Recipe: Wild and Spring Vegetables en Papillote

From the Vitality Food Feature ‘STALKING THE WILD FIDDLEHEADS‘.

Both the French and Italians use this method to employ steam to cook poultry, fish, or vegetables. A folded pouch or parcel is created from parchment paper and then the individual parcels are baked and served to the delight of the diner, who must pierce the paper packet to reveal the delicate morsels within. You can add a small fillet of trout to the package if you wish. (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 sheets parchment paper (24 inches long)
• 4 Tbsp coconut oil or butter
• 1 cup chopped wild (or domestic) leeks
• 1 cup diced puffball or crimini mushrooms
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup diced new potatoes
• 1 cup new peas
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C) and fold each sheet of parchment in half. Cut each folded sheet into a half heart shape, keeping the heart as large as possible. Place each heart on a rimmed baking sheet.

2) In a skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.

3) Sauté leeks, mushrooms and onion for 5 minutes or until soft.

4) Remove from heat and add potatoes, peas, olive oil, lemon juice, tarragon, mustard and sea salt. Toss to combine well.

5) Divide vegetables into 4 equal portions and spoon each portion onto one half of each parchment heart.

6) Fold the parchment over vegetables and fold or roll up the cut edges to seal them. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

7) Serve individual bundles intact and let guests cut the paper to open them.