Add the cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, lime juice, onion and some salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until blended together. You want the salsa to maintain some texture, but it should still be smoother than it would be if you were chopping by hand. Pour into a bowl and serve. The salsa will also keep, covered, in the refrigerator for several days, though the flavors will get stronger.
½ cup finely crushed butter crackers (such as Ritz), plus more for serving
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, horseradish and Old Bay until relatively smooth. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, add the crab and gently fold it in.
Stir in the scallions and bell pepper until just combined. Spread the mixture into a 1 quart oval baking dish.
In a small bowl, toss the cracker crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the baking dish.
Bake until brown and bubbly, about 15 to 17 minutes.
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise (about 1 ½ cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise Juice and zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and boil for 5 minutes. Add the peas and boil for 3 minutes more. Finally, add the sugar snap peas and cook until the sugar snap peas and the orzo are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain and rinse the orzo and vegetables under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and pat dry. Pour the orzo and vegetables into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest. Whisk in the olive oil to make a smooth dressing and stir in the herbs.
Drizzle the dressing over the orzo and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve. The salad can also be made earlier in the day and refrigerated, though you may need to loosen it up with a bit of buttermilk before serving.
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3 cups coarsely chopped fiddleheads (washed and trimmed)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
¾ cup sour cream Milk, for thinning the sour cream
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions and season with the sugar, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden color, about 15 minutes. You may have to adjust the heat while you cook so the onions don’t burn. With tongs, remove half of the onions to a small bowl and reserve.
Add the flour and thyme to the saucepan and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the fiddleheads and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the fiddleheads are very tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Puree the soup with 1/2 cup of the sour cream in batches in a blender (or with a hand held immersion blender right in the pot). Thin the remaining ¼ cup sour cream with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, to the consistency of heavy cream.
To serve, ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls. Drizzle each serving with some of the sour cream and swirl in some of the reserved caramelized onions.
Put the chicken breasts, skin side up, in a pot just large enough to hold them. Add enough water so that the chicken is covered by 2 inches and drop in the garlic cloves. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool in the poaching liquid. Remove the skin and bones and chop or tear the chicken into small chunks. (You can save the poaching liquid for a soup stock.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, honey, curry and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chives. Refrigerate while you assemble the rest of the salad.
Place the greens on a large platter and top with the chicken, cucumber, avocado, radishes, almonds and apricots. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and season with salt and pepper.
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the baguette
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 cups quartered strawberries
12 cups fresh baby spring greens, spinach, arugula and romaine
1 (5 ounce) log fresh goat cheese
¼ cup toasted salted sunflower seeds
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the baguette slices to a baking sheet and toast them in the oven at 400 degrees until crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Brush the bread lightly with olive oil while still warm and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the snap peas to the boiling water and cook until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and rinse them under cold water. Pat dry.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, chives and some salt and pepper. Add the quartered strawberries and let sit a minute while you get the rest of the salad together.
Spread a chunk of goat cheese on each baguette slice.
Add the greens and snap peas to the strawberries. Season with salt and pepper and place on individual serving plates. Add 2 goat cheese toasts to each plate and serve.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Juice and zest of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound leftover cooked salmon (such as Up River Salmon page 000)
½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped cornichons or gherkins (but not sweet gherkins, you want sour here)
8 slices multigrain bread, lightly toasted
½ cup thinly sliced English or other seedless cucumber
2 big handfuls baby arugula
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, dried dill, granulated onion and some salt and pepper. Flake in the salmon in large chunks and add the celery and cornichons. Toss gently with a fork, just to lightly dress the salmon without breaking it up too much. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lay out 4 slices of bread and top each with the sliced cucumbers, a scoop of salmon salad, and some arugula. Top with the remaining bread and cut each sandwich in half with a serrated knife.
