Delicious Mediterranean Diet Recipes

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March 21, 2025

A brown bowl full of Dandelion Artichoke Dip with a spoon in it and crusty bread laying around the dish.

Everyone at TABLE loves the fresh, bitter appeal of springtime dandelion greens, especially in an artichoke dip. This recipe wilts them with shallots and garlic, and mellows them with mozzarella, mayonnaise, parmesan, and canned artichokes. After a quick bake in the oven, spread the bubbly dip directly onto crisps and crackers. Or, try this Dandelion Artichoke Dip as a spread on your favorite lunchtime sandwich or wrap. Just be sure to sip a lovely white wine and let your mind wander in the process… perhaps all the way to summer, since it’s right around the corner.

What Are Dandelion Greens?

Dandelion greens are the leafy part (not the stem!) of the common dandelion plant you see growing outside. Some see it as a weed but in many cultures it’s actually a valuable food source. These greens show off distinctive, serrated edges and carry a slightly bitter, peppery flavor, which intensifies as the plant matures. The best part of indulging in dandelion greens is that they include vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium and iron. You can eat these leaves raw such as in salads or sauté and steam them to add to soups and stews.

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Dandelion Artichoke Dip

Author: Anna Franklin

Description

You’ll want to have this dip available at your next picnic.

Ingredients

Scale

1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 block cream cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 cans artichokes
2 cups Italian dandelion greens, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

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Instructions

In a sauté pan, sweat the minced shallot and garlic with 1 tbsp butter, until translucent. Try not to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add dandelion greens and sauté until just wilted. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients together and mix with a paddle attachment for about 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are evenly mixed together.
Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the dip is bubbling around the edges. Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe and Styling Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Lamb Shoulder

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March 21, 2025

Lisa Theuer stands in front of her Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Lamb Shoulder in a white-walled kitchen.

Growing up, we always had tons of food on Easter. My mom would make lasagna, ham, turkey, potatoes, salad, and desserts. When you are young, you don’t really understand how much effort goes into that, but now that I cook a lot more for myself and know what it takes to put a meal together, I appreciate it fully. This inspired me to develop a stress-free recipe for Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Lamb Shoulder that would allow me to spend time hanging out with my mom and enjoying spending time with family.

What is Pomegranate Molasses?

Pomegranate molasses is a thick, dark syrup made by reducing pomegranate juice with sugar and sometimes lemon juice. It has a sweet and tangy flavor, with a hint of tartness. Pomegranate molasses commonly appears in Middle Eastern cuisine, in dishes like fattoush or makaanik. The seasoning adds a complex flavor to dishes like salads, marinades, stews, dressings, and even cocktails. Its unique balance of sweetness and acidity makes it a versatile ingredient in savory recipes like this Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Lamb Shoulder.

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Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Lamb Shoulder

Author: Lisa Theuer

Description

A lamb dish to celebrate Mother’s Day, Easter, or just appreciation for your family and friends.

Ingredients

Scale

For the lamb:

5–6 lb bone in lamb shoulder
Pomegranate molasses

For the spice rub:

2 tbsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
4–5 ish tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg

For the garnish:

1 1/2 cups fresh pomegranate arils
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
5 or 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro

For salad dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, grated

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Instructions

Cover the lamb in the spice rub and put in roasting tray, dutch oven or similar pan, covered with a lid or foil. Bake at 300 for 3 to 3 1/2 hrs, then brush the lamb with ½ cup pomegranate molasses and bake another 30-40 minutes uncovered at 375. The lamb should be tender inside and will pull apart easily with a fork, but crispy on the outside from the higher bake temp.
After cooking, rest the lamb for 20-30 minutes prior to slicing.
Place thin slices on a platter and garnish with pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, and fresh cilantro.
Serve with a leafy salad of mustard greens, arugula, radicchio, and diced shallot, dressed with a imple dressing you can make ahead of time by whisking the above listed ingredients together.

Traditional wine recommendation: Bordeaux Blend

Experimental pairing: Tinta Del País Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva

Recipe by Lisa Theuer
Wine Pairing by Camila Alarcón Cordón
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Cheesy Grits with Springtime Mushrooms

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March 21, 2025

A green bowl on a green table holds cheesy grits inside mixed with small blossoms and springtime mushrooms with uncooked mushrooms all around the bowl.

