| Spring
Vegetable Ragout with Herbs
Recipe from Kelsie Kerr, Co-Chef Cafe Rouge, Berkeley,
CA
"My
mother always made us beautiful Easter outfits and when we
woke up Easter morning they would be hanging in our rooms
-- dress, shoes, hat, the whole thing. And, of course, we
had Easter egg hunts and baskets. I love the marvelous vegetables
that become available at this time of year and Spring Vegetable
Ragout is just what I want to eat at Easter."
Yield: serves 6 people
- 1
cup twice peeled fava beans, about 1 pound favas in the
pod
- 6
spring onions, the white bulbing type
- 1/4
pound morel mushrooms
- 3/4
cup shelled peas
- 1
1/2 cup chicken stock
- 5
Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 1
Tbs. each chopped chervil, parsley and chives
- salt
to taste
Clean
the onions, slice in half lengthwise and then cut into diagonal
half moons, about 1/4 inch thick. Trim the ends of the mushrooms
and cut into quarters lengthwise. In a heavy bottomed high sided
saute pan warm half the olive oil over medium heat, add the
onions and cook them until they soften, about 5 minutes. Next
add the morels and season lightly with salt. Cook the two until
the mushrooms give off their liquid. Then add the fava beans
and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, turn down and
simmer for 5 minutes. In the meantime, blanch the peas in boiling
water until just done. Drain and set aside. This can all be
done ahead. To finish the ragout, bring the liquid up to a boil.
Turn down the heat and add the peas and the rest of the olive
oil. Taste for salt and add the herbs. For a juicier ragout,
add more chicken stock. |
