Farm to Table Easter Feast [Cheesy Biscuits, Roasted Carrot + Green Goddess Salad, and Roasted Red Bell Peppers with a Dijon Vinagrette]
Every Easter, I look forward to a sweet seasonal meal at-home. It feels like the perfect time to do a hard launch into Spring meals, and that’s exactly how I played it this weekend. The sun was out, the yardwork got done, and we had a little “farm to table” Easter feast to cap it all off.
On the menu this year: Cheesy Biscuits, Roasted Carrot + Green Goddess Salad, and Roasted Bell Peppers with a Dijon Vinagrette. The best part is it all just paired so well together (& it’s what we commented on the most as we sat at the kitchen table). The biscuits were the shining star - the thing I wanted to make the most. I don’t know, something about biscuits on Easter sounded great. Especially considering we had a weekend of yardwork ahead of us - biscuits sounded like the treat we could look forward to. The roasted carrot salad with the herby, avocado infused green goddess dressing was the big hit of Spring flavor, and the roasted bells were the final little addition to our 3 course Easter menu, and they were simple to make + very delicious.
For the love of biscuits
There is something so satisfying about making biscuits. For me, it’s kind of the extent of my bread making (Jordan takes the cake on that one around this kitchen), and I love enjoying the pillowy, crumbly, and buttery goodness that is a biscuit. Always eaten just a little warmed up if not straight out of the oven, and slathered with a honey butter or really good jam. In the case of these cheesy biscuits, it’s an herby honey butter all the way.
Also the process of making biscuits - I just feel so legit! Grating the butter being the most noteworthy step in the process. I just feel so successful in my kitchen taking out my frozen stick of butter and grating it on up. So silly but always my favorite part. And I will confirm that grating is the way to go and using a pastry cutter is a crime once you’ve been given this hack!
We have the same rinse + repeat conversation every Easter. That it’s kind of funny that Easter is such a major holiday for some folks, and for us it kind of sneaks up. We never make big plans. We don’t do a big brunch & rarely take part in a big family gathering. But we do look forward to making a holiday dinner, and in this case a Spring-y feast, and we made the time to just that. After several hours of yardwork, it was the perfect end to the weekend and ideal way to spend some quality time together.
For the cheesy biscuits (what I made first so I could test one in the morning)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick of very cold butter (I put mine in the freezer for an hour)
1 cup grated cheese (any cheddar works, and I used a “Mexican blend” since that’s what I had open & on hand)
1 c. almond milk plus 2 tbsp-3tbsp half and half (if needed)
Herbed Honey Butter (make yourself my mashing together an additional 1/4 c. butter with 2 tsp honey, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp chopped basil + 2 tbsp chopped parsley, and a pinch of red pepper flakes)
For the bell peppers + burrata
2-3 red bell peppers, cored and cut into larger chunks
EVOO
salt + pepper
2 tbsp Dijon
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ball of burrata
2 tbsp freshly slice basil (for garnish)
For the carrot + green goddess salad
1/2 an avocado
1/3 c. Greek yogurt
3 tbsp low-fat mayo
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp fresh parsley
3 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh chives
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 bunch of rainbow carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced
EVOO
2 tbsp fresh thyme
salt + pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
butter lettuce, washed + cut into bitesize pieces
2-3 tbsp sunflower seeds
Start the with biscuits. As your getting ready to bake, place the butter in the freezer and turn the oven to 425. Add the flour, baking powder, garlic + onion powder, and salt to a mixing bowl. Grate in the butter and add in the cheddar cheese. Gently mix together, then pour in the almond milk, and stir. If the batter still feels dry, add in some half and half a tablespoon at a time until you have a sticky biscuit mixture. Turn the biscuit batter onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Fold in the short sides towards the center, and then take the long side and fold in half. Repeat this process, and reform the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Cut out the dough with a biscuit cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each biscuit with some half and half, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once they’re a little golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container if sitting out overnight.
Move to prepping the roasted veggies - the bell peppers + carrots. Preheat the oven to 425. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. In one boil, toss the bell peppers with a light drizzle of EVOO, and a pinch of salt + pepper. In another bowl, toss the carrots with a drizzle of EVOO, the thyme, a pinch of salt + pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Place the carrots on one half of the baking sheet + the peppers on the other. Roast for 20 minutes. As the veggies roast, whisk together the dijon, vinegar, and garlic for the peppers. Take out after 20 minutes, toss, and drizzle the Dijon mix over the peppers. Roast for another 5-10 minutes - until the veggies are lightly browned + tender
Now to the salad. As the veggies roast, add the avocado, yogurt, mayo, garlic, parsley, basil, chives, and lemon (all ingredients for the salad) to a food processor and blend until creamy + smooth. Toss lettuce with a couples tablespoons the dressing and a small pinch of salt + pepper, and set aside.
When the veggies are finished roasted, remove the baking tray + turn off the oven. Remove carrots and split a ball of burrata over the peppers, returning the peppers and cheese to the oven for just 2-3 minutes.
Finish your plating:
Place the dressed lettuce for the salad in a serving bowl and lay the carrots on top. Drizzle with a bit of the additional dressing + sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
Place the roasted bell peppers on a serving tray. Sprinkle fresh basil + a sprinkle of salt over the top.
Serve the biscuits slightly warmed up with the honey butter on the side.
All perfectly paired together and such a good Spring meal!