Fruit, Veggie-Loaded Easter Dinner
Spring fruits and vegetables are finding their way back onto grocery store shelves now.
So, what better ingredients for an Easter dinner?
On The Early Show Tuesday, cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie offered recipes for a tasty meal for the day.
She shared her ideas at the flagship store in Manhattan of specialty home furnishings retailer and The Early Show partner Williams-Sonoma.
The menu? Roasted asparagus salad, glazed ham and a light strawberry cake.
ASPARAGUS SALAD
The key to this dish is roasting the asparagus in the oven to really bring out its full flavor
GINGER-PEACH HAM
Ham is a very traditional Easter dish. You can buy ham in a variety of sizes. A whole leg typically weighs about 15 pounds and will serve 20 to 24 people. You can also buy half of a ham leg, which weighs 7 to 9 pounds. You can even buy a smaller, boneless leg that's easy to slice. Two things to avoid when buying ham: anything labeled "country ham," which is very, very salty, and anything labeled "picnic ham," which is less tasty, lower quality ham. Of course, you can always buy a spiral-cut glazed ham, but it's going to be much more expensive.
When you buy ham, it's actually already cooked; in theory you could eat it right away. But it's much better to heat it through first, and add flavors. Ritchie suggests scoring the ham with a knife and slipping small pieces of cinnamon sticks right into the ham. She then bakes the ham in the oven: 10 minutes a pound at 325 degrees. About two-thirds of the way through cooking, pull the ham from the oven and apply a glaze. Spread the glaze on the ham and pop it back in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
The ham can be eaten hot or at room temperature.
STRAWBERRY GENOISE WITH WHIPPED CREAM
Genoise is a very light cake made with eggs, sugar, a bit of flour and butter. It's similar in texture to sponge cake. Ritchie had a baked, round cake on a board. She showed how to cut the cake in half. That step can seem intimidating, but Ritchie demonstrated a trick to do it successfully. Once cut in half, you want to brush the cake with a mixture of sugar syrup and kirsch, a cherry-flavored brandy. Finally, you frost the cake (including a middle layer) with a delicious combo of whipped cream and strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
RECIPES
ROAST ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH CHÈVRE
Pass hot, crust-seeded semolina or whole-grain bread at the table for mopping up extra dressing from the plate.
1 1/2 lb. asparagus
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
About 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
For the dressing:
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3 to 4 Tbs. snipped fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 green onions, including about 2 inches of the green portions, chopped
7 to 8 cups mixed baby salad greens
2 cups cherry tomatoes, red or mixed red and yellow, stems removed
1/4 lb. herbed goat cheese (chèvre), cut into
6 slices
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil.
Snap off any tough ends from the asparagus spears and trim the break with a sharp knife. Using a vegetable peeler and starting just below the tip, peel the skin off each spear, down to the end. Arrange the spears in a single layer on the prepared pan, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil. Roast until tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, olive oil and mustard. Stir in the chives and season with pepper.
Spoon about 2 Tbs. of the dressing over the asparagus and let stand while tossing the salad.
In a large bowl, gently toss together the green onions and the salad greens. Add the tomatoes. Drizzle just enough of the dressing onto the salad so the greens glisten and toss again. (You may not need to use all of the dressing.) Immediately mound the salad in the center of large individual salad plates. Place a slice of chèvre on top of each mound of greens and arrange asparagus spears around the perimeter of each plate, dividing them equally. Drizzle a few extra drops of the remaining dressing over the chèvre. Serve immediately.
Serves 6.
Adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Everyday Roasting," by Janeen Sarlin (Time-Life Books, 1998)
For the other recipes, to go Page 2.GINGER PEACH-GLAZED HAM
The ham tastes great hot and even better served at room temperature, when the cinnamon flavor is more pronounced. For the best flavor, look for peach preserves made with just fruit and sugar and no artificial ingredients.
5 cinnamon sticks, each about 6 inches long
1 precooked smoked ham, about 15 lb.
2 cups dry white wine
For the glaze:
1 jar (15 oz.) peach preserves
1 Tbs. minced pickled ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground dry ginger
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 head chicory (curly endive), separated into
leaves
Preheat an oven to 325°F.
Break the cinnamon sticks into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces. Using a sharp knife, cut 8 or 9 horizontal slits, each 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep and running at an angle in the upper, more fatty side of the ham. Slip the cinnamon-stick pieces into the slits, poking them into the meat.
