Spring Tastes For Supper

Something simple. Crisp crostini for dinner. If we were having guests this might have been an appetizer selection but tonight the straight from the garden freshness seemed just right for us. I started with those beautiful radishes from our neighbor's yard and turned the leaves (I just couldn't throw them away, they were way too beautiful) into a bright, slightly bitter pesto (radish greens, pecorino cheese, garlic, olive oil, almonds, lemon zest, crushed red chiles --just a pinch --S&P) which topped creamy Pt Reyes Farmstead fresh mozzarella. The radishes themselves I combined with a pea and fava bean purée (blanched fresh peas, double shelled (and quickly boiled) fava beans,  mint leaves, lemon juice, pecorino cheese, olive oil, S&P) on little crisps of garlic rubbed toast. Springy, light, delicious.

Dinner With Denny

I needed an easy, make-ahead, look like I can do it in my sleep kind of dinner for a friend of James' that was coming to dinner. Costco had a big tray of scallops on a super sale. I figured I could build a dinner around them.

We started off with a tray of cheeses and paté easy and always a hit. And, another good excuse to use our home candied kumquats. Then for our meal I steamed some asparagus and dressed them with sliced blood oranges, olive oil, sesame oil, and toasted hazelnuts.
Though they got a little crispy on top these baked scallops really are the ultimate convenience food. With the oven set to 375º I melted some butter with white wine and snippets of prosciutto and sliced garlic in an enamel pan. Then I added in the scallops and coated them in the sauce, and topped the whole dish with crumbled ritz crackers (I can hardly believe it myself) and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The scallops baked for 10 minutes and then I put them under the broiler for 3 (should have been two) to crisp.
As a second side dish I pulled our a recipe I have been saving for eons. Roasted radishes. The trimmed radishes are sautéed for two minute sin hot oil and then put into a 500º over for 15 minutes to cook through. Then back on the fire I added in butter, lemon juice, and the reserved radish greens just until they wilted. The radishes were the hit of the night. Now there is a seldom heard phrase. But, it'll be more common around here soon.