Garbanzo Bean, Sunchoke, and Asparagus Risotto with Gremolata

There were fresh garbanzo beans at the market today! They taste like a cross between a pea and a fava bean, and we thought they'd go great with the yummy asparagus we've been getting. First we parboiled the asparagus and saved the water to cook the rice with. We roasted and then pureed the sunchokes and added them to the risotto once it was nearly finished cooking, along with the asparagus and beans, and then served it with gremolata on top.

Boudin Blanc and Beans

Since I couldn't make it to my home away from home, Camino, for the last of their Boudin Blanc Mondays tonight, I had to make do at home. I bought a beautiful sausage from the Cafe Rouge butcher shop (it's much more lemony than Russ') and sauteed it with some cannellini beans and fresh thyme. The leftover fennel in milk from the other night was the perfect accompaniment!

Sauteed Asparagus and Fava Bean Shoots

We found fava bean shoots at the market! They were bitter and sweet at the same time, if that is possible. Yum!

Braised Artichokes with Mint

And another Saveur recipe...

Broccolini with Garlic and Hot Pepper

Another Saveur recipe... we made it with broccolini and it was delicious.

Fennel Baked in Milk

This month's Saveur featured some fantastic recipes for Roman contorni, so Erik and I made a few of them tonight for some friends. The biggest success was this Finocchio con Latte al Forno, which was buttery and sweet and made us all want to lick our dishes. I will definitely be making this again and again.

3 medium bulbs fennel, fronds reserved
4 cups milk
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Heat oven to 475°. Remove tough outer layer of fennel. Halve bulbs lengthwise and cut into 1⁄2″ wedges. Combine fennel, milk, and 2 tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is just tender, 30–45 minutes. Add fennel seeds and season with salt and pepper.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer fennel to a 2-quart oval baking dish; pour 1 cup of the milk mixture over fennel. Sprinkle with Parmesan, dot with remaining butter, and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve fennel garnished with some of the fronds.

SERVES 4 – 6

Pasta with Asparagus, Mint and Ricotta Salada

Roasted Garlic Risotto with Toasted Almonds and Breadcrumbs, and Mascarpone Cheese

An old favorite!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Kale, Caramelized Onions, Fried Sage, and Crispy Pancetta

Gnocchi recipe here. We found that it needed more flour (almost 2 cups more), but I'd say just use your instincts.

Chicken, Avocado and Cream Cheese

I know this sounds weird (or boring, or both), but I think it's a great and subtle sandwich. The creamy avocado and the tangy cream cheese mix together really well, especially on soft, fresh bread. I stole the idea years ago from a favorite sandwich shop in downtown Oakland- they add bacon, and I admit that adds some more interesting flavors, but I am usually too lazy to fry some up for my own purposes.

Citrus Salad with Preserved Lemon and Avocado Toast