How disappointing can it get when one is reduced to looking for a dripping roof as a sign of spring? My usual harbinger of spring, a clump of snowdrops by the front step, was unfortunately still buried in a snowdrift from our Ides of March blizzard at the time of the official arrival of spring on Monday.
Fortunately, there are already daffodils and tulips in the store to cheer us up for the seasonal change. Our pair of blue and yellow primroses from Green Thumb has graced our dining table now for a couple of weeks, brightening mealtimes in their blue-and-white dish. Somehow we feel a need for color after the stark black-and-white landscape of winter. It may be a bit unseasonal yet to switch to bright salads, but even relatively hearty mealtimes can be brightened by the addition of some colorful ingredients or decorative touches.
Home cooks have rediscovered a battered breakfast dish that is easy and fast and has a number of colorful toppings, depending whether one favors a sweet or savory breakfast. This dish is the traditional Dutch Baby, which can be made with a variety of colorful toppings.
Fruit-topped Dutch Baby
Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and set it to 450 degrees. In the meantime, in a medium bowl beat 2 eggs until foamy and blend in ½ cup milk, 1 tbsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. lemon rind, ½ tsp. salt, and ½ cup flour mixed with ½ tbsp. corn starch. Carefully remove pan from oven and coat with buttery cooking spray and 1 tbsp. butter. Pour in the egg batter and bake 18-20 minutes, or until puffy and brown. Cut up 1 pint of fresh strawberries and toss with 2 tsp. powdered sugar and ¼ cup slivered almonds. Remove baked Dutch Baby from oven, top with strawberry mixture, and serve warm. Instead of strawberries, use blueberries or some other colorful berries, or cut-up fruit.
Asparagus-and-bacon Dutch Baby
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Trim fresh asparagus and cut in ½-inch pieces to make 1 cup. In a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet, crisp 6 slices of bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain most of the fat and cook the asparagus in a hot pan for 1 minute and set aside. In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs with 2/3 cup milk, 1 tbsp. olive oil, ½ cup flour, ¾ tsp. salt, and a dash of cayenne. Grate ½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese and toss with bacon and asparagus. Preheat cast-iron skillet in oven 3 minutes, melt 1 tbsp. butter, pour in egg mixture and cover with asparagus-bacon mix. Bake for 12-13 minutes and serve hot. Variations of the recipe can be made with only bacon or by substituting broccoli florets for asparagus.
Cauliflower-and-Stilton bisque
In a 3-quart pot, combine 1 small onion chopped, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 small potatoes cubed, 3 cups cauliflower florets, 1 stalk celery chopped, 1 tsp. thyme, and 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. When slightly cooled, puree with 1 cup half-and-half, return to the stove to heat before serving. Serve garnished with 2 oz. Stilton cheese crumbles, chopped chives, and pomegranate seeds for a colorful, appetizing soup.
For an easy and colorful Friday-night supper- skip the pizza and serve a pan of colorful hearty nachos:
Hearty sausage nachos
Brown ¾ lb. hot Italian sausage without casing for 6-8 minutes, breaking the meat in small pieces. Add 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped. Stir in 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed and 1 tsp. oregano and cook until warm for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2-3 tsp. finely chopped picked jalapeno and 3 chopped scallions. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread with 8 oz. tortilla chips. Spoon sausage mix over the chips and sprinkle with 2 ½ cups grated Pepper Jack cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Top with ¾ cup each fresh salsa and sour cream.
Keeping meals bright may not make the snow melt any faster, but it may convince us that genuine spring can’t be too far ahead.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro. She is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less Than $5.00 a Day: The Smart-Frugal Food Plan.” For more information, go to winicov-harrington.com.)
