First of the season strawberries are in our local Bay Area farmers markets.  Not only do they taste great, but they are so nutritional, as well – packed with Vitamin C, magnesium, Vitamin A, potassium and folate. 

One of my favorite springtime recipes combines these sweet strawberries with the tart taste of my favorite balsamic vinegar.  I add a little hint of spice by grinding black pepper over the top.  And to make it even better, I add a spoonful of creme fraiche just before serving.   

Ingredients
4 baskets fresh strawberries, washed, de-stemmed and cut in half
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I normally use 12-year-old vinegar in this recipe.)
1/4 c. sugar (or to taste)
1 c. crème fraiche
2 T. brown sugar
Black pepper in grinder

Mint for garnish (optional)

You will also need:
Large and medium mixing bowl
Aluminum foil
Mixing spoons
Carving knife
Festive dishes for serving

Instructions
Combine strawberry halves with balsamic vinegar and sugar. Toss to mix. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate.

Mix crème fraiche and brown sugar. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate.

Take berries out of refrigerator about fifteen minutes before serving. Stir well.

To serve, place strawberries into a festive glass or dish. Sprinkle with freshly-cracked black pepper (if desired). Drop a dollop of crème fraiche over the top. Add fresh mint for garnish.

Serves 8.

Ingredients
14-15 medium stalks asparagus, washed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 strips bacon (such as Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon), optional
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped scallions
6 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

You will also need:
roasting pan
large spoon or oven-safe spatula
small skillet (for bacon)
oven-safe skillet (I use stainless steel or cast iron.)
mixing bowl
whisk

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Break the bottoms off the asparagus stalks (they will break at their natural breaking point).  Trim the asparagus into 1″ long pieces.  Coat the asparagus with olive oil and spread the pieces out on the roasting pan.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Stir and continue to roast for another 5-10 minutes until the asparagus is tender, lightly browned and fragrant.  Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium-low heat until it is crisp.  Remove it from the pan and drain onto paper towels.  When cool, crush the bacon with your hands into small pieces and set aside. 

Heat the butter in the oven-safe skillet and add the scallions.  Cook over medium heat until the scallions are translucent.  Add the bacon bits and the asparagus and stir together. 

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.  Pour into the skillet with the asparagus.  Stir together and cook for about 4 minutes until the eggs are slightly scrambled and the bottom starts to get a little crusty.  Sprinkle nutmeg over the top.  Remove from the stove and place into the oven.  Cook for about 15 minutes until the eggs are set.  Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread.

Ingredients
1/2 loaf of sourdough bread, sliced
1 ½ T olive oil

2-3 T olive oil
2 T sweet onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb. assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
½ t. chopped fresh oregano, plus whole oregano for garnish
1 T crème fraiche
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

You will also need:
Baking sheet
Pastry brush
Small bowl
Bread knife
Chef’s knife
Sauté pan
Large spoon
Small spoon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425^oF (218 C).

Brush sourdough slices with olive oil. Bake at 425^oF (218 C) for about 10 minutes, until toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds longer. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add the fresh oregano and remove from the heat. Add the crème fraiche and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Spread the mushroom mixture on the toast and garnish with a sprig of oregano.

Serves 8 as appetizers.

Ingredients
Fresh canteloupe or honeydew-style melon, peeled and sliced
1/3 lb. prosciutto or serrano ham, thinly sliced
2 cups arugula (organic, if possible), washed and dried
2 T sweet onion, finely chopped
3 T olive oil
1 T vinegar (champagne, chardonnay or red-wine preferred)
Coarse sea salt (such as fleur de sel) and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

You will also need:
Medium-sized mixing bowl
Salad tongs
Glass for mixing salad dressing
Spoon
Chopping knife
Nice platter or individual dishes for serving

Instructions
Wrap each piece of melon with a thin piece of prosciutto or ham. Place each one onto the serving platter or individual dishes. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the onions.

