Recipe: Spring Vegetable Stew with Hazelnuts

SPRING VEGETABLE STEW WITH HAZELNUTS

"Spring fever hits Heartlanders hard. As the days lengthen and our appetites lighten, we yearn for quick, easy fare. Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes and Canadian potatoes, grow wild across the Midwest and are a favorite of springtime cooks. The plant grows up to ten feet (3 m) tall and produces yellow blossoms that turn their heads to follow the sun. Unlike potatoes, these tubers do not store well."

1/2 cup (2-1/2 oz/75 g) hazelnuts (filberts)
1/2 lb (250 g) radiatore or other dried spiral pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lb (500 g) asparagus, tough stems removed and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 lb (500 g) mixed fresh mushrooms such as cremini, portobello, morel, and shiitake brushed clean or rinsed if laden with grit and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/2 lb (250 g) sunchokes, peeled and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
2 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) chicken stock
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) white wine
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) heavy (double) cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lemon cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until the skins begin to darken and crack, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, wrap the still warm nuts in a clean kitchen towel, and rub between your palms to remove the skins. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Bring a large pot three fourths full of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente, 8 12 minutes or according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium low heat, melt the butter until foamy. Just as it begins to brown and smell nutty, toss in the asparagus, mushrooms, sunchokes, turnips, and carrot. Saut , stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the thyme and nutmeg and add the stock, wine, and cream. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced and thickened and the flavors have married and intensified, about 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Stir the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper into the vegetables and spoon over the pasta. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and garnish with the lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Source: The Heartland, part of the Williams Sonoma New American Cooking series. Recipes by Beth Dooley, photographs by Leigh Beisch