D.I.Y. Delicious: Recipes and Ideas for Simple Food From Scratch by Vanessa Barrington, Sara Remington
Authors: Vanessa Barrington, Sara Remington
Tags: Food
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finish cooking the remainder of the batter. Fill as desired and serve immediately. You can reheat them in a 250-degree-F oven wrapped in foil. Or wrap them well and store for 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.
Fresh Pasta with Asparagus, Homemade Cheese, and Lemon
This is such a wonderful way to enjoy spring asparagus and homemade cheese! The flavors and textures combine so well, you won’t believe how simple it is to make. This recipe is one that represents the principles of the D.I.Y. kitchen perfectly. Store-bought pasta and store-bought ricotta would make a fine dish, but not transformative, as this is
.
TIME REQUIRED:
15 minutes active (excluding butter, cheese, and pasta preparation)
YIELD:
4 to 5 servings
1 bunch (about ¾ pound) fresh, in-season medium asparagus
2 tablespoons Cultured Butter or store-bought butter, softened
½ pound Fresh Whole-Milk Soft Cheese , drained to a moist, slightly crumbly texture
3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, mint, chervil, savory, marjoram—anything you like)
1 lemon for zesting
1 pound Fresh Pasta or store-bought whole-wheat fettuccini
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grasp one end of each asparagus spear in each hand and bend until it snaps at its natural breaking point. Discard (or compost) the lower fibrous ends. Cut the remaining parts of the spears into bite-sized pieces. In a vegetable steamer, steam the asparagus until tender but still vibrant green, 2 to 3 minutes. Submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking, drain, and pat dry. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, put the softened butter in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, and have the cheese, chopped herbs, and lemon ready, as this dish comes together quickly.
Add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is tender but still chewy, 2 to 3 minutes (if using store-bought pasta, follow package instructions). Drain immediately, do not rinse, and add the pasta to the bowl with the butter. Toss to coat the pasta, and then add the cooked asparagus, cheese, and herbs to the hot pasta. Toss and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to plates. Using a Microplane, or the small holes of a cheese grater, grate lemon zest over each serving and top with a few grindings of fresh pepper. Serve immediately.
Crème Fraîche
Crème Fraîche is a wonderfully easy dairy product to make yourself. It’s perfect for beginners because success is virtually guaranteed. Making your own will save you a lot of money because store-bought crème fraîche is fantastically expensive. The basic technique is simple. Just warm up a little cream, culture it, and let it sit out at room temperature until thick. Crème fraîche is one of the more versatile items in the dairy world. Spoon a little over a creamy pureed vegetable soup like Artichoke Soup , drizzle it over Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes with Caramelized Apples , use it to top a fresh fruit cobbler, or simply dip fresh strawberries into it. Crème fraîche’s other nifty trick is that it can be cooked without curdling. I like to use yogurt as the culturing agent because I generally have it around, but you could also use sour cream or buttermilk. Ultra-pasteurized cream doesn’t culture properly because in pursuit of increased shelf life, it is superheated, which kills all desirable microorganisms
.
TIME REQUIRED:
10 minutes active; 12 to 24 hours passive
YIELD:
as desired
Fresh heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 tablespoon yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream per cup of cream
Pour the cream into a saucepan and turn the heat to low. Heat until slightly warmer than lukewarm (95 to 100 degrees F). Stir in the culturing agent and pour the mixture into a glass jar, such as a 1-quart mason jar. Fasten the lid and shake to blend. Leave it out in a warm area of your kitchen, such as near a pilot light or on top of the stove, for 12 to 24 hours. Check every 4 hours after the
Fresh Pasta with Asparagus, Homemade Cheese, and Lemon
This is such a wonderful way to enjoy spring asparagus and homemade cheese! The flavors and textures combine so well, you won’t believe how simple it is to make. This recipe is one that represents the principles of the D.I.Y. kitchen perfectly. Store-bought pasta and store-bought ricotta would make a fine dish, but not transformative, as this is
.
TIME REQUIRED:
15 minutes active (excluding butter, cheese, and pasta preparation)
YIELD:
4 to 5 servings
1 bunch (about ¾ pound) fresh, in-season medium asparagus
2 tablespoons Cultured Butter or store-bought butter, softened
½ pound Fresh Whole-Milk Soft Cheese , drained to a moist, slightly crumbly texture
3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, mint, chervil, savory, marjoram—anything you like)
1 lemon for zesting
1 pound Fresh Pasta or store-bought whole-wheat fettuccini
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grasp one end of each asparagus spear in each hand and bend until it snaps at its natural breaking point. Discard (or compost) the lower fibrous ends. Cut the remaining parts of the spears into bite-sized pieces. In a vegetable steamer, steam the asparagus until tender but still vibrant green, 2 to 3 minutes. Submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking, drain, and pat dry. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, put the softened butter in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, and have the cheese, chopped herbs, and lemon ready, as this dish comes together quickly.
Add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is tender but still chewy, 2 to 3 minutes (if using store-bought pasta, follow package instructions). Drain immediately, do not rinse, and add the pasta to the bowl with the butter. Toss to coat the pasta, and then add the cooked asparagus, cheese, and herbs to the hot pasta. Toss and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to plates. Using a Microplane, or the small holes of a cheese grater, grate lemon zest over each serving and top with a few grindings of fresh pepper. Serve immediately.
Crème Fraîche
Crème Fraîche is a wonderfully easy dairy product to make yourself. It’s perfect for beginners because success is virtually guaranteed. Making your own will save you a lot of money because store-bought crème fraîche is fantastically expensive. The basic technique is simple. Just warm up a little cream, culture it, and let it sit out at room temperature until thick. Crème fraîche is one of the more versatile items in the dairy world. Spoon a little over a creamy pureed vegetable soup like Artichoke Soup , drizzle it over Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes with Caramelized Apples , use it to top a fresh fruit cobbler, or simply dip fresh strawberries into it. Crème fraîche’s other nifty trick is that it can be cooked without curdling. I like to use yogurt as the culturing agent because I generally have it around, but you could also use sour cream or buttermilk. Ultra-pasteurized cream doesn’t culture properly because in pursuit of increased shelf life, it is superheated, which kills all desirable microorganisms
.
TIME REQUIRED:
10 minutes active; 12 to 24 hours passive
YIELD:
as desired
Fresh heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 tablespoon yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream per cup of cream
Pour the cream into a saucepan and turn the heat to low. Heat until slightly warmer than lukewarm (95 to 100 degrees F). Stir in the culturing agent and pour the mixture into a glass jar, such as a 1-quart mason jar. Fasten the lid and shake to blend. Leave it out in a warm area of your kitchen, such as near a pilot light or on top of the stove, for 12 to 24 hours. Check every 4 hours after the
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