Baked Spring Vegetable Omelette with Comte

My favorite part about spring, along with the sun finally warming New York, is the abundance of beautiful spring produce! I always cook with the seasons, so when given a chance to create a recipe with the sweet, nutty Comte cheese from France, I couldn't wait to create a dish that paired this delicious cheese with some fresh, seasonal produce.

When creating this recipe with The Cheeses of Europe, I couldn't help but drift towards a dish that I could enjoy with friends and family at Sunday brunch. A baked omelette seemed the perfect choice! Cheesy, fluffy, and perfectly seasoned, I guarantee this will be a well-loved dish at your next hosted brunch. Watch the whole video here, or see my recipe below! Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons shallots, sliced and quartered 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped 2 radishes, quartered 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces on diagonal 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 12 eggs 1/4 cup milk 3/4 and 1/4 cups Comté cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.Toss the shallots, peppers, radishes, and asparagus in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet and roast in oven for 25 minutes. Allow the vegetables to cool a bit, and then place them in an ovenproof nonstick sauté pan and pour the egg mixture over top. On a low flame, cook the eggs until they start to set, about 4-5 minutes. Then place the pan back in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until eggs are cooked through.Sprinkle the remaining Comté on top, and cut into wedges to serve.

Homemade Whipped Cream

One of the best things about dessert is that it is universal -- everyone loves it! And what can make or break a great dessert from an average one is the whipped cream. Homemade is always best, and it’s much easier to make than you’d think. Here’s how:

1 cup cold heavy cream (the colder the better!)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks are formed. Be sure not to overbeat!

The small amount of extra effort really goes a long way! What are some of your favorite dessert toppings?

 -Chef K

Pasta: Sauces and Shapes

With all the different shapes and sizes of pasta, I am often asked how to choose what pasta to pair with a sauce. So, here's a little cheat sheet to help when cooking up your favorite pasta dishes!

Shaped pastas like orecchiette, farfalle, and fusilli are perfect for most sauces. However textured sauces in particular are best with shaped pastas, for example vegetables or meaty sauces. This is because the shapes are able to stick and hold onto chunkier ingredients. We use orecchiette for our lamb ragu sauce, so that each bite is filled with a little bit of that succulent lamb. YUM!

Tube pastas are best served with thick sauces. This could be anything from a simple marinara, to a bolognese meat sauce. The tubes and ridges hold onto the sauce and get enveloped in all the yummy flavors! A rigatoni would be best with a meat sauce, while a penne is ideal for a creamy pink tomato sauce.

When it comes to the flat and long pasta family, they need lots of olive oil love! You'll notice a lot of the thinner versions such as angel hair, spagetti or linguine will be served in lighter tomato or wine sauces. This is because they need the lubrication from the liquid and oil to stay silky smooth. For thicker versions such as fettuccine, or tagliatelle, these can hold up to cream sauces or ragus. 

Hope this quick cheat sheet helps! 

-Chef K