Ricotta Gnocchi With Delta Asparagus And Meyer Lemon Food

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH ARTICHOKE, LEMON AND MINT

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together 3/4 cup of the flour, the ricotta, salt and egg yolks. Dust a work surface with the remaining 1/4 cup flour. One cup at a time, roll the ricotta mixture into 1/2-inch-thick ropes. With a dough cutter or pasta knife, cut the ropes into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the gnocchi to a cookie sheet and freeze until ready to use.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the artichoke hearts and saute for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and mint and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the sauce from the heat and add half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano; stir to thicken the sauce.
• Boil the gnocchi in a large (6-quart) pot of salted water until they float to the top. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce. Garnish with the remaining Parmigiano.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whip the ricotta to break up the curds. Add the egg and stir until evenly combined. Add the grated cheese and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Pour flour onto a large plate or shallow pie dish. As if you were making chocolate chip cookies, use a teaspoon to form oval shape gnocchi and drop into flour. Do not let the formed gnocchi touch each other or they'll stick together.
• Working in batches of six, coat gnocchi lightly with flour by rolling the plate. Dust flour off gnocchi and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Repeat. Refrigerate two hours or until gnocchi are firm. You can refrigerate overnight but fresh gnocchi is best eaten the day it's prepared. Drop gnocchi into salted boiling water. Adjust heat to a simmer. When gnocchi floats to the top and is slightly firm to the touch, about 3-4 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon.
• Serving suggestion: melted butter, peas and sage or a lean pasta topping of your choice, such as tomato sauce with basil and a shaving or two of parmesan cheese.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot, slowly bring the milk and the lemon juice to 200 degrees F. Remove from heat and cover. Place in a spot where the temperature will remain uniform (we suggest an unheated oven). After 6 hours, strain the curds and whey through cheesecloth. Tie the corners of the cloth to form a bag and hang it to drain overnight.

SALMON EN PAPILLOTE WITH ASPARAGUS, ICICLE RADISH AND MEYER LEMON HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the fish: Place 2 lemon slices in the center of a large square of parchment. Lay a piece of fish on top. Sprinkle with salt and top with 1 tablespoon butter and half the thyme. Fold the parchment paper over the fish and carefully twist and seal into a packet, being careful not to move the filling inside. Repeat with the remaining fillet of salmon, butter and thyme. Brush the outside of the parchment packets with the olive oil and place on a sheet pan.
• For the vegetables: Spread the asparagus and radishes on a second sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil.
• Place the pan with the fish on the middle rack of the oven. Place the pan with the vegetables on the top rack. Bake until the fish is cooked to an internal temperature of 120 degrees F and the vegetables are cooked to crisp-tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the vegetables.
• For the hollandaise: Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and a splash of water in a blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds to incorporate everything and froth up the yolks. Turn the blender to medium speed and slowly drizzle in the butter. This will emulsify the butter into the eggs and complete the hollandaise sauce. Add the mustard and blend just to combine.
• Gently remove the fish from the parchment envelopes and place on a rack fitted inside a sheet pan. Gently spoon an even layer of the hollandaise over the fish. Arrange the asparagus, radishes and salmon roe around the edges of 2 plates. Sprinkle with the chives. Place a piece of fish in the center of each plate in the middle of the vegetables. Garnish the plates with watercress before serving.

GRILLED MARINATED TUNA WITH RADICCHIO BALSAMIC AND MEYER LEMON

Steps:

• Slice the tuna in three thin paillards and marinate in the white wine, thyme, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat the radicchio wedges in salt, pepper and olive oil and grill until tender and slightly charred. Grill the pancetta until caramelized and crispy. Dice and set aside. Place radicchio in a bowl with the pancetta, green olives, balsamic and a drizzle of olive oil and toss to coat. Grill the lemon wedge. Grill the paillards of tuna on one side only until cooked to medium rare. Place radicchio salad in the center of the plate then add the tuna. Garnish with a drizzle of the marinade and top with the grilled lemon.

PAN-FRIED LEMON-RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Combine ricotta, parmagiano, yolk, zest and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the flour on the mixture, gently turn with spatula a few times to incorporate. Dump mixture on clean, lightly floured countertop. Sprinkle remaining flour on top of the mixture. Gently knead with your fingertips, just bringing together the mixture until flour is incorporated through. This only should take a minute or two. Any longer and you will be over-kneading. *If you are using skim milk ricotta - you may have to use more flour, as there is more water content in skim ricotta.
• Divide dough into 4 parts. Take one part and roll into a long, 1″ diameter log. Cut gnocchi into 1″ pieces. You may use the tines of a fork to get those pretty grooves that will eventually disappear after frying anyways.
• Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil. when butter is just lightly browned, add gnocchi in single layer. Fry on one side for 2 minutes, flip. Add chilli. Fry other side for 1-2 minutes. Timing really depends on how big/thick your gnocchi is. Do a taste test - do you taste flour? Not done yet. Serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest, parmegiano and parsley.

PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS, RICOTTA AND LEMON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of light salted water to a boil for cooking the penne.
• Stir together the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
• Add the penne to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until the penne is al dente (Do not overcook penne) and the asparagus is tender, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and asparagus and place in a large bowl.
• Add 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the ricotta mixture, whisking until smooth. Toss the pasta with the ricotta sauce.
• Pass the remaining parmesan separately.
• One serving is 11/2 cups.
• VARIATION: Penne with Spinach, Ricotta, and Lemon.
• In step 3 omit the asparagus; cook the penne for 8 to10 minutes. While the penne is cooking, cook one 10 ounce (300-gram) package of frozen spinach according to package directions. In step 4 Toss the penne with the ricotta sauce and spinach.

MEYER LEMON GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Cover the potatoes in a medium sauce pan and bring them to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat, until potatoes are tender (about 8 minutes). Drain potatoes and return them to the pan- shaking over medium heat until dry.
• Use a large rimmed baking sheet and rice the hot potatoes in an even layer.
• In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon olive oil and the salt and pour over the potatoes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and stir GENTLY until a dough forms (be careful not to overwork the dough!).
• Carefully roll the dough into four 1/2 inch thick ropes. Using a sharp knife, cut each rope into 1/2 inch pieces. Using a fork, roll each piece along the tines to make ridges in the gnocchi.
• Transfer the gnocchi to the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the 1 stick of butter- a few pieces at a time- until the sauce is creamy. (Warm the sauce on low heat if necessary). Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt.
• Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water- until they rise to the surface, then cook them for 1 minute longer.
• Gently drain the gnocchi, toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and transfer to a baking sheet until cool.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add half the gnocchi and cook in a single layer over high heat until golden brown- about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and gnocchi.
• Reheat the sauce and pour it over the gnocchi and fold gently with a rubber spatula. Garnish with the chives.
• Enjoy!