Green Spring Risotto

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Ina Garten

Alice Husband-Tested this recipe in Ellen’s Kitchen

While visiting my good buddy, Ellen, we made this delicious risotto.  It was absolutely delectable!  We prepped the ingredients before cooking it and then while I stirred, Ellen seared some scallops to go with.  What a lovely way to celebrate the best of spring.

1½ Tablespoons good olive oil


1½ Tablespoons unsalted butter


3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)


1 cup chopped fennel


1½ cups Arborio rice


2/3 cup dry white wine


4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade


1 pound thin asparagus


10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted or 1½ cups shelled fresh peas


1 Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese 


½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving


3 Tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving (Optional)

Cut the asparagus diagonally in 1½-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.) Place the asparagus on a dry towel. Set the asparagus and the peas aside.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks
and fennel and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until
tender.

Add the rice and stir for a minute to
coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter.

Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has
been absorbed.

Add the chicken stock, 2
ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives.

Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

Honey Vanilla Mascarpone Cream Topping

Makes 1 cup

Recipe from foodnetwork.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s a nice, easy way to serve some fresh seasonal fruit as a dessert without heating up the stove or the oven.  Make this in advance of a party or pack a little dollop with your lunchbox fruit.

1 cup mascarpone cheese

2 Tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (optional, but nice)

2 Tablespoons (or more) heavy cream

Seasonal Fruit (I used plums and blueberries.)

In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, the honey, the vanilla, the vanilla seeds (if using), and the heavy cream until well blended.  If the mixture seems too thick, thin it a bit with some heavy cream.

Berry Sweet Treats

Recipe adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We attended an outdoor summer wedding a few years ago.  I’ve tried to replicate one of the appetizer/treats which were served along with champagne and finger sandwiches.  The original was an unflavored cracker topped with some sort of jam and then layered with a bit of cream cheese or crème fraiche, a fresh blackberry and a toasted hazelnut.  They were just fabulously simple! Here’s my version.

Water crackers (or any other unflavored cracker)

Berry preserves or jam or jelly

Mascarpone cheese or cream cheese, room temperature

Heavy cream

Toasted slivered almonds

Fresh raspberries

On each cracker, spread a teaspoon of berry preserves.  In a separate bowl, whisk just enough cream to the mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese) so that it can be easily dolloped onto the cracker.  Sprinkle the berry preserves with some toasted almonds.  Dollop about 1 teaspoon of mascarpone cream on top of the berry/almonds.  Place a raspberry on the top and serve.

Raspberry/Blackberry Shortcake, Mascarpone Cream with Raspberry Framboise Sauce

Serves 6 (with some shortcake leftover for another dessert)

This is a very easy dessert to make, but it looks so elegant and tastes just dandy!  All the components can (and should) be made ahead so that you can enjoy your guests because this is definitely a summer party treat.  When it's dessert time, just assemble all the components on pretty plates and voila!  Other Husband-Tested Recipes using blackberries are:Blackberry Vodka Gimlets; Blackberry Sorbet; Blackberry Cornbread Tartlets with Ricotta Cream; Plum Blackberry Streusel Pie; Meringue Chantilly & Pastry Cream with Cognac


Sauce Ingredients: (Makes 2 cups...more than you'll need for this dessert.)
3 pints fresh raspberries or blackberries (divided)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons Framboise (raspberry brandy) (optional)
Shortcake  Make the cake as directed and then once it has cooled, cut the cake into rounds using a biscuit cutter.
Mascarpone Cream Make the cream as directed and store in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the sauce:
Place all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Crush the berries.  (I used an old fashioned potato masher.)  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and then simmer until

To assemble, place a shortcake round on a pretty plate.  Top with a generous dollop of mascarpone cream.  Place berries on top and then drizzle 2 Tablespoons of sauce on the plate around the cake.

Summer Fruit in Mascarpone Cream

Recipe from pastry chef and cookbook author Elinor Klivan

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

4-5 servings

Well, you know how it’s been outside. It’s just too hot to bake anything. I made this dessert for some friends for a birthday celebration instead of baking a cake. I used a mixture of pitted cherries from Lost River Market & Deli, blueberries and raspberries from our garden and gooseberries from the farmers market. However, this mascarpone cream mixture could be used with any summer fruit. This dessert will definitely make a great impression with your guests. Assemble this dessert in glass goblets or tall sundae glasses so the gorgeous layer of fruit show through. Mascarpone is a rich, fresh, creamy cheese found in the dairy case. The original recipe called for cassis, which is a blackberry liqueur. I didn’t have any, so I substituted framboise, a raspberry brandy. You could use brandy or leave it out altogether, if you like, because the cream and the fruit are the stars of this delicious treat.

Ingredients:

2- 3 cups summer berries (gooseberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries) or summer fruit, (peaches, nectarines, plums) cut up

8 ounces chilled mascarpone (can be found in the dairy case usually near the cream cheese)

1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cassis (blackberry liqueur) or framboise (raspberry brandy) or brandy (optional)

Directions:

Have ready 4 or 5 glass goblets. Set aside some of the fruit for the garnish.

In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and cassis liqueur until smoothly blended.

Using half of the mascarpone cream, divide it evenly among the 4 or 5 goblets. Dividing the fruit evenly, spoon the remaining over the cream. Spoon the remaining cream over the fruit. Top each serving with the reserved fruit. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or as long as overnight. Serve cold.

Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root and Mascarpone

Bon Appétit | November 1997 Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen Serves 10

I served this dish when our son, Kurt and his wife, Marimar were with us during the holidays. Celery root looks like a vegetable that came from an alien planet, but once it's peeled, cubed and put in soups or as in this recipe along with potatoes, you're sure to make it a staple in your fall/winter repertoire. It lends a very nice celery flavor to these creamy potatoes. The mascarpone cheese can be found just down the aisle from celery root at Lost River Market & Deli. It makes these mashed potatoes especially rich tasting!

3 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 whole peeled garlic cloves plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Place potatoes, celery root and whole garlic cloves in large pot. Add enough cold water to cover vegetables. Salt the water and bring to boil. Cover partially and boil until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain.
Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until almost smooth. Add minced garlic, mascarpone and butter; beat until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.)