Not only are we in the middle of Grilled Cheese Month, we're also in the middle National Park Week. How great is that? I'm a big fan of parks -- trees, mountains, lakes, wildlife, fresh air, wide open expanses of nature...I live in New York City, so all these things are precious commodities. You don't ordinarily associate fine dinning with national parks, but there's a lot more to eat in the midst of all those hiking trails than granola and berries. For example, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia features two dining rooms where you can savor upscale fare like seared trout with lemon butter and creme brulee; here's a recipe from one of their chefs. These biscuits are super simple to make, because you don't need to roll out the dough or cut out shapes --  just mix the ingredients, drop portioned dough onto a cookie sheet, and bake. They'd be great with some barbecue or fried chicken.

Green Onion-Buttermilk Biscuits

Yield:  12 Servings

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup or 1-1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup green onions, chopped fine
• 1 cup buttermilk

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

 

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend.

 

Using fingertips, rub 3/4 cup chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal.

 

Add buttermilk and green onions and stir until evenly moistened.

 

Using 1/4 cup dough for each biscuit, drop biscuits onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

 

Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

 

Cool slightly. Serve warm.

 

Recipe courtesy of ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Chef, Terry Sheehan, Shenandoah National Park

 

Here's another easy recipe that's Passover-appropriate, but is simple enough to bake up anytime you have a craving for something a little bit sweet. Instead of typical plain coconut or chocolate, these macaroons get an added jolt from espresso powder.

 

Honey Mocha Macaroons

Makes 24 servings

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. instant powdered coffee or espresso
• 3 1/2  cups shredded, sweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup matzo cake meal
• 2 egg whites
• 24 chocolate coffee beans

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. In small saucepan, combine honey, cocoa powder and coffee powder. Cook and stir over medium heat until powders are dissolved and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes. Stir in coconut, matzo cake meal and egg whites until well blended. Spoon out about 1 tablespoon mixture and roll into a ball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing balls about 1 inch apart. Press 1 coffee bean into center of each ball. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until firm. Remove pan from oven and cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove macaroons from parchment. Store in airtight container.

 

Recipe and photo courtesy of the National Honey Board