![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/ava-bouquet-350x233.jpg\" "\\"ava")
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le printemps\u00a0est arriv\u00e9 ! <\/span>Every season gives us an array of new flavors and colors. Autumn\u2019s coolness is tempered by the warm oranges and reds of pomegranates, winter squashes, pears, and apples. Winter has its dark kales, pale cabbages, brilliant white cauliflower and sunchokes, and bright citrus. Then there is Spring. <\/span>Spring bursts with newness: vegetables and fruit trees are covered with blossoms and the bright shades of green fill the markets.\u00a0 English peas, shelling beans, asparagus, fava beans, ramps, baby spinach, spring onions, and fresh garlic are just a few of the season\u2019s treats. Vegetables harvested in the Spring are at their sweetest and mildest (baby carrots, spring garlic, spring onions, baby leeks, and new potatoes, to name a few).<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the chilly air (and threats of snow on the Hollywood sign), Spring has sprung in Los Angeles and bringing the season\u2019s beautiful and tasty bounty to your family\u2019s table is easier than you think. This week\u2019s simple pleasure is devoted to the green of Spring and because I could not make a decision as to which recipe to post I am posting two: an elegant and beautiful savory tart topped with saut\u00e9ed Spring vegetables, flowers and goat cheese<\/span>; and savory Spring vegetable pancakes<\/span>. Both are simple to prepare.<\/span><\/p>\n The tart recipe takes advantage of many of the delicious things you will find right now in the market (some of which people often do not know what to do with or need new ways to prepare them): thin asparagus, baby zucchini with blossoms, flowering rapini, baby artichokes, spring onions, and flowering pea tendrils.\u00a0 The tart base consists of puff pastry that you can purchase in the freezer section of your grocery store (you only need one sheet so I do not advocate turning dough for days for only one sheet but make sure you buy quality puff pastry dough).\u00a0 The dough is baked with goat cheese, topped with vegetables that are saut\u00e9ed and braised stovetop, and then garnished with flowers.\u00a0 Many flowers are edible (there are a few, however, that are not so if they are not on my list, double-check before you improvise).\u00a0 For this tart I like to use zucchini blossoms, white flowers from pea tendrils, and borage blue starflowers (borage is an herb). \u00a0I will use nasturtium flowers (red, yellow or orange) and\/or violets sometimes too.\u00a0 The tarts make an elegant and colorful first course (something to keep in mind for the upcoming holidays) or you can cut them into smaller pieces as use them as appetizers.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, the Spring vegetable pancake recipe combines five fruits\/vegetables (potatoes, zucchini, soybeans, fennel, and carrots) in one savory package.\u00a0 I wrote the recipe to maximize the foods\u2019 nutritional value as well as provide visual interest to the pancakes.\u00a0 For example, zucchini skins and potatoes peels are left on; soybeans (out of their pods) are blanched but otherwise left whole; and the carrots are cut in long curly strands created with a growing-shredder (made by Shyang-tian which you can find in specility stores, Japanese markets, or on the internet).\u00a0 The recipe uses a combination of garbanzo bean flour and unbleached white whole wheat flour (more nutritious than bleached white but softer than whole wheat flour). However, you can make the pancakes gluten-free by using all garbanzo bean flour.\u00a0 Conversely, if you only have all-purpose flour you can go that route as well. The pancakes are so simple to prepare that your little sous chefs can help you (although an adult should do the frying).\u00a0 The pancakes make excellent leftovers (especially for lunch boxes)<\/span><\/p>\n I hope both recipes are something that you and your family will enjoy throughout this wonderful season.<\/span><\/p>\n J<\/span>e vous souhaite un bon app\u00e9tit <\/span><\/em>!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>LM<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" le printemps\u00a0est arriv\u00e9 ! (Spring has sprung !) taking advantage of the early Spring crops with savory pancakes and tarts Every season gives us an array of new flavors and colors. Autumn\u2019s coolness is tempered by the warm oranges and reds of pomegranates, winter squashes, pears, and apples. Winter has its dark kales, pale cabbages, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[339,337,18,340],"tags":[406,407,408],"class_list":["post-1900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appetizers","category-passed-appetizers","category-recipes","category-starters","tag-savory-pancakes","tag-savory-tart","tag-spring-vegetables"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1900"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1984,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/em>(Spring has sprung !)
\n<\/strong><\/span>taking advantage of the early Spring crops with savory pancakes and tarts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/fleurG-350x233.jpg\" "\\"fleurG\\"")
\n<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/ava-200x300.jpg\" "\\"ava\\"")
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