The First Fruits

We have hit the ground running this year in the garden. The last of the snow melted off 2 weeks ago and things are getting a bit greener. The high temps will be in the 70's this week. Spring is here. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the garden. It was a great day to be at the community gardens and is refreshing to see new gardeners and the 'regulars' working in their plots side-by-side, asking questions, catching up while the winter kept us away. Gardening is good and seems to bring out the best in people.
This year we had the privilege to over-winter our garden from last year. I planted garlic and shallots as bulbs in the ground last November and mulched them heavily once the ground froze in December. I also started spinach last fall hoping to have a fall crop of fresh spinach, but cold weather settled into Southern Wisconsin very quickly last year, so I just mulched over the little plants and hoped that they make it through the winter. Low and behold last week, I uncovered that blanket of mulch, the little spinach plants were waited patiently for spring to arrive and it didn't take them long to soak in the warm sunshine and grow. I picked a bag of fresh spinach as well as some green garlic and shallot greens yesterday. Combined with Hook's blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and fresh mandarin oranges and a simple vinegarette, we had one of the best first-of-the-season salads ever.

If you thought it couldn't get any better, we combined the salad with a simple pan seared chicken and acini de pepe (recipe to follow), but risotto or rice would work as well.

Acini de pepe is a small 'rice-like' pasta that is literally spaghetti pasta that has been diced very small. It cooks up like risotto rice, starchy, and absorbs the flavors it's cook in very well. One of the reason's we like acini de pepe is that is cooks a lot faster than risotto and is just simple variety. It also does not break down like risotto rice does if you overcook it, so it can hold on the stovetop well until your ready to eat. You can also add acini de pepe to vegetable soups and well as in cold salads like couscous. This is NOT a recipe to make acini de pepe, very complicated to make unless you have a pasta extruder machine, but it can be easily found in the larger grocery stores and in specialty shops.

Acini de Pepe

Serves 4 as a side item. Takes about 20 minutes prep and cooking time

1-2 Tb olive oil
1 carrot
1/2 of a small onion
1 rib celery
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups chicken stock or 1 can chicken stock plus water
1 cups acini de pepe
green onions or chives (optional)

Finely dice the carrot, onion, celery and sauté in olive oil over med-high until soft (1 -2 minutes). Add acini de pepe and sauté for 30 seconds until the acini de pepe is fragrant and coated in the olive oil (don't toast). Add the minced garlic and half of the chicken stock (or chicken stock and water) and stir over med-low heat with top on. It does not have to be stirred all the time like risotto, just often to prevent the bottom from sticking and browning. Add more liquid as necessary to prevent it from drying out (it should be a little soupy and sticky). Acini de pepe is done when you bite into the pasta and it soft in the middle. Add salt and pepper to taste. It can be kept warm over very low heat until ready to serve. It will continue to absorb more liquid as it sits, so right before serveing adjust consistency by adding more water or chicken stock. Green onions or chives added at the last minute before serving is really good with it.