Fromage Blanc Tartine

Recipe by Executive Chef Ryan Arensdorf, photography by Alicia Bruce

Chef Ryan’s tartine is great as a starter, a light lunch or breakfast.

Spring! Finally, the tender season has arrived and fresh seasonal produce will reappear at our farmers markets.

With the season as his inspiration, Chef Ryan Arensdorf from Harriman’s Grill at Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA, shared this recipe, one that features a new local partnership. Locksely Farmstead Cheese Company, a neighbor to the Inn, is now up and running. Chef Ryan’s tartine—great as a starter, a light lunch or breakfast—is made with cheese from Locksley and ingredients from chef’s kitchen garden and nearby farmers. Easy to make at home, this tartine lets spring show off its best.  You can catch it at our Eat Drink Local event on June 10th!

Fromage Blanc Tartine
Yield: 6 servings

1 bunch ramps or spring onions
1 wedge lemon
¼ cup honey
2 thick slices pumpernickel bread
1 cup Fromage Blanc cheese
¼ cup salted cashews
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Toss the ramps or onions with olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. The greens should char, burn and get crispy. The white parts of the ramps or onion should turn golden and be cooked through. Divide the crisped greens from the white onion parts. Let cool, then squeeze the lemon over the charred greens, then chop up. They will be flaky.

Mix the charred, ashy greens with the honey. Set aside.

Heat up a grill pan or grill and brush the bread with oil. Sear the bread slices well on the first side, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and lightly sear the other side. Remove from the pan and blot dry if needed.

Divide the Fromage Blanc in even portions and spread generously over the warm pumpernickel with the back of a spoon. Top with charred ramp bulbs and salted cashews. Drizzle with ash honey and serve immediately while still warm.

First-of-Spring Radish Salad with Burrata

This delicious salad can go from light lunch to dinner, just add a glass of wine!

By Emily Connor, Photography by Jennifer Chase

Nothing quite screams “spring” to me like the first radishes that hit the farm stands. Here I’ve thinly sliced and marinated radishes in a spunky lemon-anchovy vinaigrette, tossed them with peppery watercress and served them up with creamy, glorious burrata. It’s a low effort, high impact salad that can easily go from light lunch to appetizer (especially with crostini) to a first course for dinner.

First-of-Spring Radish Salad with Burrata
4 servings

• 8 to 10 medium-sized radishes (about ½ pound), thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

• A few big handfuls of watercress, arugula or radish greens (if they’re tender), about 1 to 2 cups

• 8 ounces burrata, at room temperature

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Crostini for serving (optional)

Lemon-anchovy vinaigrette

• 3 flat-fillet anchovies

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot

• 1 teaspoon capers, coarsely chopped

• Finely grated zest plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the lemon-anchovy vinaigrette. Mince and smash the anchovies into a paste with the side of your knife. In a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the anchovies, shallots, capers, lemon zest and juice, and a few pinches of salt. Let macerate for 5 minutes, then add the olive oil, shaking to emulsify. Taste and adjust the acid and seasoning.

In a small bowl, combine radishes and mint. Add all of the vinaigrette, tossing to fully coat the radishes. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes (or up to 30 minutes) in the refrigerator. 

To assemble the salad, strain the radishes with a slotted spoon (or with your hands) to remove as much vinaigrette as possible, and pile them on 1 side of a serving platter. Toss with the watercress; there should be enough vinaigrette clinging to the radishes to dress the greens. Add the burrata next to the salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Serve immediately, with crostini on the side (if using).

Mushrooms en Croute with Charred Spring Onion Dressing

By Executive Chef David Fritsche, Stable DC
Serves 4

Mushrooms en Croute
1 sheet puff pastry
2 cups white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 cups oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 cups Hen of the Woods mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
½ cup gruyere cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon chives, chopped
2 shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a medium sauté pan, add the olive oil and bring it to high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until they get some nice light brown color. Next, add the chopped shallots and season with salt and pepper; finish cooking the mushrooms until the shallots and mushrooms are soft. Finish the mushrooms with the chopped chives and let them cool down.

Once the mixture has cooled, add the cottage cheese, gruyere cheese and check seasoning.

Cut the puff pastry into circles and place them into a dome mold or a sauce ladle. Fill the pastry domes with the mushroom mix and cover with another puff pastry disk to seal the little domes or pies from the bottom. Carefully remove the domes from the mold or ladle and place on a baking tray that is lined with parchment paper.

Brush with egg wash and bake by 340°F for about 15–20 minutes, until the pies are nice and golden brown.

Charred Spring Onion Dressing
1 bunch spring onions
1 shallot, chopped finely
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2½ tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a sauté pan, add a little bit of olive oil and turn up the heat. Add the cleaned spring onions and roast them until they soften and get some brown color; remove from heat and let cool.

In a blender, add the roasted spring onions, shallot, mustard, champagne vinegar and blend together until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil to the dressing while running the blender on medium speed to create an emulsion. Adjust the seasoning. Chef tip: If the dressing is too tart, add a pinch of sugar, which will soften the edges.

To serve, drizzle a generous amount of dressing among 4 small plates. Place the mushroom pies atop the dressing on each plate. Serve.

Stable DC, 1324 H St. NE, Washington, DC; 202-733-4604