April 2011
How to Have a Fresh and Flavorful Spring with Veggies!

Spring explodes with color and flavor! The season begins with the sudden appearance of English peas, asparagus, young lamb, strawberries, and rhubarb. It’s a great time to support your local farmers’ market, as fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs arrive. Take a Saturday morning to pick out your family’s favorite spring vegetables, and complement its sweet seasonal flavor with a cheese sauce made with Dofino® Gouda and tossed with orecchiette.

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Orecchiette with Spring Peas and Prosciutto

Makes 6 servings

Orecchiette, or “little ears” pasta, look like tiny bowls that hold Dofino® Gouda cheese sauce and fresh spring English peas in every bite! This easy favorite can be made anytime during the year, with any fresh vegetable, but treat the family to seasonal fresh peas!

What you need:

1 pound orecchiette pasta
3 tablespoons Lurpak® Danish butter
½ cup diced onion
¾ cup heavy cream
2 cups grated Dofino® Gouda
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the Gouda, Parmesan, peas, and prosciutto.
4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and serve immediately.

Continue to read "Make Spring Explode with Flavor"

How to Make Veggies Explode with Flavor:

Attuning your eating to each season’s bounty brings natural variety to your diet and makes eating an adventure! There is a direct connection between the balance of our environment and the health of our families. Supporting farmers who respect their land is ultimately sharing this gift of respect with you. Most cities have weekly farmers’ markets, where you can ask the growers about new foods and preparations. Our Dofino® dairy farmers are also committed to bringing you nature’s gifts in their purest forms. That is why their cows are free of antibiotics and only are fed natural feed.

Spring flavors burst into new meal solutions:

Wilted Kale Bruschetta with Melted Fontina: Sauté little bunches of chopped kale with olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes until soft and wilted. Serve warm on top of toasted baguette slices and top with shaved Dofino® Fontina. Warm in the oven just until cheese melts.

Roasted Asparagus with Shaved Gouda: Trim the woody stem of several bunches of asparagus. Toss in olive oil and sea salt, and place on a baking pan. Cook under a broiler and as they brown, turn them. Remove and arrange on a serving platter and shave Dofino® Gouda over the asparagus while still hot.

Spring Risotto: Cook risotto according to the package directions, using chicken broth for the liquid. As it is finishing, add 2 cups of grated Dofino® Havarti with Dill and blend. To serve, spoon risotto into serving dishes and top with cooked asparagus tips, fresh cooked peas, and chopped chives.