Celebrate spring with wild morel mushrooms. My sweetheart took one tentative bite and then devoured the rest. I’ve made it 3 times already this week. Elise Bauer Morel Mushrooms Have you ever cooked with or foraged for morel mushrooms? Morels are exquisite spring mushrooms with an unusual and distinctive honeycomb appearance. Because of all those nooks and crannies, morels can tend to hold onto some grit. Morel Mushrooms.Elise Bauer Then you just slice them and cook them like any mushroom; they’re delicious!...

With onions and garlic and sprinkled with Parm, they’re so good! I’m glad to report that I was completely wrong! Unlike larger artichokes, more parts of these small ones are edible. Sally Vargas These sauteed baby artichokes are easy to prepare and combine flavors that work naturally well with artichokes. They can be eaten alone, mixed in with pasta orrisotto, or baked onto pizza. Fill a bowl with 3 cups of water and add 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice to it....

Honor in-season eggplants by quickly sauteing them until tender with garlic, herbs, and Parmesan. You dont need to salt and drain the eggplants! Since eggplant is such a sponge, I wanted to see how little oil I could use. Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel This eggplant side dish is a summer stand-by for me. Keep in mind that some of them might be too bitter for this specific preparation. Use it to makeEggplant Parminstead....

A healthy side dish in just five minutes. Have you ever had escarole? What Is Escarole? Elise Bauer It’s a simple saute of the greens in olive oil with garlic. So while the leaves are still wet, add them to the hot pan with oil. Hot oil and water aren’t usually happy friends (splatter alert! Elise Bauer Some parts of the escarole leaves are delicate and can dry out in a hot pan....

The bulb, the stalk, and the frondsand this delicious side dish uses them all. This wacky looking vegetable has a unique flavor and crisp texture. Its an impressive side dish to serve at a fancy gathering or for a slow weeknight dinner. Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel You are going to be hooked on fabulous fennel from here on out. What Is Fennel? In my opinion, its one of the most underrated vegetables out there....

Have you ever had this classic Sicilian side dish? And as my mother would saywell balanced. Any leafy green will do. Elise Bauer It takes less than 10 minutes to cook. Toast them until they are fragrant and begin to brown. Pay attention as pine nuts burn easily. Updated from the recipe archive, first posted 2010.Elise Bauer Stir or toss the nuts frequently. Once they are toasted, remove from pan and set aside....

BEST sauteed kale you will ever taste! Seasoned with smoked paprika and crushed chile pepper flakes. My mother even picks dandelion greens to add to soups, and mix in with other greens. Elise Bauer Blanching before sauteing can help take the edge off the bitterness, and soften the greens. It takes just a little more than a pinch to bring a little smokey kick to these kale greens. My father made this kale for us last night, from aDeborah Madison recipe in Bon Appetit....

Slightly bitter kale does a happy dance with the acidic lemon and salty richness of tahini sauce. Oh my, this is a good one. Sort of reminiscent of a popular Japanese dish with spinach and sesame gomasio. Elise Bauer Very easy to pull together. Would make an excellent addition to a Thanksgiving or holiday spread. (And as my dad says, eat your greens!) Elise Bauer Slice the leaves roughly 1/2-inch thick....

Elegant and easy with a sauce of white wine, shallots, butter, and herbs. What Is Petrale? You could use this sauce over any mild fish fillet. Elise Bauer There is a lot of moisture in Petrale sole, so you might have to pat them dry twice. Lightly salt the fillets on both sides. Heat oil in a large, stick-free skillet on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the fillets to the pan....

Got leftover Swiss chard ribs? Use them up in this perfect weeknight recipe. The Swiss chard I planted last spring survived the winter to vigorously return this year. Elise Bauer Last week we made ayogurt dipwith the leaves of some swiss chard I picked. The basic recipe for the chard comes fromThe Victory Garden Cookbook. Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Elise Bauer Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes....

Serve with your favorite curry. Do you like curry? I love curry of all sorts, served of course with a side of long grain basmati rice. Elise Bauer Usually we pay more attention to the curry than we do the rice. But the rice can be a star all on its own. If you like coconut (hello dad!) Elise Bauer this one is for you. I keep eating the rice and coming up with excuses to make more....

From its dramatic puffy rise to its whole grain flavor, this Dutch baby pancake is a winner. Top it with smoked salmon and fried eggs and serve it for brunch or for dinner! It was the biggest pancake I had ever seen. Sally Vargas The legend goes that Mancas Cafe in Seattle started serving it in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1966 the food columnist Craig Claiborne popularized the pancake by writing about it inThe New Times....

Savory buttermilk scones made with goat cheese and chives. Ever wonder what thedifference is between scones and biscuits? They are more like our biscuits, but sweet. Elise Bauer Of course “biscuit” in England means what we here would call a cookie. (According to some, scones have eggs, biscuits don’t.) So, call these what you will. Elise Bauer you might shape them any which way you like. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl....