The Freckled Key: April 2012

Buttery Herb-Gruyere Toasts {served with soft-boiled eggs}

This is yet another Smitten Kitchen creation. I adore Smitten Kitchen - I am smitten with Smitten Kitchen (sorry, I had to). Her recipes are so doable and ALWAYS delicious! Her cookbook comes out this Fall and you can bet I am pre-ordering that baby!

I made this for breakfast for myself a few weeks ago and boy, it hit the spot! This would be perfect for brunch, or even an afternoon munch. The yolk from the egg creates a perfect sauce for the salty, crunchy cheese-sprinkled toasts... yum!

What you need:
16 sourdough toast fingers, 1/2" thick
4 Tbls. butter, melted
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt
pepper
1/3 c. finely grated Gruyere cheese
2 Tbls. finely grated Romano cheese (or parmesan)
1 Tbls. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

What to do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place bread cubes in a large, shallow bowl.
Whisk together mustard and butter and drizzle over the top of the bread.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cheeses, and herbs.
Toss to coat.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and scatter the bread cubes on the sheet.
Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes.

Serve with soft-boiled eggs (you can find instructions on how to do this on the internet - just use Google!), making sure to soak up every last bit of yolk into that crispy toast!

Licking my fingers,

HK

Kale Pesto Pasta with Toasted Pine Nuts

Scott and I have recently signed up for Farmhouse Delivery, a farm-to-home produce delivery service that brings fresh, organic produce to your doorstep from farmers within 120 miles of Houston. Our first delivery was last week and it was chalk-full of green! In our bundle this week: kale, carrots, onions, romaine lettuce, arugula, beets, oranges, and brussel sprouts... yum :)

Scott, though, does not like kale, and I have a love/hate relationship with arugula, so I ventured over to the Farmhouse Delivery blog for recipe inspiration using the produce we were given. When I read "Kale Pesto", I was immediately intrigued, as I have only ever made pesto from basil - you know, the traditional way.

Well, this kale pesto served over whole grain pasta, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese was nutty, slightly salty, and creamy...

So, if you, like Scott, are a kale-hater, then making this kale pesto is a must. I know it won Scott over (at least in pesto-form...)!

What you need:
1 bunch kale, washed and leaves torn off of stem
1/4 c. pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 c. grated parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 c. olive oil
salt & pepper
1 package pasta of your choosing (we used thin spaghetti, and the original recipe called for paparadelle)

What to do:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Plunge kale leaves into the water, then immediately remove with tongs and place in an ice bath to cease cooking.
Drain in a colander, then place on paper towels to absorb extra moisture.
Place in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic, parmesan, and all but 2 Tbls. of the pine nuts.
Add a generous pinch of salt and pulse briefly to combine and chop.
With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the kale is minced and all ingredients are well combined, creating a loose, creamy texture for the pesto.
Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta, reserved ~1 c. of the water.
Place pasta in a large bowl and add the pesto, tossing to combine.
Top each individual serving with a sprinkle of pine nuts and grated parmesan.

Kale in my teeth,

HK