Wine Country-Inspired Spring Recipes

Chef Gerry Hayden and pastry chef Claudia Fleming have worked in some of New York City's best restaurants.

Now they're married, and in charge of the North Fork Table and Inn in Southold, N.Y., in Long Island's wine country.

They shared recipes for some of their favorite spring dishes Tuesday as The Early Show continued its latest "Culinary Inspirations" series, which draws on the talent of some of the show's favorite chefs and cookbook authors.

Hayden and Fleming form an amazing culinary team. Their personalities and talents compliment each other, both in and out of the kitchen. Watching them prepare food in the kitchen is similar to watching a dance. They have a quiet way of communicating with each other. It is, observers say, amazing and indicative of their relationship. They even catered their own wedding reception.

They left the hurried Manhattan lifestyle and headed out to Long Island's wine country, where they run a small bed and breakfast with a large restaurant attached.

The North Fork Table and Inn is, they say, their labor of love. Fleming says she loves their slower life, and cooking and doing the things she's really wanted to do.

This isn't the first time Hayden and Fleming have teamed in the kitchen. In 2002, they owned and operated Amuse in Chelsea. The restaurant did well, but they both seemed to have had their fill of Manhattan living.

Hayden honed his culinary skills under the direction of noted chefs such as Charlie Palmer of Aureole, and David Burke and Don Pintabona, formerly of Tribeca Grill.

Hayden knows his way around when it comes to entertaining groups large and small.

Add Fleming to the mix and you have a perfect match when it comes to getting the meal done.

She is the James Beard Award-winning former pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern, and author of "The Last Course," a cookbook all about the art of the dessert, published in 2001.

TERMNINOLOGY

Rhubarb: This is the beginning of rhubarb season. After a long winter, seeing this bright color in the grocery store is certainly a sign of warmer weather to come. Although a vegetable, rhubarb is eaten as a fruit, cooked and sweetened with sugar. It is also called pie-plant, because the slender stalks make a delicious pie filling. Discard the leaves and roots, which can be toxic. Select crisp, firm young stalks and store them, wrapped, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

Asparagus: Since asparagus starts losing flavor from the time it is cut, it's best cooked the day it's purchased. Wash thoroughly and cut off all hard ends. Asparagus will keep, tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, up to four days in the refrigerator, or stored standing upright in a container with about an inch of water covered with a plastic bag.

Risotto: This Italian rice dish is delicious. It does, however, require some attention in the kitchen. You can't just walk away from the stove when you're cooking it. Risotto is a creamy rice dish made with short-grain or arborio Italian rice. The rice is gently cooked in butter or olive oil. Liquid, usually broth, is then added, a small amount at a time, until the rice is cooked and bathed in creamy liquid. Risotto must be stirred almost constantly to release the starch from the rice, so the starch thickens the broth, giving the dish its characteristic creamy consistency. Arborio rice is a stubby, short-grain polished rice grown in Italy's Po valley. Its particular starch composition makes it the preferred rice for Italian risotto. This short-grain rice is perfect for dishes that are expected to absorb the flavor of the liquid in the recipe. Risotto takes more careful cooking than other rice dishes, since the liquid is usually added gradually as the dish is cooking on the stove. Risotto rice should be cooked al dente.

For Hayden and Fleming's recipes, go to Page 2.RECIPES

Rhubarb Crostada with White Chocolate Strawberry Cream

Pastry
2 cups ap flour
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4oz ) butter (very cold)
2 oz vegetable shortening or lard (I store mine in the freezer)
1/4 cup ice water

Rhubarb filling:
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 3 cups)
2 inch piece vanilla bean, split and scraped of pulp (save pod for another use)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar

To make pastry
1. Put the butter in the freezer while measuring other ingredients. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and shortening, pulse until it's the size of small peas. Add water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a work surface and gather together to form a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 15 inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 mins.

Rhubarb filling
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together vanilla pulp and sugar, using you fingers to rub vanilla into sugar to evenly disburse vanilla. In a large bowl, toss together rhubarb, vanilla sugar and cornstarch.

Brush egg wash in a 2-inch band around the edge of the dough. Fold the border up over the rhubarb leaving the center exposed. Brush outside border with eggwash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 40-45mins until crust is golden and rhubarb is thick and bubbly.

White Chocolate Strawberry Cream
4 oz white chocolate (I use amedei), finely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

1. Place white chocolate in a small bowl.

2. Put 1 cup of the heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring to boil. Pour over white chocolate, allow to sit 1 minute and whisk till smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, placing the plastic on the surface of the chocolate. Refrigerate 6-8 hours, or overnight.

3. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream, strawberry preserves and chilled white chocolate cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat to soft peak. Serve with rhubarb crostada.

Spring Asparagus Butter
4 oz. asparagus peelings
2 oz. spinach leaves
4 oz. Chicken broth home made preferred
1/2lb. unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 tablespoon salt
Pinch freshly ground white pepper

Bring chicken broth to a boil, add asparagus peelings, spinach, salt and pepper. When the peelings and spinach are completely wilted, whip in butter and whisk till completely incorporated. Transfer to a blender and puree completely smooth. Pass trough a fine mesh strainer. Chill immediately to retain color. Reserve to be folded into risotto.

Asparagus Risotto
1lb. asparagus peeled ends trimmed (peelings reserved for butter) cut on a bias 1-inch in length
2 cups Carnaroli rice preferred if not Arborio
1 tablespoon Shallot minced
1/2 stick butter + 1 tablespoon
2 qts. Chicken broth home made preferred
4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water till al dente (a slight bite exists), shock in ice water till cold and remove from water, place in a container lined with a paper towel to absorb excess water and reserve. Bring chicken broth to a boil, Melt butter in a heavy bottom pot, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly until butter completely coats rice and rice slightly toasts, add white wine and bring to a boil. Cook until wine has absorbed into rice and add 1/4 of the chicken stock, stirring constantly until stock is absorbed. Season with S&P and continue adding small amounts of stock and stirring until absorbed and rice is al dente (a slight bite exists). Add 3 Tablespoons of the asparagus butter, heat thoroughly, add asparagus and heat thoroughly, finish with parmesan cheese, adjust seasoning and serve.

Roasted Cod with 10-Spice Glaze and Curry Oil Garnished with a Salad of Sweet Pea Greens and Spiced Almonds
24 oz. cod fillet 4-6oz. portions
3 Tb. 10 spice glaze
3 Tb. curry oil
1 Tb. spiced almonds
2 Tb. canola oil
1 Tb. butter
2 oz. pea greens or shoots
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Heat canola oil in a sauté pan and season cod fillets with S&P, add cod and cook on one side for 5 - 8 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Half way through cooking, after fish has become golden brown, add butter and reduce heat slightly so not to burn butter but rather brown it and use it to baste fish. Remove fish from pan and place on plate lined with paper towels. In a small mixing bowl, place pea greens and almonds and add 1 Tb. curry oil, toss. Place fish on 4 plates and top with salad. Take remaining curry oil and 10-spice glaze and spoon each around fish distributing equally.

10-spice glaze
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground star anise
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/4 tsp. ground green cardamom
1/4 tsp. dried lavender
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground fennel seed
1/2 oz. fresh peeled ginger root smashed
3 Tb. lemon juice
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced
1 clove garlic
3 Tb. soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tb. chopped cilantro

Place all ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook till reaches a syrup consistency. Strain and cool, can keep refrigerated for up to a month. Great for fish and meat

Curry oil
1 cup grape seed oil
1Tb. madras curry powder
1 tsp. water
1 Tb. fresh ginger peeled and minced
1 stalk lemon grass minced

Make a paste with curry powder and water, add ginger and lemongrass, place in pot and add oil. Heat slowly, whisking, and heat till warm to the touch. Pour all ingredients in a container you will throw away later, let it sit for 2 days refrigerated before using. To let flavors bloom, oil and ingredients will separate and use oil only.

Spiced almonds
1 cup sliced blanched almonds
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well. Place on a baking sheet and in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees, bake until golden brown, remove cool and keep in a zip lock bag in your freezer for up to a month.

Roasted Long Island Duck Breast with Hedgehog Mushrooms and Black Truffle Puree
4 ea. - 6oz. boneless Long Island duck breasts scored on fat side. This is achieved by using a paring knife and cutting through the skin just enough to expose the fat, not enough to cut to meat, making hatch marks on the skin side.
1 clove garlic
1 branch fresh thyme
1 lb. hedgehog mushrooms brushed of excess dirt and quartered
1 Tb. minced shallot
1 Tb. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Tb. butter
1 cup chicken broth preferably home made
1 Tb. malden sea salt
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Black Truffle puree
2 oz. dried black trumpet mushrooms soaked in warm water overnight
1/4 cup sliced shallots
3 peeled garlic cloves
1 Tb. fresh thyme leaves
2 cups chicken broth preferably home made
3 Tb. truffle oil
4 Tb. butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large sauté pan, heat butter and slightly brown it. Add shallots and garlic, cook till golden, add mushrooms and thyme leaves, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a blender and puree smooth while blending add truffle oil and incorporate completely, reserve in sauce pot, warm with cover.

