Better Homes and Gardens Fresh: Recipes for Enjoying Ingredients at Their Peak

715 Pages·2013·99.23 MB·English

by  Better Homes and Gardens

contents
Introduction
Dive into eating the freshest, best produce of the season.
Breakfast & Brunch
Start the day with something fresh and fabulous.
Appetizers, Snacks & Drinks
Enjoy fresh-ingredient nibbles, noshes, and sips all year.
Main Dishes
Peak-season produce is the star ingredient in these entrées.
Big Salads
Tossed or arranged, these hearty salads are a whole meal.
Soups, Sandwiches & Pizzas
Enter the fork-free zone with this fresh and casual fare.
Little Salads & Sides
Fruits and veggies shine in these accompaniments.
Desserts
Fruit, barely embellished, satisfies the sweet tooth.
Produce Guide
Learn what to buy when and how to store and prepare it.
Index
Metric

introduction
Fresh is a flavor you can taste. Whether it’s the peppery first radishes
of spring, a perfectly ripe summer peach that sends juice cascading
down your chin, or a sublimely crisp, sweet-tart fall apple, there is no
doubt that eating fresh produce at its peak makes it taste better—and
makes it better for you too. That’s what Fresh celebrates.
The growing number of home gardeners, farmers’ markets, food
cooperatives, and CSAs (community supported agriculture) points to
an increased interest in eating fresh, in-season foods. Fruits and
vegetables are allowed to ripen naturally on the bush, vine, tree, or
underground and are eaten soon after harvesting rather than being
trucked in from thousands of miles away. Even if the supermarket is
your main source of produce, it’s possible to shop seasonally if you
know what to look for. Take a look at the Produce Guide, then get
cooking with the freshest and best of the season.

breakfast
& brunch
START THE DAY WITH A SMILE It’s easy to do
when something fresh and fabulous crosses your lips.
Good mornings come in many forms. Tuck into delicate
crepes stuffed with strawberries and lemon cream,
gingery waffles topped with fresh peaches—or an omelet
filled with sautéed winter greens, feta cheese, and smoky
bacon.
Omelet with Wilted Greens
MAIN INGREDIENT Strawberries BEST IN Late spring to early summer
Crepes with Strawberries and
Lemony Crème Fraîche
Browned butter—what the French call beurre noissette for the light hazelnut
(noisette) color to which the butter is cooked before using—infuses the batter for
these crepes with a nutty flavor that is sublime with perfectly ripe strawberries.
Red all of the way through, the berries drip with juice and flavor.
PREP 15 minutes
CHILL 30 minutes
COOK 1 minute per batch
MAKES 8 (2-crepe) servings
3 tablespoons butter 1¼ cups milk
⅔ cup all-purpose flour ⅓ cup cornmeal
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 8-ounce container crème fraîche 3 tablespoons purchased or
homemade lemon curd 1 tablespoon butter, melted 2 tablespoons
honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1. In a medium skillet heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat; cook
about 3 minutes or until melted and golden brown. Set butter aside. In a blender
combine milk, flour, cornmeal, eggs, and salt; cover and blend until combined,
scraping down sides as necessary. Add browned butter and blend until smooth.
Chill covered blender at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together crème fraîche and lemon curd
until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
3. Heat the medium skillet over medium-high heat; brush lightly with some of