Set the ham, cinnamon side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour the wine into the bottom of the pan and tent the ham with aluminum foil, sealing the edges securely. Bake for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the peach preserves, pickled ginger, dry ginger and mustard. Stir well and heat until the preserves melt, forming a glaze.
After 2 hours, remove the ham from the oven and poke any loose cinnamon sticks back into the meat. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Stir about 2 Tbs. of the pan juices into the glaze to thin slightly. Then spoon about three-fourths of the glaze over the top of the ham. Sprinkle 2 Tbs. of the brown sugar on top of the peach glaze, then pat it with the back of a spoon so that it clings to the meat.
Return the ham to the oven and continue baking for 1 hour more, then baste with the pan juices and spoon the remaining glaze over the top. Pat with the remaining 2 Tbs. brown sugar. Continue to bake until the glaze is browned and bubbly and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 140°F, about 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 25 minutes before carving.
Transfer the ham to a large platter and garnish with the chicory. Beginning at the large end of the ham, carve across the grain into thin slices and arrange them around the platter. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Serves 20 to 24.
Adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Brunch Entertaining," by Janeen Sarlin (Time-Life Books, 1999).
POTATO AND ONION GRATIN
The potatoes, onions and garlic in this crusty gratin require a good deal of baking time for absolute tenderness. Make sure the baking dish you choose is large enough for the top of the potatoes to be well below the rim; otherwise, the milk and cream may bubble over.
The potatoes should be sliced to a uniform thickness so they cook evenly. A mandolin is a good tool for slicing the potatoes. Any leftovers can be reheated in a 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 lb. baking potatoes, peeled and thinly cut crosswise into slices of uniform thickness
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 white sweet onion, peeled, halved lengthwise and each half thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 1 1/2 to 2-quart rectangular or oval baking dish.
Sprinkle the garlic over the bottom of the prepared dish. Layer half of the potato slices, in overlapping rows, over the garlic. Season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread the onion slices evenly over the potatoes, then layer the remaining potato slices over the top, arranging them attractively. Carefully pour the milk over the potatoes, moistening all of the potato slices as you do. Then pour 1/2 cup of the cream over the potato slices, being careful to moisten all of the slices. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Bake until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, golden brown on top, and have absorbed most of the milk and cream, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. During the first 40 minutes of baking, baste the potatoes every 10 minutes by tipping the dish a little and scooping up the liquid with a large spoon. Be sure to baste all of the potato slices so that an even golden coating forms. During the last 20 to 40 minutes of baking, baste the potatoes every 10 minutes with the remaining 1/2 cup cream, again being sure to coat all of the slices. You may not need all of the cream.
Remove from the oven and serve directly from the dish.
Serves 4.
Adapted from "Chuck Williams Collection, Simple French Cooking," by Chuck Williams (Time-Life Books, 1996)
STRAWBERRY GÉNOISE WITH WHIPPED CREAM
The génoise, a light, elegant sponge cake, is one of the building blocks of French baking, used as a base for both layer cakes and jelly rolls. The successful leavening of the cake depends solely on how much air is whipped into the eggs. Heating the sugar and whole eggs before whipping helps the eggs attain the maximum volume possible, although a slightly denser, still satisfying, version of the cake can be made without this step. Some génoises, such as this recipe, contain a little butter, which tenderizes the crumb.
For the génoise:
4 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
For the filling and finish:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. kirsch
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp. confectioners' sugar
3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into
1/2-inch slices, plus 6 strawberries,
halved lengthwise, for garnish
To make the génoise, preheat an oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar by hand until combined. Place the bowl over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan. Gently whisk until the mixture registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Put the bowl on the mixer and beat with the whisk on high speed until the mixture is pale and almost tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the flour over the egg mixture in 2 additions and carefully fold in with a large rubber spatula. Fold a large dollop into the melted butter, then fold back into the egg mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the top of the cake is browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Run a table knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a work surface. Turn the cake right side up, leaving the parchment paper in place. Cut the cake into 2 equal layers. Put the top layer, cut side up, on a serving plate.
To make the filling and finish, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, stir together the kirsch and sugar syrup. Brush the cake with about half of the syrup. Whip the cream and confectioner's sugar to soft peaks. Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl. Fold about one-fourth of the cream into the berries. Spread the mixture evenly on top of the cake. Position the remaining cake layer, cut side down, on top. Peel off the paper. Brush with the remaining syrup. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
Thinly slice 1 strawberry half and place it in the center of the cake. Arrange the remaining halves around the edge of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 8 to 10.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Cake," by Fran Gage (Simon & Schuster, 2003).