Chilled Sugar Snap Pea Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup leeks - halved lengthwise and chopped

• 1 pinch salt

• 4 cups chicken broth

• ground black pepper to taste

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

• 1 pound sugar snap peas

• 2 fresh mint leaves

• 1 tablespoon creme fraiche

• 2 fresh mint leaves, cut into very fine strips

PREPARATION:

1. Pour olive oil into a large pot, set over medium heat, and add leeks to hot oil. Season leeks with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until leeks are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour chicken broth into leeks; bring to a boil. Season with black pepper and cayenne pepper.

2. Stir peas into boiling broth mixture and add 2 mint leaves. Bring back to a boil and cook until peas are bright green and have started to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Turn off heat; use a slotted spoon to transfer vegetables into a large blender, leaving liquid in pot. Pour half the liquid from the pot into the blender, place a folded towel on the blender lid, and pulse a few times to chop vegetables. Blend at high speed to puree vegetables. Add remaining liquid from pot to blender and liquefy the soup until smooth.

4. Pour soup from blender into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and use a spatula to push soup through the strainer, leaving the tough fibrous material behind.

5. Cool soup to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.

6. Season cold soup with salt and adjust cayenne pepper. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Spoon creme fraiche into a plastic squeeze bottle and squeeze the creme fraiche over the top of the soup in a loose spiral. Use a skewer to pull the spiral into flower petal shapes, starting from the middle and quickly pulling the skewer through the creme to make pointed petal shapes. Serve garnished with strips of fresh mint.

Potato & Celery Root Gratin with Leeks

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 sprig thyme plus 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided

• 3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

• Kosher salt

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8" thick)

• 1 pound celery root, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8" thick)

• 2 cups grated Gruyère

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat cream, garlic, and thyme sprig in a medium saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around edge of pan. Remove from heat; set aside to steep.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; season with salt and cook, stirring often, until tender (do not brown), 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Butter a 3-quart gratin dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Layer 1/3 of potato slices and 1/3 of celery root slices evenly over bottom of baking dish. Cover with 1/3 of leeks, then 1/3 of Gruyère. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. Repeat layers twice more. Strain cream mixture into a medium pitcher and pour over vegetables.

4. Set gratin dish on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes.

Miso Orange Glazed Chicken with Carrots & Leeks

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 5 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces

• 2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise and sliced 1⁄2-inch thick

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 tsp ground ginger, divided

• 1 tsp dried thyme, divided

• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided

• 1⁄4 tsp sea salt, divided

• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed (about 2 lb)

• 3 tbsp fresh orange juice

• 2 tbsp white miso

• 1 tbsp raw honey

• 1 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and mist a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. To a large bowl, add carrots and leeks. Add half of each of the following: oil, ginger, thyme, pepper and salt. Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on prepared sheet. To same bowl, add chicken and remaining half of oil, ginger, thyme, pepper and salt. Mix and place chicken over vegetables. Roast on center oven rack for 20 minutes. Turn chicken and gently stir vegetables. Continue roasting until juices run clear and temperature reaches 165°F in thickest part of chicken, 10 to 15 minutes more. (NOTE: If using larger chicken pieces, remove vegetables after 30 minutes and continue cooking chicken as needed.)

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine orange juice, miso, honey and Sriracha. Pour over cooked chicken and vegetables and gently stir. Divide among serving plates and sprinkle with tarragon.

Leek, Potato & Cheddar Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and finely sliced into semicircles

• Pinch each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

• 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 cups low-fat milk

• Pinch ground nutmeg

• 1/2 cup grated low-fat sharp cheddar cheese

PREPARATION:

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high. Add leeks, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 5 minutes. add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add milk and nutmeg, stir and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

2. Using a ladle or large spoon, carefully remove 2 cups soup and transfer to an upright blender; purée until smooth, about 2 minutes. Return purée to saucepan, add cheese and stir just until cheese melts. Ladle into serving bowls, dividing evenly.

Celery Root Risotto and Pesto

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium celery roots (celeriac) with leafy tops

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 1/2 cups chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)

• 3/4 cup arborio or medium-grain white rice

• 3 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

PREPARATION:

1. Place 1 1/2 cups (packed) celery root leaves and oil in mini-processor. Blend until leaves are minced. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Peel celery roots. Cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut slices into enough 1/3-inch cubes to measure 2 cups. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in celery root cubes and leek. Cover; cook until celery root is tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Mix in rice; stir 1 minute. Add broth; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Mix in 3/4 cup cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Divide risotto between bowls; swirl some pesto on top. Serve with remaining cheese and pesto.