the batter. Our breadcrumbs are made from our own heritage whole wheat flour and bring extra flavor and color to the cake and we use ground hazelnuts instead of almonds though either will work well here. We serve this with our own kefir cultured creme fraiche and slivered, candied orange peel.

Ingredients

Serves 10 people

  • ⅔ cup olive oil

  • ¾ cup of toasted, ground hazelnuts

  • ½ cup Roan Mills Breadcrumbs

  • 2 Teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 ⅓ cups sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 orange, zest and juice

  • 1 lemon zest and juice

  • 3 whole cloves

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • Crème fraîche for serving

  • Candied orange peel for serving

Preparation

Prep: 10 min • Cook: 40 min • Ready in: 50 min

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper and brush the bottom and the sides of the pan with olive oil. In a bowl mix together the ground nuts, crumbs, baking powder and 1 cup of the sugar. In another bowl mix together the eggs, olive oil and zest. Combine these together and scrape into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

While the cake is baking make the citrus syrup by combining the spices, the rest of the sugar with the juice and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the syrup begins to thicken a little. Once the cake has cooled a little remove the sides of the springform pan and place the cake on a sheet pan. Poke small holes all over the top of the cake and drizzle the syrup over it slowly, allowing the syrup to absorb. Leave the cake to rest at room temperature, it will keep for several days at room temperature covered with a cake cloche. To serve top a slice with a dollop of crème fraîche and a few strands of slivered candied orange peel.

Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen