Welcome the season with a menu inspired by the market’s freshest ingredients
And after months of hearty winter produce, the arrival of delicate spring vegetables at my local farmstand offers plenty of inspiration for a dinner menu. Wild mushrooms, the happy result of plentiful spring rains, are sautéed with shallots, fresh thyme, then mixed with a little crème fraîche and spooned onto toasts as “a little something” for guests as they arrive.
Fresh asparagus and new potatoes, both treated with a very light hand, round out a main course of roasted Cornish game hens. And while your market may still be skimpy on seasonal fruit, who’s going to argue with a dish of vanilla ice cream drizzled with an espresso-flavored caramel sauce? Some things are inspirational at any time of year.
Download a pdfof this menu, including all recipes, shopping list, and timeline.
Menu Timeline
Up to a week ahead
The night before
- Marinate the hens.
- Wash the lettuce and refrigerate, covered with a damp towel.
- Clean the mushrooms and refrigerate, covered with a damp towel
In the afternoon
- Make the mushroom topping.
- Make the chapons.
- Cut the bread for the toasts.
- Trim the asparagus.
- Peel the potatoes and cover with water in a pot.
About 30 minutes before guests arrive
- Mince the shallots and combine with the vinegar for the salad.
- Mince the shallots and combine with the lemon for the potatoes.
- Set the butter out to soften for the potatoes.
- Brush the baguette slices with oil.
- Put the hens on a baking sheet and leave at room temperature.
Soon after guests arrive
- Put the hens in the oven.
- Finish the Wild Mushroom Toasts.
Before serving each course
- Toss the salad.
- Make the pan jus for the hens.
- Boil the potatoes.
- Roast the asparagus.
Shopping List
Fresh Produce
- 1 lb. wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, maitakes, hedgehogs, or morels
- 4 medium and 1 large shallots
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
- 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 head garlic
- 6 large handfuls (about 1/2 lb.) mixed baby lettuces
- 2-1/4 lb. small (2-inch) new potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn
- 2 lemons
- 1 small bunch fresh chervil
- 2 lb. asparagus, preferably thin spears
- 1 medium orange
- 1 small yellow onion
Meat, Eggs & Dairy
- 3 Cornish game hens
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1 oz. chunk Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 pints vanilla ice cream
Other Groceries
- 1 baguette
- 1 crusty, country-style bread (such as Italian batard or levain), at least 3/4 lb.
- 1 bottle dry white wine, such as Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio
- Kahlua (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans (optional)
- 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
- Ground espresso beans for brewing (if you don’t have an espresso machine, pick up a single brewed espresso at a local café just before making the caramel sauce)
Pantry Staples
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 Tbs. honey (preferably wildflower)
- Crushed red pepper flakes (pinch)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbs. sherry or red-wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Black peppercorns
Wine Choices
今年春天的菜饭呼吁光,振动器rant, youthful whites with juicy fruit and mouthwatering acidity and light-to-medium-bodied reds without a lot of oak or tannin. With the salad, serve a white such as Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc. I recommend the 2005 Vionta Albariño ($13) or the 2005 Valminor Albariño ($14), both from the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain; or if you prefer Sauvignon Blanc, look for the 2006 Babich ($14) from the Marlborough region of New Zealand or the 2005 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc ($13.50) from California’s Sonoma County. For the main course—or if you want just one wine to serve with the entire meal—Pinot Noir is a delicious choice. Look for the 2005 A to Z ($18) or the 2004 Andrew Rich ($25). Both are from Oregon, and both have appealing red-berry fruit and soft tannins.
—Tim Gaiser is a contributing editor and a master sommelier.
