THE VILLAGE VOICE

Dainty pansy whose soft painted face Tickles my garden with whimsical grace. WILTED SPINACH and GRUYERE FRITTATA 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 (10-oz.) package baby spinach leaves 1 bunch chopped green onions salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika 10 organic eggs 1/2 cup sour cream or half & half 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese dried parsley flakes for garnish Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Saute green onions in 1 Tbsp butter. Gradually add spinach until wilted. Drain well and set aside. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter. Whisk eggs, sour cream, and salt & pepper. Fold in 1 cup of cheese, spinach mixture and melted butter. Spread in greased quiche pan. Sprinkle with additional 1/2 cup cheese. Garnish with parsley Bake 45-55 minutes or until eggs are set. (Serves 4-6) ORANGE-ALMOND SCONES ~ delicious warm or cold _____________ 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup buttermilk 1 extra-large organic egg 1/4 tsp. almond extract 3 cups flour 4 tsp....

"I said my prayers and ate some cranberry tart for breakfast." ~William Byrd ~ Thankful ____________ STUFFED FRENCH TOAST with CRANBERRY MAPLE SAUCE ~ From Ramsey Canyon Inn (AZ) comes this delicious seasonal recipe, an ideal brunch before heading downtown for the annual Thanksgiving Day parade or Detroit Lion game. (Why start the day counting calories!) * 1 8-oz. package cream cheese 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts 16 slices good quality French bread 8 organic eggs 1 1/2 cups half & half 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. grated nutmeg melted butter 2 cups cranberries 1 cup sugar 1 cup maple syrup 1 tsp. maple extract In medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and nuts. Spread mixture on 8 slices of French bread. Top with remaining 8 slices of bread. In blender mix eggs, half & half, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour half of egg mixture into buttered 9x13 inch glass dish. Place French bread on top of egg m...

ASPARAGUS and GOAT CHEESE QUICHE ~ retro is back and real men 'do eat quiche' * 1 Pillsbury crescent roll package 1 lb. trimmed asparagus 3-4 chopped shallots 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 1/4 cup half & half 4 large organic eggs scant pinch coarse salt 1/2 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp. dried) 2 cup crumbled goat cheese additional thyme for garnish Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Press crescent roll slices to fit deep dish quiche pan. Flute edges, brush bottom with Dijon mustard and set aside. Slice asparagus diagonally, 1/2 inch pieces. Reserve tips . Plunge in boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Saute shallots in butter until wilted. Add asparagus and cook gently about 3 minutes. Cool slightly and spread over bottom of crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup of goat cheese. Whisk eggs, half & half, thyme and salt & pepper. Pour over asparagus and cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and fan asparagus spears de...

GARDENING NOTE: All daffodils are Narcissus, which is the genus name. According to the International Cultivar Registration Authority (for Narcissus and for several other flowers that is the UK's Royal Horticultural Society) daffodil is accepted as a common name for all members of the Narcissus genus. However, most people think of daffodils as the single flower, large trumpet yellow ones, which are the most common kind of daffodils, and call the smaller headed scented varieties, narcissi . The Oxford Dictionary defines narcissus (plural narcissi ) as "any of a group of flowers including jonquils and daffodils, especially the kind with heavily-scented single white flowers". In fact, even the growers of the scented varieties ... call all of their products white or yellow, single or multi-headed, " narcissi ".The flower is named after Narcissus in Greek legend ... "Narcissus" comes from the Greek for "numbness" referring to the narcotic proper...

STRAWBERRY OMELET 1 pint washed, hulled & halved strawberries 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. strawberry preserves 6 eggs salt to taste dash white pepper 2 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 2 Tbsp. sour cream powdered sugar Place all but 6 strawberries in a small bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Let rest for 15 minutes. Toss with preserves and set aside. Beat eggs, salt, pepper and water until color is even. Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in skillet over medium heat. Turn half of the eggs into pan and as mixture cooks on bottom and sides, lift sides with spatula so egg on top will penetrate cooked surface and run under. When eggs are soft and thickened, about 3 minutes, add half of strawberry mixture and 1 Tbsp. sour cream to one side of omelet. Fold side without berries to cover side with berries. Let cook until egg is set, about 2-3 minutes. Repeat process with remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, etc. Garnish cooked omelets with whole reserved strawberries sprinkled with sifted powdered sugar. Serves 2...