Shaved Vegetables with Carrot Jus, inspired by Chef Justin Burdett of Atlanta’s Miller Union

I’ve been travelling to Atlanta with my job for StarChefs.com, eating with some of the city’s best chefs, pastry chefs, mixologist, sommeliers, brewers, and baristas. And guess what? I love Atlanta! From the Southern charm to the not-to-cool hipster esthetic (a refreshing break for the sometimes overkill of Williamsburg), I’ve thoroughly enjoyed traipsing around this town with Editor-in-Chief Antoinette Bruno. And I can’t wait to head back in June to celebrate our latest class of culinary rock stars at the StarChefs.com Rising Stars Gala at the eclectic Goat Farm Arts Center.

And although we’re putting the spotlight on our Rising Stars, there was something about every one of the nearly 80 tastings that Antoinette and I loved—a clever flavor combination, an interesting technique, an out-of-this-world dessert, or a rich, complex beer. Justin Burdett, the chef de cuisine at Miller Union, was just one of the chefs who wowed us during our trips, and I can’t get his creative dish of fresh carrot juice and oysters out of my head. Lightly seasoned, it’s a refreshing riff on an oyster shooter. And it didn’t hurt that Burdett finished the dish with one of my personal favorite garnishes, celery leaves, for an added brightness.

My version, an ode to Burdett’s creativity, swaps out the oysters for shaved radish, beets, and carrots. It’s a simple, refreshing amuse buche or cool spring soup that brings a little bit of my newfound ATL love to any meal.

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A rainy, spring day is perfect for a hot “cuppa” tea and cookies. These shortbread make the perfect pair, rich and tender dough with citrus notes or bitter chocolate and hazelnuts.

Spring time means sunny days mixed between rainy showers. On cooler mornings, it’s nice to curl cup with a good book, a hot cup of Earl Grey, and nibble on a few shortbread cookies. These tender sweets have a delicate, melt in your mouth texture made from a base of butter and sugar that you can transform with the addition of any flavor. Citrus zest brightens the cookies, while cocoa powder, chocolate and hazelnuts add a hearty richness. The dough freezes wonderfully, so make a double batch and you’ll have enough to enjoy on warm, summer days as well!

Chocolate hazelnut shortbread, makes 3 dozen
1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup toasted and finely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 oz semisweet chocolate

1. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together on medium speed for five minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down occasionally. Add in the vanilla extract, and mix to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder. Add 1/2 of the dry mixture to the butter mixture, and combine slowly on speed one. Add the second 1/2 of dry ingredients to the butter and mix slowly, scraping down to combine completely. Continue to mix one minute more to completely combine.  Add the salt and the nuts, mix into batter.

3. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment and roll into a 1-inch log. Place in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes, or until the dough is firm.

4. Set the oven to 315 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut 1/4-inch slices. Place on the sheet tray.

5. Bake cookies for 15 minutes,  turning once. Remove sheet from tray and allow to cool completely. Finish cookies by dipping in chocolate.

6. To temper chocolate: Melt all but 1 tbsp of the chocolate completely in a medium sized bowl, either over a double boiler, or in a microwave(being careful not to burn the chocolate). Stir in the last tbsp of chocolate into the melted chocolate. Cool chocolate to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet tray with a silpat or parchment paper. Dip completely cooled cookies half-way into the chocolate, shake to remove excess chocolate, and place on lined sheet tray. When all cookies are dipped, place tray into the refrigerator to allow chocolate to cool completely. Serve cookies at room temperature. Store in an air tight container.

Citrus Shortbread, makes one dozen
6 oz butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 orange
1 lemon
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups cake flour
1-3 cup confectioners sugar, for icing

1. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the lemon and orange into the bowl. Cream the mixture together on medium speed for five minutes until smooth, scraping down occasionally.

2. Mix the yolks and the vanilla together. Add to the butter mixture and mix on slow speed until smooth, scraping down if necessary.

3. Add half of the cake flour to the butter and mix together on slow speed, scraping down if necessary. Add the rest of the flour and mix until just completely combined. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment and roll into a 1-inch log. Place in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes, or until the dough is firm.

4. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut 1/4-inch slices. Place on the sheet tray.

5. Bake cookies for 18 minutes, turning once. Remove sheet from tray and allow to cool completely. Finish cookies by dipping in icing.

6. To make icing, place the juice from the orange in a small bowl. Add enough confectioners sugar to make a thick icing. Line a sheet tray with a silpat or parchment paper. Dip cooled cookies in icing, shake to remove excess, and place on tray. Or, place icing in a piping bag and pipe a zig-zag line across cookies. Allow icing to set and serve at room temperature. Store in an air tight container.

Spring is in the air. As the white dots of cherry blossoms flutter through the sky, it’s hard not to notice the green leaves popping up and the warm days turning into longer nights. Warm weather means spring and spring means Easter.

This year Easter eggs get a fresh face with inspiration from the herb garden and what could be better for your bunny basket then home-made chamomile marshmallows?

These sweet, soothing treats are easy to make and sure to put a smile on anyone’s face. And take a cue from the kitchen for this year’s eggs. Try using different teas instead of dyes; raspberry, black and green teas lend subtle, organic tones to the eggs.  Parsley, thyme and dill make the perfect addition to these earthy Easter eggs. With home-made treats this handsome and tasty,  Easter will finally shed off the neon eggs and bright yellow marshmallows and bloom into  something naturally beautiful.

Chamomile Marshmallows

120g egg whites
50g granulated sugar
950g granulated sugar
300g water
2 bags chamomile tea
45g gelatin sheets
Potato Starch

1. In a small pot, bring water to boil. Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and pour tea into bowl. Place this bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let cool completely.
2. Place the 950g of sugar in a heavy bottom medium sauce pot. Add enough warm water so that the sugar is a quicksand consistency, mixing the water into the sugar completely and avoiding sugar on the walls of the pot. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Put the gelatin into the cold tea water, adding each sheet one at a time so all the sheets are completely submerged in water(this helps make sure the entire sheet of gelatin absorbs enough water).
3. Turn the sugar pot on medium high heat. Turn the mixer of medium high speed and mix until the whites are frothy. Slowly rain in the 50g of sugar into the whites while the sugar cooks to 120 degrees Celsius.
4. Once the whites begin to look shiny and the sugar is cooked to 120 Celsius, put the gelatin into the sugar syrup and mix until all the gelatin is dissolved. Stream the sugar/gelatin/tea into the whites and turn mixer to high.
5. Mix on high until the meringue triples in volume and becomes shiny and thick.
6. Pour onto a half sheet tray lined with a sil pat.
7. Let marshmallows sit for 30 minutes. Loosely cover the top with potato starch. Let sit for 30 minutes. Cut around edges of tray using a sharp knife and invert the marshmallows onto counter top. Cover the other side with potato starch.
8. Let sit for one hour. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the marshmallow, wiping the knife with hot water each time you use it. Cut the marshmallows into square pieces. Coat the pieces in  potato starch so that all sides are coated and shake the remaining starch off marshmallows.
9. Store in an air tight container. If not using that day, store in freezer for up to one month.

Herb  Decopaged Easter Eggs

1 dozen eggs
2 bags tea; your choice raspberry, green or black work well as dyes
Selection of herbs including flat leaf parsley, thyme, rosemary and dill
Decopage glue such as modge podge
Small foam paintbrush

1. Fill heavy bottom pot with water and place eggs in one layer on the bottom. Turn heat onto high and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and let cook for one minute. Turn heat off and cover pot, let sit for ten minutes.  over medium heat. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water.
2. Bring one quart of water to boil and let tea bags steep until dark color is achieved.
3. Place some of the eggs in the tea water and let sit until desired color is achieved. Cool in ice water.
4. When the eggs are cool, dry them completely. Remove herbs from stems, picking out desired leaves for decoupage.
5. Place a thin layer of glue down on the area you wish to apply herbs. Gently place herb and push down. Allow to dry completely- using a turned over egg cartons works well as a drying holder.
6. Once herb is attached and glue is dry, cover the entire front side of egg with glue .
7. Allow to dry completely.
8. Arrange eggs in Easter Basket for a beautiful table center piece.