Season duck breasts with S&P and place in a moderately hot pan, skin-side down, and cook on skin side adjusting heat as needed so not to scorch skin but to achieve a golden brown color. Pour off excess fat as it renders. (The cooking and timing of the doneness of the ducks will depend on the thickness of the ducks. 12-15 minutes of cooking in the pan should yield a medium rare to medium temperature.) Half-way through the process, add the clove of garlic and the thyme branch and with some of the fat that is rendering continually baste the breasts and after 3/4 of the cooking flip the ducks on the meat side and finish cooking and basting. Remove ducks and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm and allow to rest.

In the same pan remove garlic and thyme branch and add mushrooms. Cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes and add the shallots and thyme. Continue to cook roughly 2-3 more minutes and season, add broth and bring to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook until most of liquid is absorbed. Spoon a tablespoon of black truffle puree onto 4 plates and with the back of the spoon spread into a circle, top with the hedgehog mushrooms dividing equally among the 4 plates then arrange the duck breast slices over the mushrooms sprinkle with grains of sea salt and serve.

For more recipes, go to Page 3.Assortment of Roasted Beets, Catapano Goat Cheese and Salted Pistachios
3-bunches baby chiogga beets (trimmed of leaves and washed well)
3-bunches baby gold beets (trimmed of leaves and washed well)
3-bunches baby red beets (trimmed of leaves and washed well)
4 oz. Pistachio nuts
2 oz. Pistachio oil
1 oz. Micro amaranth
3-cloves garlic peeled
1 large sprig thyme
1lb. Catapano fresh goat cheese
4 oz. Sherry vinegar
6 oz. Canola oil
6 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 oz. Fleur de sel

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place beets in a bowl toss with canola oil just to coat lightly, season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting dish with garlic and thyme cover with foil and cook until tender when a small knife is inserted in to the center of the largest beet. Remove, take off foil and let cool in refrigerator. When cool enough to handle, peel beets of there skin removing just the thin outer layer. Cut into quarters and keep them in separate containers and refrigerate. In stainless steel bowl place sherry vinegar a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk in the remaining oils leaving a tablespoon of canola oil for roasting pistachio nuts and reserve. In a bowl place pistachio nuts and 1 tablespoon canola oil toss and season with salt place on a baking sheet and bake until well toasted about 4-5 minutes.

Assembly: In three separate bowls, toss the beets with a generous amount of sherry vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a large oval platter, layering to get a nice blending of colors, crumble goat cheese over the top of beets, top with pistachio nuts and drizzle pistachio oil over the top. Garnish with fleur de sel and amaranth.

Vidalia Onions and Rainbow Swiss Chard
3 bunches large rainbow Swiss chard (washed well, trimmed of stems and torn into small pieces)
2lb. Vidalia onions (peeled and julienne)
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 Tablespoon picked thyme leaves
2 tablespoons butter cut into small cubes
1 oz. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a heavy-bottom shallow sauce pot (roughly 12 inches in diameter), heat oil and add onions and garlic, cook until golden brown about 5-6 minutes, add butter and thyme, cook 1 minute and add Swiss chard leaves. Toss with onions and cook until completely wilted, season and remove from pot into a decorative bowl.

Pomegranate Glazed Berkshire Pork Loin
1 (5-6lb. ) Berkshire pork loin (trimmed of excess fat and tied by your butcher)
4-cloves garlic chopped
4 oz. Pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon Colman dry mustard
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
3 oz. Canola oil
1 Tablespoon of chopped rosemary
Salt and black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F. In a small stainless steel bowl, combine pomegranate molasses, dry mustard, garlic, rosemary and maple syrup whisk well and reserve for basting the pork. Rub pork loin with oil to coat, lightly season well with salt and black pepper and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Place in oven and cook at high heat for roughly 20-25 minutes until pork has started to get golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, continue to cook another 20 minutes and check temperature of pork. If it is at 145 degrees internally, use pastry brush to generously brush on pomegranate glaze and cook another 6-7 minutes, check internal temperature and remove pork when it has reached 160 degrees. Add the rest of the glaze to the roasting pan and mix with the juices of the pork. Continue to baste with the glaze while the pork is resting. After 15 minutes slice the pork and arrange on a platter and spoon some of the glaze over the slices.

Vanilla whipped sweet potatoes
6 large sweet potatoes (washed well)
1 vanilla bean split and scraped of pulp (reserve pod for other use)
4 oz. butter
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes until tender when inserted with knife to the center (about 45 minutes). Remove from oven, split in half and scrape into a bowl. Bring cream vanilla and butter to a boil and add to potatoes and beat smooth with electric mixer, season with salt and pepper and serve in a bowl as a starch for pork.