A beautiful Spring menu plan from Miss Maggie’s Kitchen

We are so lucky to be able to share with you a Spring menu plan curated by the ever so talented recipe creator Héloïse Brion. This collection of recipes is taken from her new book, Miss Maggie’s Kitchen, named after her widely loved food and lifestyle brand. Together, they form a delicious four course French feast that is sure to impress your next dinner party guests.

Rosemary-Rhubarb Cooler

Makes 4 cocktails

Active Time 5 minutes

Cooking Time 5 minutes

Infusing Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g young, pink-stemmed rhubarb, divided
• 1½ cups (300 g) superfine sugar
• ¾ cup (200 ml) water
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary with flowers, divided 2 lemons, preferably organic
• ¾ cup (200 ml) vodka
• Large ice cubes
• About 2 cups (500 ml) sparkling water

Recipe

1. Wash the rhubarb and cut 500 g into small pieces, and the remaining 100 g into 4 large pieces for garnish. Place the small rhubarb pieces in a large saucepan with the sugar, water, and 3 rosemary sprigs. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 5 minutes to make a syrup. Remove from the heat and let infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve and place 2 tablespoons of syrup in each of 4 glasses.
3. Top the syrup in each glass with the juice of ½ lemon and 3½ tbsp (50 ml) vodka.
4. Add 4–5 ice cubes and a splash of sparkling water per drink. Stir to combine.
5. Garnish with pieces of the remaining rosemary sprig and rhubarb before serving.

Cheese Shortbreads

Makes about 30

Active Time 10 minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour

Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 stick plus 1tsp (120g) unsalted butter, well chilled and diced
• 1 3/4 cups (200g) shredded mature cheddar
• 1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
• 12 pecan halves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

1. In a large bowl, combine the butter, cheeses, cayenne pepper, flour, and a pinch of kosher salt using your fingertips. When the dough comes together, shape it into a large ball.
2. Divide the dough in two and shape each half into a log with a diameter of 6–7 cm. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the chilled dough logs into 0.5 cm slices and place on the baking sheet.
4. Top each slice with either a pecan half or a small sprig of rosemary or thyme, lightly pressing them into the dough, and bake for 15 minutes. While the shortbreads are still warm, sprinkle them with kosher salt and pepper. Let cool and serve.

Green Bean Salad with Hazelnuts and Parmesan

Serves 4

Active Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg green beans
• 2 tsp whole grain mustard
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp hazelnut oil
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp crushed toasted hazelnuts
• 2 handfuls arugula
• 1 handful shaved Parmesan
• 1 handful dried cranberries or blueberries
• A few arugula or amaranth sprouts (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Recipe

1. Blanch the green beans in generously salted water for 5 minutes.
2. Plunge the beans into a large bowl filled with ice water. After 1 minute, drain and dry the beans.
3. In the base of a large salad bowl, prepare the vinaigrette: Combine the mustard, vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and hazelnut oil, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the green beans, hazelnuts, shallot, and dried cranberries or blueberries to the salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
5. Before serving, sprinkle the salad with the arugula, Parmesan, and amaranth sprouts if using.

Onion Quiche

Serves 4-6

Active Time: 20 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 quantity savory pastry dough with thyme (see recipe p. 25)
• 7 onions (a mix of yellow and red), thinly sliced 1 tbsp butter, plus more for greasing the pan 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup (200 ml) heavy cream
• 2 pinches ground cumin
• 1 handful grated Gruyère cheese
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Recipe

1. Prepare the savory pastry dough with thyme leaves as indicated on page 25. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the onions in a large saucepan or Dutch oven with the butter, a generous pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and grease a 28-cm tart pan or dish with butter. Roll the dough into an approximately 32-cm round. Ease the dough into the pan, gently pressing it into the sides. Trim any excess dough, prick the base with a fork, and pre-bake for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the mustard over the base in a thin layer. Distribute two-thirds of the onions evenly over the mustard.
5. In a bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the cream and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the onions in the tart crust and sprinkle with the grated Gruyère. Scatter the remaining onions over the top and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the filling is set and the crust is golden.

Franou’s Lemon Pie

Serves 6-8

Active Time 20 minutes

Chilling Time 2 hours

Cooking Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY DOUGH

• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated or superfine sugar
• 3½ tbsp (50 ml) water or milk
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour 1 pinch salt
• 1 stick plus 2 tsp (125 g) unsalted butter, well chilled and diced, plus more for greasing the pan
• Generous ½ cup (80 g) toasted pine nuts

FOR THE LEMON CURD FILLING

• 2 large lemons, preferably organic
• 1 stick plus 2 tbsp (5 oz./150 g) unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup (4½ oz./130 g) granulated or superfine sugar
• 3 small eggs

Recipe

1. To prepare the pastry dough, whisk together the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in the milk. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Work in the egg-sugar mixture, followed by the pine nuts, until the dough just comes together in a ball. Shape into a round, flatten the top, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and grease a 28-cm tart pan or dish with butter. Roll the dough into an approximately 33-cm round. Ease the dough into the pan, gently pressing it into the sides. Trim any excess dough, prick the base with a fork, and bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. To prepare the lemon curd filling, remove the zest from 1 of the lemons in strips, using a vegetable peeler; juice both lemons and set the juice aside. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the zest, and blanch zest for 5 minutes. Drain the zest and return it to the saucepan. Add the butter and cook over low heat until the butter melts. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
4. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together. Whisk in the lemon juice, followed by the melted butter. Pour into the saucepan and set over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and has slightly thickened; this could take up to 8–10 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil or it may split. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1½ hours. Spoon the chilled filling into the baked crust, smooth over the top, and serve.

Posted on October 21, 2020