Spring recipes burst with the fresh flavors of such foods as artichokes, asparagus, chives, leeks and so many more delectable choices. Garden-to-kitchen recipes can include yummy seasonal vegetables that provide both a toothsome meal and a nutritious one as well. Courtesy of skilled restaurant chefs, here are several delightful spring recipes that you can try from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Spring Bibb Salad, Eddie Wiles, Executive Chef, Nose Dive Restaurant, Greenville, South Carolina
4C Bibb lettuce, chopped
3 slices Watermelon radish, thinly sliced
2T Mixed cherry & grape tomatoes
1 T Feta cheese, crumbled
2 oz Honey Balsamic vinaigrette
To make vinaigrette:
1 T Roasted garlic
1 C Honey
2C White Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Whole grain mustard
1 T Canola oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a blender, except Canola oil. Slowly add the oil while blending, until emulsified.
Pimento Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad, Chef Phill Powers, The Bristol Hotel, Bristol, Virginia
The Bristol Hotel’s signature restaurant, Vivian’s Table, is a cozy space for street-level dining and drinks among family and friends. Chef Phill Powers, known for combining international and regional cooking styles with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, is at the helm. Pimento Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad marries fresh ingredients and soulful Southern fare. It’s hearty yet refreshing, making it the perfect dish for spring.
• 3 pounds red potatoes, medium dice
• 8 oz crumbled bacon
• 2 cups aged cheddar, shredded
• ¾ cup mayonnaise, Duke’s brand preferred
• ½ cup pimento peppers, small dice
• 2 Tbs Vidalia onion, minced
• 2 Tbs scallions, sliced
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• Dash tabasco, or your favorite hot sauce
• As needed salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Wash, peel and diced potatoes.
2. Boil potatoes in salted water just until fork tender and allow to cool.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients in separate bowl.
4. Fold cooled potatoes into the cheese mixture and season as needed.
5. Garnish with pimentos and sliced scallions serve with sweet bread and butter pickles
6. Enjoy.
Whole Grilled Branzino, MILA Miami, Miami, Florida
For the dish
1ea while branzino
3 slices of lemon
.5 grilled lemon
1 sprig of time
TT salt
10g olive oil
2g cilantro
Method
- Score the skin of the branzino 3 times on each side
- Stuff the branzino with thyme, lemon slices, salt, and olive oil
- Carefully place branzino on grill and leave until it sadly can be flip to other side, it can take about 7min on each side
- Once both sides are crispy, with a knife check the flesh for cooking preference, if it needs more time cover remove from grilled and place in aluminum foil and put back on the grill
Spring Panzanella, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens, Fulton, California
A perfect salad is a symphony of textures and flavors with some cooked elements, some raw, a quality olive oil mixed with citrus, luscious Marcona almonds, and crusty hunks of toasted bread (croutons) throughout. Pair this salad with the refreshing acidity of the Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Gris.
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
· 2 cups fresh spinach
· 1 cup raw, shelled English peas
· 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1” strips at a bias
· 8 fingerling potatoes, quartered
· 1 bunch radishes, greens removed, quartered
· 2 stalk rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces at a bias
· 1 cup mint leaves
· ½ cup dill, chopped
· 2 shallots, sliced thin
· 1 cup Marcona almonds
· 2 cups fresh sourdough, cubed
· quality olive oil for dressing, roasting
· juice of two lemons
· salt/pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven for 350’ F. Prep potatoes and radishes for roasting on a baking sheet, coat with a lug of olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are just browned. Toss in rhubarb and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat in a bowl, set aside. Using the same pan, toast bread for 15 minutes until just browned but still soft in places.
2. In the basin of a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, peas, asparagus, mint, dill, shallots, and almonds. Stir to combine. Add room-temperature baked radishes and potatoes. Stir in preferred quantity of olive oil (1/4 cup or more) along with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to coat. I like to use my hands for this part. Finally, add the toasted bread and mix again. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes for bread to soak up the dressing and herby notes.
Mahi Taco, The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village
- Sear Florida fresh mahi with Cajun seasoning.
- Top with house pickled onion (see below), julienned cabbage, avocado crèma (see below) and organic cilantro micro greens.
Pickled Onion Recipe
- 1 large red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1–2 tablespoons sweetener (such as maple syrup, honey, sugar, etc.)
- In a small saucepan*, stir together the vinegar, salt and your desired amount of sweetener. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a simmer.
- Place the thinly-sliced onions in a small bowl. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions. Stir until combined. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Avocado Crème Recipe
- 2 avocados
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 Mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon tahini paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- Mix all together as serve.