Yes, summer may be near, but with some chilly evenings remaining on the calendar for a few weeks to come you’re going to want a dish that brings you joy. Warm yourself up with a plate of Cheesy Grits brought to life with plenty of shredded cheese and the complex and wonderful umami of sautéed mushrooms. Plus, flowering herbs and chive blossoms complete this beautiful and oh-so-satisfying dish.

What Are the Different Types of Mushrooms in Our Cheesy Grits?

Morel Mushrooms: A honeycomb-like structure builds the outside of morel mushrooms. It’s a little earthy and a little nutty with a firm, meaty texture, making it a great replacement for bacon in regular grits.

Hen of the Woods Mushrooms: Also known as grifola frondosa or maitake, the hen of the woods mushroom follows in the footsteps of the morel mushroom. Other than a slight spice, it’s also a nutty and meaty variety of mushroom.

Brick Cap Mushrooms: This type of mushrooms has an endless list of names but what you need to know about it is that they grow in clusters. Besides their unique clump-shape, they’re often mild, maybe slightly bitter in taste.

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Cheesy Grits with Springtime Mushrooms

Author: Anna Franklin

Description

Comforting and warming, this dish will remind you of home.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt chicken stock
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
1/4 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp butter, divided
Salt to taste
2 cups fresh morel mushrooms
1 cup hen of the woods mushrooms
1 cup brick cap mushrooms
Flowering thyme
Chive blossoms

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Instructions

In a large saucepan, sauté garlic in one tablespoon of butter until fragrant.
Add chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil, then add the cornmeal, stirring away any clumps that may form.
Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the cornmeal is thick and creamy.
Remove from the stovetop and add Wild Rosemary cheese, heavy cream, 3 tbsp of butter and salt to taste. Stir until the cheese and butter is completely melted.
In a large sauté pan, sauté all the mushrooms with 1 tbsp of butter and season with salt and pepper. You can add other herbs and spices to this step if you’d like, but let the flavors of the mushrooms be the star of the show!
Serve the sautéed mushrooms on top of a bed of cheesy grits and garnish with flowering thyme and chive blossoms.

Recipe and Styling Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Spring Chicken with Fava Shoot Pesto

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March 21, 2025

A green plate on a green surface plates spring chicken with a fava shoot pesto and half-cut radishes.

The proverbial spring chicken is young and tender. Follow the recipe here to roast it tenderly and crisp up its skin in the final moments. Along the way, fresh pesto and roasted radishes make their way into the process, bringing in their variously herbaceous, garlicky, and bittersweet flavors. The sum is much greater than the parts; you’ll delight with each bite of fava shoot pesto-covered meat and veg. Serve with a side of Cheesy Grits with Springtime Mushrooms and sips of your favorite dry, sparkling wine.

What Does Fava Shoot Pesto Taste Like?

Fava shoot pesto is a bright, herbaceous pesto that has a subtle sweetness and a nutty undertone. The fava bean shoots themselves contribute the fresh, green or earthy taste that’s reminiscent of peas or young spinach. The addition of pecans lends a richer, more mellow nuttiness compared to the sharper bite of pine nuts in classic pesto. The lemon zest finishes things off with a citrus lift, cutting through the richness of the butter, olive oil, and garlic. Basically, fava shoot pesto is going to be less pungent and more delicate than traditional basil pesto.

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Spring Chicken with Fava Shoot Pesto

Author: Anna Franklin

Description

This recipe screams springtime with fresh ingredients from chicken to pesto.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 chicken
3 tbsp softened butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups whole radishes

For the pesto:

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup fava shoots (or basil) (Save extra for garnish)
1/4 cup pecans
1 tsp salt
Zest of one lemon
1 small clove of garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with softened butter. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 350 degrees until the inside of the chicken is 165 degrees.
Set oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes until the skin gets extra crispy.
While the chicken is roasting, combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend until you get a smooth, thick pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Halfway through roasting, add the 2 cups of radishes to the roasting pan.
Once chicken is fully cooked, transfer the chicken and radishes to a serving platter and serve with pesto. Garnish with fresh fava or basil shoots.

