Stuff to eat. Mostly around St. Louis.

Spencer 5/1/16 Spencer 5/1/16

Stinging Nettle Pesto

Ah, the wonders of the spring time farmers markets: you never know what you'll find! And by that I mean you will find things you actually don't recognize. You've probably heard of kohlrabi, but have you actually seen it? It looks like a turnip on acid. Same goes for fiddleheads. Both look like something that hopped out of a Dali painting. Last spring, I got a bag of Stinging Nettles because I liked the name. I was warned that I should wear gloves to avoid getting stung, but I'm a man and I don't need gloves to handle some little mint-looking herb.

My hand went into the bag, expletives were shouted, then I smartened up and the gloves went on. What genius decided to put the plant that stings your hands into your mouth? Yeah, this'll be real tasty!

I'd long been holding onto a stinging nettle pesto from world famous chef and baker, Josh Galliano, so stinging nettle pesto is what I made. The flavor of the nettles is similar to spinach—it's a little bitter, a little peppery—but distinctly different. A lot of other websites mention it tasting like cucumber, but I didn't get that. I've thought abut this a lot, and I just don't know how to describe it. Used as a pesto, you get a completely different flavor from your typical all-basil variety - it's a little more earthy, and a bit more peppery. Adding some red pepper flakes takes it to the next level. It's much more assertive than any other pesto I've had.

I used it as a sauce for gnocchi, but it would be great for dips, bruschetta, pizza—whatever you normally use your pesto on. Just don't forget to wear gloves.

Stinging Nettle Pesto

YIELD: ABOUT 1 CUP | 5 MIN

INGREDIENTS

STINGING NETTLE PESTO

RECIPE COURTESY OF JOSH GALLIANO

1/3 c toasted pistachios
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c basil leaves
2 c stinging nettles, blanched and squeezed dry
1 1/4 c olive oil
6-8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c grated pecorino (optional)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

METHOD

To blanch the nettles, bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath. While wearing gloves, cook the leaves for 10 seconds, remove, then shock in the ice bath.

You don’t have to wear your gloves once they’re blanched. Strain the leaves then squeeze dry.

Place all of the ingredients (except the olive oil) in a food processor.

Pulverize the ingredients, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Spencer 4/17/16 Spencer 4/17/16

Beet and Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies

I wasn't planning on baking anything. It's not something I do very often. The precise measurements, the mixing, the waiting, the shaping, the baking, the cooling, then, finally, the eating. I will smoke a brisket for 20 hours, but I have no patience for cookies most days. I don't understand it, but that's just how I am. It was a perfect storm, really. I was perusing local blog Dessert For Two when Sherrie, the mastermind behind With Food and Love asked me if I had any quintessentially St. Louis recipes that were also vegetarian. I started to brainstorm—what are the St. Louis dishes? Toasted ravioli. St. Louis-style pizza. The slinger. We love meat.

Then, as I hopped between Safari tabs, Dessert for Two inspired me. Gooey butter cake is vegetarian (remember that next time you see a fat vegetarian: all they're eating is baked goods and carrots)! I found my mom's recipe, then started thinking how can I make these even more "St. Louis"? I channeled my inner Sarah Osborn/Nate Hereford (the Niche crew) and decided that beets would be the key. They were just about the only thing in season when I made these. Plus, they're colorful and I love their flavor.

Don't be turned off by the use of beets, you baby. I'm not even sure how much I could taste them in the recipe—I mean, gooey butter cake isn't exactly known for its subtly. It's just baked sugar, basically. But with beets and lemon mixed in, it's healthier...right?

Beet and Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies

YIELD: 18-24 | ACTIVE: 20 MIN | INACTIVE: 2 HOURS 12 MIN | TOTAL: 2 HOURS 32 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

1 box yellow cake mix
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c unsalted butter, room temp
1 egg, room temp
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 red beet
2 T lemon juice
zest from one lemon

METHOD

Beet-Lemon Puree

Preheat the oven to 450F. You can peel the beets and quarter them now, or wait until after they’re cooked. Your call. Wrap in foil and bake for 35-45, until tender enough to put a knife through. Remove beets and let cool. Blend the beets and lemon juice together, then strain into a bowl. Stir in the zest. Set aside.

Cookie Time

Combine the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until well mixed, then add vanilla, egg, and as much beet puree as you have (or as you’d like). I added just over two tablespoons. Mix well, then add the cake mix. Once combined, put cover the batter and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape the dough into ping pong sized balls, then roll in the powdered sugar and place on the tray. Bake for about 12 minutes—a few of my batches required more, a few less. Keep an eye on them. You want them to almost be underdone so they keep that airy, gooey texture.

Let cool, then consume.

Spencer 4/12/16 Spencer 4/12/16

Parsley Mojito

I presented Chelsea Little with a hypothetical: let's say there's a guy, roughly 28 years old, who makes terrible drinks at home, so he wants a recipe for a cocktail that has only a few ingredients, is spring-themed, and can easily be scaled for a group of people. Her solution to my my friend's request was something between a mojito and a julep, though I don't know the actual difference between those drinks. Wikipedia tells me it's kind of close to an "English mojito", a drink that no one has ever heard of before. Whatever. As long as it's not made with vodka, I'll drink it.

This creation is great for a spring afternoon. There's something about it that makes me want to put on a pastel sweater vest, talk about the stock market, and maybe even play a little golf. It's either that or it's like being transported to Ina Garten's house. You step out into her enormous Hamptons garden, pick the most perfect bunch of parsley, then go wait in the solarium for her to bring in a big pitcher of it and some immaculately plated smoked salmon. I'm not sure which one.

The eucalyptus adds an extra punch of heady herbal notes. That's Chelsea's thing. It's just like Traditional Chinese Medicine, except it gets you drunk and tastes good. This recipe makes one (1) cocktail, but if you're good at math, you'll figure out how to make a jug full.

Like most of us at home, Olive & Oak doesn't have a crushed ice machine, hence the photos of Chelsea beating a burlap sack with a mallet. You can beat your ice with whatever tools you'd like!

Parsley Mojito

INGREDIENTS

PARSLEY MOJITO/JULEP

1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz eucalyptus simple syrup*
2 oz gin
parsley
club soda
ice

EUCALYPTUS SIMPLE SYRUP

dried eucalyptus
1 c sugar
1 c water

METHOD

EUCALYPTUS SIMPLE SYRUP

Go to Michael’s (yes, the craft store) and buy dried eucalyptus. Take equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil, and stir until dissolved. Put in eucalyptus and let come to room temperature. Remove eucalyptus.