WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MARCH 22, 2018 17
EASTER
HOW TO FRESHEN UP YOUR CUISINE
For food fanatics, spring is the
perfect time of year to add fresh
produce back into your recipes
and meals.
Using seasonal ingredients can
really help capture and enhance
the fl avors of spring and bring your
cuisine to life. Whether you’re using
fi rst yields from your garden or visiting
the farmers market as soon as it
opens, there are plenty of ways to take
advantage of the season.
Here are recommendations for taking
your spring cuisine to a new level:
• Spruced-up salads: Healthy greens
start to appear early in spring and are
a great companion to nuts. Try topping
a chopped Arugula salad with walnuts
or adding pecans to Dandelion greens.
Radicchio is delicious with almonds
and apples. Using nuts can easily expand
your salad horizon.
• Top it off : Springtime brings garden
fresh herbs; and parsley and basil
are great fl avors to fi nish many dishes.
Chop up parsley with some Fisher almonds
for added texture and taste. The
Fisher Nuts Freshness Seal Bag has a
re-sealable closure that will keep the
left over nuts fresh aft er the package
is opened.
• Upgraded spice rub: The great
spring weather makes it easy to fi re
up the grill. Add some ground nuts to
your spice rub next time you’re cooking
meat. The nuts can mellow some of
the heat from the spice and add needed
richness to the mix.
STRAWBERRY CROSTATA
WITH WALNUTS
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
The dough:
2 cups all-purpose fl our, plus some
additional
for rolling out the dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
and chilled
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
THE FILLING:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pints strawberries, hulled and split
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated
sugar, divided
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup Fisher Walnut Halves,
coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Dough: In the food processor, combine
fl our, sugar, salt and lemon zest.
Pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse
until crumbly. Add cold water and pulse
only to combine. Form into an 8-inch
long cylinder (about 2 inches in diameter)
and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Filling: Heat a large saute pan
over high heat. Place a baking sheet
next to the stove. When the saute pan
is fairly hot, add the butter for the fi lling.
When it melts and foams slightly,
add the strawberries. Toss to coat with
the butter and add 1/4 cup sugar, lemon
zest and juice. Toss to blend and allow
some of the liquid to escape from the
berries and reduce. Aft er 2 minutes,
sprinkle with cornstarch, reduce heat
to medium and cook, stirring for an
additional 2 minutes. Transfer to the
baking sheet. Spread the strawberry
mixture out so it cools faster and refrigerate
until very cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator
and cut into 8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a circle that is
about 6 inches in diameter and about
1/8-inch thick. Flour lightly under and
on top of the dough as you roll it.
5. Meanwhile, remove strawberry
mixture from refrigerator and transfer
to a fi ne strainer placed over a bowl.
Strain strawberries so that almost no
liquid remains with the berries, being
sure not to crush the fruit.
6. Arrange the tart rounds in a single
layer on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon
walnuts onto the center of each
round. Divide the cooked strawberries
evenly among the dough circles. Fold
the sides up tightly around the fruit to
form a purse, making the fruit the center;
they will open slightly during baking.
Cover the opening left aft er folding
with a few more walnuts. Refrigerate
circles if they become too soft to handle.
7. Place the baking sheet in the center
of the oven and bake until golden
brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with
any remaining walnuts. Sprinkle
with sugar for added texture. Let cool
on baking sheet for 5 minutes then
transfer to serving plates using a wide
spatula. Serve immediately.
Courtesy BPT