Serving Up Fresh and Hearty Dishes for April

Wet April weather calls for hearty dishes that make the most of the season’s fresh fruits and vegetables. This month’s recipes, provided by the Classic Catering People, meet all your culinary conditions.

Recipes by Chef Bryan Davis of The Classic Catering People

Blueberry Clafouti

Ingredients:

3 pints blueberries, washed and drained

8 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of fine salt

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place blueberries in the bottom of a small rectangular glass pan (about 8×10 inches).
In a medium bowl, crack eggs and whisk lightly. Add sugar and continue whisking until mixture thickens and is pale yellow. Add milk and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add a pinch of fine salt and whisk to incorporate. Pour mixture over berries.
Bake on the center rack of the oven until it has puffed and the center bounces back when lightly pressed, about 45 minutes, rotating once.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting. Slice into equal pieces and gently remove from pan with a spatula or cake server. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Rosemary Black Garlic Lamb Loin

Ingredients:

2-4 ounces lamb loin (skin on)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (diced)

2 tablespoons cracked mustard (Dijon)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons black garlic

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Marinate lamb with rosemary, mustard, salt, pepper, black garlic and olive oil one hour before searing. In a sauté pan, sear lamb on high heat until brown on both sides. Finish in oven to medium rare.

Sweat Pea Goat Cheese Galette

Ingredients:

1 large Yukon Gold potato (sliced very thin)

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Salt and pepper

2 ounces pea puree (recipe follows)

Instructions:

Brush a cast iron skillet with oil after pan is hot. Add sliced potatoes, covering each by half and overlapping in pan to cover the pan with one layer. After two layers, brush with oil, salt and pepper. Add pea puree in the center. Do not spread. Apply another layer of potato, pressing lightly so pea pushes slightly to the edge. Bake at 450°F for 25 minutes.

Pea Puree

Ingredients:

1 pound spring peas

1/2 pound Capricorn Farms goat cheese

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

2 ounces caramelized onions

Instructions:

Puree all ingredients together.

Purple and White Asparagus and Pea Tendril Salad with Creamy Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 large purple asparagus (tips)

2 white asparagus (tips)

1 ounce pea tendrils

4 yellow pearl tomatoes (roasted)

4 red pearl tomatoes (roasted)

4 red roasted pearl onions (roasted)

1 ounce coralline endive

2 ounces Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Instructions:

Lightly roast tomatoes, onions and asparagus for 10-15 minutes at 350°F. Let cool, add pea tendrils and endive, and toss together with dressing.

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together until smoothly blended.