Recipe and Styling Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Springtime Succotash

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March 21, 2025

A big teal bowl of springtime vegetable succotash using radishes and various green sprouts as a green onion sits to the left of the bowl.

Some of us remember succotash from our childhoods. It’s basically just a mixed veggie sautée. The combination of fresh vegetables means a meal that’s low-cost to make and still provides a nutritious lunch or dinner. This version brings the dish into the 21st century with the addition of fresh fiddlehead ferns, fresh radishes, and chive flowers. These spring vegetables are the perfect way to transition into the season and make the most of the harvest. Oh, yes—don’t forget some delicious Italian pancetta from your most trusted butcher. Its flavor adds richness to the plate.

Where Does Succotash Come From?

Succotash gets its origins from early America, somewhere between 1745 and 1755. The word itself comes from the Indigenous Algonquian language and quite literally means “boiled whole kernels of corn.” The reason this dish became so popular was because of the way corn, lima beans, and squash (found in the original recipe) would help each other grow year-round. Called “the three sisters” in the Southwest and Mexico, the corn supports the growth of the beans while the squash suppresses the weeds and the beans also enrich the soil. Later on down the line, this dish also supported citizens during the Great Depression whenever food was scarce and filling meals like this one meant a big deal.

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Springtime Succotash

Author: Anna Franklin

Description

A healthy and nutritious mix of fresh springtime vegetables.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup pancetta, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cups fiddlehead ferns
1 bag frozen lima beans, defrosted to room temperature
2 cups fresh or frozen peas, defrosted to room temperature
2 cups radish, diced
Chive blossoms

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Instructions

In a large sauté pan, add the pancetta and cool until crispy. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the fiddlehead ferns, lima beans, fresh peas, and radish. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, season with salt and pepper, garnish with chive blossoms and serve.

Recipe and Styling Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

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March 21, 2025

A whole Rhubarb Frangipane Tart with latticed rhubarb slices on top sitting on a green table with a pie spatula nearby.

Don’t let the photo scare you: you DO NOT have to weave your rhubarb slices to enjoy this Rhubarb Frangipane Tart. You could lay them on top of the delicious almond-based frangipane filling any-which-way and the flavor would be just as delicious. If you’re brave, however, and willing to spend a little time slicing stems of rhubarb on a mandoline, it is much easier than it looks. We promise. Head to your local farmer’s market to pick up rhubarb and you can even look for locally made flour as well. In both cases, fresh and local flavors add to the impact on the tastebuds.

What is Frangipane?

Frangipane is a sweet custard cream which uses almonds. It’s a base for various pastries and desserts. This blend of butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds creates a rich but also dense filling with a moist, slightly chewy texture. Due to its texture, frangipane usually maintains its shape during baking, making it ideal for tarts, cakes, and pastries. Especially in the case of our Rhubarb Frangipane Tart, it adds a distinctive nutty flavor and smooth consistency that takes this recipe over the top.

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Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

Author: Anna Franklin

Description

A tart that takes inspiration from the flourishing produce at farmer’s markets.

Ingredients

Scale

For the crust:

4 1/2 oz butter, softened
3 oz confectioner’s sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
8 oz all-purpose flour

For the frangipane filling:

2 1/2 oz ground almonds
1 1/2 oz confectioner’s sugar
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 3/4 oz butter, softened
1 egg yolk
2 oz heavy cream

For the rhubarb topping:

2 cups rhubarb jam
30 thinly sliced pieces of rhubarb

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Instructions

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until creamy, 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks, cream, vanilla and salt, and beat for another minute at medium speed.
Add flour and mix on low until just incorporated. Make into a dough with your hands.
Lightly press the tart dough into your tart pan.
Use your hand and fingers to press it around and up the sides of the pan. Make sure to get the dough the same thickness all over. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and freeze for about 20-30 minutes.
For the filling, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the ground almonds, sugar, salt and butter until creamy and lighter, 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg yolk and cream and beat again until incorporated, about 1 minute.
Scrape mixture out of stand mixer bowl and into cooled tart shell. Then add the 2 cups of rhubarb jam and spread evenly.
Top with thinly sliced pieces of rhubarb. (We choose to lattice the pieces, but you can arrange these any way that you’d like.)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake until the frangipane is just set, 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Eat warm or cold!

