From chef Alain Giraud

MAINE SCALLOPS WITH MEYER LEMON-PISTACHIO EMULSION

Serves 4 as a main course or 8 as an appetizer

2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, washed and finely diced

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

2 cups heavy cream, divided

4 shallots, finely chopped

½ pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup Monbazillac*

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup chopped pistachios

2 teaspoons olive oil

16 sea scallops,* cleaned and dried

2 ounces pistachio paste*

(scant ¼ cup)

Juice of 2 Meyer lemons

Salt and black pepper

Fleur de sel for garnish

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the leeks and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cream and reduce, stirring occasionally, until it’s thick enough to coat the leeks, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper and reserve.

In another medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat, add the shallots and cook until translucent and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook over medium-low heat until the juices are released, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the Monbazillac, increase the heat to medium, stirring to scrape up any bits, and reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add the chicken broth and reduce the liquid by half. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and reduce over medium-low heat by a third, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and sear about 2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other, until the edges are golden. In the meantime, reheat the leeks and stir in half of the chopped pistachios.

Cut the remaining butter into small pieces. Reheat the wine-and-cream base over medium-low heat, then whisk in the pistachio paste, the lemon juice and the butter. Emulsify the sauce until it’s frothy, using either an immersion blender or a regular blender. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste.

TO SERVE: In the middle of each of 4 large plates (for a main course), spoon two rounded tablespoons of the leeks. Place 4 scallops on top, adding a touch of fleur de sel. Spoon emulsion around each plate and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios.

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From Chef Alain Giraud

SPRING VEGETABLE TARTINES

Serves 8

8 Roma tomatoes

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

24 medium asparagus tips

1½ cups English peas (½ pound)

1½ cups small fava beans (about 1½ pounds in the shell)

4 baby artichokes

Juice of 1 lemon

4 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced

8 slices olive bread

4 tablespoons black olive tapenade*

4 tablespoons Banyuls vinegar*

Salt and black pepper

Fleur de sel, for garnish

2 tablespoons mixed herbs (basil, chervil and chives), for garnish

Core and slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Coat a nonreactive baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. Place the tomato halves on the pan, cut side down. Brush the skins with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Dry the tomatoes in the oven at 250 degrees until the skins pull off easily, about 1½ to 2 hours. Reserve the tomatoes and save the cooking juices in a small container.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the asparagus tips and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the tips with a slotted spoon and shock in ice water. Add the peas to the water and cook for 1 minute; remove and shock in ice water. Add the fava beans and cook for 30 seconds; remove and shock in ice water. Peel the fava beans. Pat dry all the cooked vegetables and set aside. Trim the artichokes, slice them lengthwise finely, and toss in a large bowl with the lemon juice. Drain the juice, add the asparagus, peas, favas and radishes and gently toss. Reserve.

Brush the bread slices with a total of 2 tablespoons olive oil and toast on a grill pan until golden on both sides. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the reserved juice from the tomatoes with the Banyuls vinegar and the remaining olive oil.

TO SERVE: Spread the tapenade on each slice of grilled bread. Arrange the tomatoes on top, then mound the combined vegetables on top of that. Finish with a drizzle of dressing, a touch of fleur de sel and black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

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BLACK OLIVE TAPENADE

Makes 2 cups

1 cup niçoise olives

2 ounces (about 8) anchovy filets

¾ cup capers, drained

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon brandy

Black pepper

¼ teaspoon piment d’espelette,* or pinch cayenne pepper

Pit the olives and reserve in a small bowl. Rinse the anchovy filets in fresh water. In a food processor, combine the olives, anchovies and capers. Mix until very smooth, then, with the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Add the brandy and season with black pepper and piment d’espelette or cayenne. Check and adjust the seasoning to taste. (Do not add salt because the anchovies and olives are salty.)

* Piment d’espelette can be found at select Williams-Sonoma stores.

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From Chef David Myers

SALADE DE LEGUMES

Serves 4

8 fingerling potatoes, about 3 inches long, peeled

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, toasted in a skillet until fragrant

3 sprigs thyme

½ pound haricots verts, ends removed

4 artichoke hearts, leaves and choke removed, trimmed and cut into quarters

8 slender spring carrots, peeled

8 breakfast radishes

8 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise and germ removed

¼ cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

4 romaine hearts, quartered lengthwise

Put the potatoes, peppercorns and thyme in a medium pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, add enough salt to the water so it tastes like the sea, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, and let cool. Blanch the carrots in the same water for about 3 minutes, drain and shock in ice water. In fresh boiling salted water blanch, individually, the haricots verts, radishes and garlic halves until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes each. Remove each from the pot and place in ice water until cool. Blanch the artichoke hearts until just tender, about 5 minutes, remove and place in ice water until cool. Pat dry all of the vegetables.

In a small sauté pan, heat the oil to 300 degrees or until small bubbles appear. Fry the garlic slices just until golden, about 30 seconds.

For the VINAIGRETTE:

½ cup best-quality olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup crème fraîche

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the oil, vinegar and crème fraîche in a small bowl. Whisk in the salt and pepper; adjust the seasoning.

Quarter the potatoes, carrots and radishes lengthwise. In a large bowl, toss together the haricots verts, artichoke hearts, carrots and radishes and add dressing to taste. Divide the romaine among four shallow bowls and scatter the vegetables on top. Sprinkle with the garlic chips just before serving.

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