A Taste of the New PCC Cookbook

Dinner from scratch

Cooking from scratch can sometimes feel like a major effort, but with the right recipe and good ingredients, you can make a homecooked dinner pretty quickly. We got a sneak peek at the new cookbook “Cooking from Scratch” from PCC and love how simple and flavorsome these recipes are. Here are some of our favorites that we think would make a great family dinner. 

“Cooking from Scratch” is available in stores and online from Tuesday, Sept. 18. Check out these three tasty recipes to whet your appetite.

Italian sausages with roasted grapes

Succulent, well-spiced pork and sweet red grapes — this is a dish to come back to. You can serve the combination with nothing more than some garlicky greens, or use it to top polenta, gnocchi or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 pound fresh hot or sweet Italian sausage links 
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1 pound seedless red grapes, stemmed
• 1⁄4 cup chopped shallots
• 1⁄3 cup dry red wine
• Fresh Italian parsley leaves, for garnish 

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

In a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium- high heat, add the oil and sausage and fry until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, thyme, grapes and shallots and transfer to the oven. 

Roast, turning the grapes and sausages halfway through the cooking time until the grapes start to caramelize and the sausages are cooked through and begin to burst, 12 to 15 minutes. 

Divide the sausages among four bowls, arranging the grapes alongside. Return the skillet to high heat and add the wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Drizzle this pan sauce over the sausages and sprinkle with the parsley before serving. 

Linguine with asparagus and peas

Rather than a dinner of pasta with a few vegetables, this is a dinner of vegetables with just enough linguine to make it feel like a complete meal. The goat cheese softens and becomes a thin coating of rich-tasting, slightly tangy sauce.

Ingredients:

Serves 8 

• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces fresh linguine, or 4 ounces dried
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1⁄2 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and pale-green parts only), washed thoroughly
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 to 6 medium asparagus spears, tough ends removed and thinly sliced on the diagonal 
• 1⁄2 cup sugar snap peas, halved on the diagonal
• 1⁄2 cup snow peas, halved on the diagonal
• 1⁄4 cup shelled English peas (optional)
• 1 ½ cups baby arugula (about 1 ½ ounces) 
• 1 ½ cups baby spinach (about 1 ½ ounces) 
• 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil 
• 4 ounces (about 1⁄2 cup) soft fresh goat cheese 
• 1⁄4 cup cooked and chopped bacon (optional) 
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish 

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package directions, until just barely al dente. Err on the side of undercooked since it is going to be folded into the hot sauce and continue to cook. Drain, but don’t rinse. 

In a medium, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the leeks, garlic, asparagus and peas. Sauté for about 2 minutes, until all the vegetables are bright green. Toss in the arugula, spinach, basil, cheese and bacon, mixing well to wilt the leaves and melt the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Fold the hot pasta into the creamy vegetables and drizzle with a little additional oil. Toss to combine and serve immediately. Garnish with the Parmesan. 

Chicken potpie with dill buttermilk biscuits

If you’ve not cooked with celeriac before, this is a great place to discover just how it can shine — it offers the same peppery flavor as celery with a texture that’s smooth and dense, like a turnip. While celery tends to dissolve into mush when it’s cooked in soups, celeriac holds its shape but softens to a tender bite. 

Ingredients:

Serves 8

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2cups whole milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 ounces), cooked and shredded
• 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots (from about 1 large carrot)
• 1 cup peeled and chopped celeriac (from about 1 medium celeriac)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 ounces cold Neufchâtel (low-fat cream cheese)
• 1 cup cultured buttermilk

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and garlic; cook until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in 1⁄4 cup of the flour to form a loose paste. Slowly whisk in the broth and milk; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, carrots, celeriac, peas and 1 tablespoon of the dill and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the biscuits by mixing together the remaining 2 cups flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, the sugar, a generous pinch of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons dill in a bowl.

Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the Neufchâtel and combine with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture is crumbly and no piece is larger than an English pea. Stir in the buttermilk and gently mix with a large fork or your hands to form a dough.

Roll the dough out into a circle that will fit inside the Dutch oven; height will vary somewhat according to the size of the pot, but it should be between 1⁄2 and 1 inch thick. With a very sharp knife, cut the circle of dough into triangles (as if you were slicing a pie) and place them on top of the hot potpie filling. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.