Put the arugula into the mixing bowl and set aside.

In the glass, mix together the remaining onions, olive oil and vinegar. Add a generous sprinkling of the sea salt and the pepper. Stir until it comes to a nice smooth consistency. Drizzle half of the oil mixture over the prosciutto and melon.

Pour the remainder of the olive oil over the arugula. Mix well.

Using the tongs, add the arugula to the salad platter or individual plates (experiment to make it look great). Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Ingredients  
1/3 cup currants or chopped raisins
4 T port wine
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 lb. chicken livers, cleaned
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. sea salt (fine), or to taste
Pepper to taste
½ t. fresh thyme

Fresh bread or sliced apples

You will also need:
Small bowl
Skillet
Slotted spoon
Food processor
Terrine

Instructions
Soak the currents or chopped raisins in port wine overnight.

Melt half of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the livers. Sauté for about three minutes on one side, then turn them onto the other side. Sauté them for about three minutes longer. The centers of the chicken livers should be cooked but still slightly pink. Remove the chicken livers with a slotted spoon and put them into the food processor.

Drain the currants and add the port wine to the skillet. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for about 1 minute over medium-high heat. Pour over the chicken livers and process until smooth.

Stir in the remaining butter and the currants, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pack the mixture into a terrine. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with bread or apple slices.

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds peeled and grated yellow (waxy) potatoes
3 ounces (6 T) melted butter
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley, for garnish

You will also need:
Skillet
Grater
Knife

Instructions
Peel and coarsely grate the potatoes. Combine the potatoes with the melted butter, salt and pepper and mix well. Heat a 10-inch saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the potato mixture, forming a cake shape. Cook the potatoes until they are golden brown. Flip the “cake” and cook the other side until it is golden brown. Remove from the pan and garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more to oil the bowl later
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Approx. 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

You will also need:
1 large bowl for mixing
Fork
Whisk
Spoon for stirring, preferably wooden
Floured board
1 large oiled bowl (use olive oil) for rising
Plastic wrap
Rolling pin
Pizza peels or rimless baking sheets
Cornmeal for dusting the peels or baking sheets
Pastry brush
1 pizza stone (placed into oven and preheated at 500oF for one hour prior to cooking pizza) or a wood-fired pizza oven
Tongs

Instructions
To make the dough:

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in a large bowl. Stir with a fork to blend. Let stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly.

Whisk in olive oil and salt. Add 2 ¼ cups flour and stir until dough starts to come together. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed (could be as much as ½ cup) so that the dough loses it stickiness. Shape into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl. Turn dough to coat with oil, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours.

To roll out the dough:

Lightly flour a board or smooth surface. Divide the dough in half for 2 large pizzas or in thirds for three medium pizzas. Roll out one piece of the dough starting at the center and rolling away from you, turning a quarter turn after each stroke. Don’t worry too much about the shape – having it an irregular shape will add to the appeal! Continue to roll out until the dough is about ¼” thick. Repeat with the other piece(s) of dough.

To assemble the pizza:

Dust a pizza peel or a baking sheet with cornmeal. Transfer the rolled-out dough to the dusted peel or baking sheet. You are now ready to add your chosen ingredients.

To bake the pizza:

Preheat pizza stone in a 500oF oven for one hour before baking the pizza. Or, if using a wood-fired oven, make sure that it is up to approximately 500oF (or higher).

Immediately slide the pizza from the peel or baking sheet onto the pizza stone. Bake until crust is crisp and browned, about 7-8 minutes in a 500oF oven.. Remove from oven and slide back onto peel or baking sheet using tongs. Add any finishing touches called for in the recipe, such as fresh arugula, truffle oil, finishing salt, etc.

Slice and enjoy!

Note: Recipe makes enough dough for two large or three medium pizzas. When just starting out, I recommend separating the dough into thirds after it has risen and making 3 medium pizzas.