Recipe and Styling Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Spring Overture Bee’s Knees Variation Cocktail

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March 21, 2025

A bee's knees cocktail on a black background.

Bartender Dan Ball of Pittsburgh-based fine dining staple Hyeholde takes a different approach to the classic Bee’s Knees, subbing out gin for the mix of sweet whiskeys, Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey and Kinsey Single Hive Honey Whiskey. The result is a delicious springtime cocktail that has a fuller, sweeter body as opposed to an ordinary Bee’s Knees.

What is a Bee’s Knees Cocktail?

The name “Bee’s Knees” itself is an old slang term from the 1920s, meaning something is super cool—just like this timeless drink. It’s a classic cocktail that comes out of the Prohibition Era, typically made with a combination of gin, honey, and lemon. Bartenders had to get creative with how they presented things, because the “bootleg” liquor was often low-quality. The gin probably was not exactly top-shelf, so the honey and lemon would mask the lower-quality taste. However, Dan’s variation uses honey whiskey and honey syrup to make a more complex version, because, thankfully, liquor standards have evolved since Prohibition.

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Spring Overture Bee’s Knees Variation Cocktail

Author: Dan Ball

Description

1 ½ oz Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey
1 ½ oz Kinsey Single Hive Honey Whiskey
½ oz honey syrup (honey and water)
½ oz fresh lemon
3-4 drops of absinthe

Ingredients

To make the syrup:

Combine equal parts honey and water in a saucepan, and heat until honey is dissolved.
Store in an airtight container.

For the cocktail:

Combine all ingredients together in a shaker, then shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a lemon wedge, a sprig of lemon balm, and enjoy!

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Recipe by Dan Ball
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Platypus Raspberry Ginger Cocktail

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March 21, 2025

A red cocktail on a black background from Dan Ball of Hyeholde.

Dan Ball, bartender from Pittsburgh’s fine dining spot Hyeholde, brings simple, bold flavors to this ginger cocktail, the Platypus. Like the quirky mammal that doesn’t quite fit into any one category with its furry body, webbed feet, and adorable duck bill, this cocktail mixes disparate elements together to create a unique whole. It’s the perfect spring cocktail, with a hint of spice from the Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur and a botanical body from Hendrick’s Gin. For another warm weather cocktail from Hyeholde, try their Porch Rocker Summer Spritz.

About Hendrick’s Gin

Hendrick’s is one of the most unique gins out there. Brand representative Vance Henderson described Hendricks’s strategy as “to zig when other brands zag.” Hendrick’s rose and cucumber as botanicals in gin as opposed to the traditional juniper. While gin’s center is juniper and most tend to use similar pinier herbs, Hendrick’s pairs well with the raspberry and ginger in this cocktail recipe because of its less herby, springier botanicals. The combination of lemon, raspberry, gin, and ginger and a little mint garnish is perfect for springtime on the porch.

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Platypus Ginger Cocktail

Author: Dan Ball

Ingredients

Scale

1 ½ oz Hendrick’s Gin
½ oz Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur
2 oz raspberry syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

Shake all ingredients together, then pour into a tall glass with ice.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint.

Recipe by Dan Ball
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Market Alley Gin Punch

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March 21, 2025

A glass of Market Alley Gin Punch on a black backgroound.

Dan Ball of Hyeholde shows his love for cocktail fun with this Market Alley Punch, featuring a house-made blueberry syrup and Market Alley Gin. This one is for all the party punch lovers out there, perfect for spring and summer gatherings when the blueberries are ripe and the drinks are flowing. For another blueberry gin cocktail, try our Blueberry French 75.

About Market Alley Gin

Market Alley is a Pennsylvania original from Thistle Finch Distilling. The flavor of this new American style gin has a mixture of traditional botanicals, citrus accents, and other local flavors. Thistle Finch distills their gin in small batches in the heart of Lancaster, the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania. They produce rye whiskey, bourbon, rum, and vodka along with gin, so there’s a spirit for everyone.

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Market Alley Gin Punch

Author: Dan Ball