Ingredients
1 cup farro
4 cup chopped red onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and cut into small pieces
¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup hot water
4 cups mushroom stock
½ cup white wine
4 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 handful Swiss chard leaves, chopped
1 cup parmigiana reggiano or grana padana cheese, grated
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

You will also need:
Large skillet
Paring knife
Bowls
Large spoon
Stock pot
Slotted spoon

Instructions
Melt olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add red onions and sauté until onions start to soften. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for a few more minutes. Add farro and let cook, stirring, for about two minutes. Pour in the wine and about a cup of the stock. Let cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost all absorbed.

Meanwhile, with a slotted spoon, remove the porcini mushrooms from the liquid, reserving the liquid. Slice the porcinis into small pieces and add to the farro mixture. Pour in the reserved porcini liquid, making sure to strain out the sand. Add the roasted red peppers and Swiss chard.

Keep adding stock, a cup at a time, until the farro is tender.

When the farro has absorbed the liquid and is tender, turn off the heat and add the butter and cheese. Stir well to incorporate. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serves 3-4 people.

Ingredients
8 ripe black mission figs, quartered if large or halved if small
¼ lb. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into bite-sized pieces.
¼ lb. gorgonzola cheese (experiment – try Gorgonzola Dolce, Roaring 40’s, Oregonzola and others)
2 T. fig balsamic sauce (optional)
2 cups Piave Vecchio cheese, grated
2 cups fresh arugula

2 rounds of pizza dough, rolled out

You will also need:
Cornmeal for dusting
Olive oil for the rim
Pastry brush
Pizza peel or rimless baking sheet
Tongs

Instructions
To assemble the pizza:

Place pizza dough on pizza peel dusted with cornmeal. Since this recipe makes enough topping for 2 pizzas, arrange half of the prosciutto pieces on top of the pizza dough. Add half of the figs. Add a few pieces of gorgonzola cheese. Drizzle 1 tablespoon fig sauce over top of the pizza (optional). Top with 1 cup grated Piave Vecchio cheese.

To bake the pizza:

Slide pizza into either a 500 degree oven with a pizza stone or else a wood-fired pizza oven. Bake for about 7-8 minutes, until crust is browned and crisp.

To top the pizza:

After pizza has cooled slightly, top with 1 cup fresh arugula.

Slice and serve. Note: Recipe makes enough topping for two pizzas.

Ingredients
For the pesto:
3 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano cheese
Sea salt

For the mushroom topping:
About 2 cups fresh shitake mushrooms, cleaned
2 T chopped red onion or shallot
1 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella cheese, grated

2 rounds of pizza dough, rolled out

Cornmeal for dusting

You will also need:
Medium sauté pan
Food processor
Plastic wrap
Tongs
Fork
Pizza cutter
Chef’s Knife

Instructions
To make the pesto:

Toast pine nuts on the stove in a dry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Watch closely to ensure that they do not burn. Let cool. In a food processor, combine pine nuts, basil and garlic until well chopped. With motor running, add oil through the top. Stir in cheese and salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

To prepare the mushroom topping:

Clean the mushrooms with a mushroom brush. Slice any larger ones so that they are all fairly uniform in size. Sauté chopped onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they start to soften. Add mushrooms and cook for about five minutes until the mushrooms are cooked throughout. Salt to taste. Let cool. They are now ready to use on the pizza.

To assemble and bake the pizza:

Place rolled out pizza dough onto pizza peel or rimless baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Brush the dough with 1 Tablespoon of pesto. Since this recipe makes enough topping for two pizzas, arrange half the mushrooms and onions on top of pizza dough. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the mushrooms. Brush the rim with olive oil. Slide the pizza onto a preheated pizza stone or into a pre-heated wood-fired oven. Bake until the pizza crust is browned and crisp, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with another Tablespoon of the pesto sauce.

Slice and serve immediately.

Note: Recipe makes enough topping for two medium pizzas.