***Flatbread with Wild Mushrooms & Gruyere Cheese***

Flatbreads have become extremely popular as appetizers, and with good reason! This is one I make frequently, and is always a big hit. It all starts with a classic pizza dough rolled thin, then sprinkling with a fabulous mushroom topping. The topping is a mixture of both re-hydrated dried (for intense mushroom flavor) and fresh wild mushrooms, sauteed, some reduced sour cream, fresh thyme, and Gruyere cheese. It's sprinkled over the pizza dough and finished with a bit of Parmesan. Amaze your guests with this little appetizer bursting with mushroom flavor.

1/2 recipe Favorite Pizza Crust

1 ounce dried mixed wild mushrooms

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

3 ounces fresh mixed gourmet or wild mushrooms, sliced thin

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

4 ounces freshly-grated Gruyere cheese

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 500-degrees. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to preheat, as well. (The shape of the flatbread is totally dependent on the shape of your baking stone or sheet. You can simply use a rimmed baking sheet, turned upside down, to bake the flat bread if you don't have a stone. Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly larger than the baking surface.)

In a medium bowl, cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse to be sure no sand or grit remains. Drain and pat dry with paper towels and slice thin, if needed.

In a medium non-stick skillet, melt the butter and add the reconstituted and fresh mushrooms and cook until they have absorbed the butter and softened, several minutes. Add the thyme and sour cream and cook until the sour cream is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the Gruyere. Set aside.

Roll the pizza dough out to roughly the size of the baking surface on a floured board. Gently transfer it to the parchment paper and pat and gently re-shape and adjust the dough to the proper size. Slide the parchment with the dough onto a flat baking sheet before finishing. Scatter the mushroom topping evenly over the entire surface of the dough, out to the edges. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

Carefully transfer the flatbread to the hot pizza stone or inverted baking sheet using the parchment paper to slide it into place.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the crust is a dark golden brown and the cheeses are melted and browned.

Using the parchment, slide the flatbread onto the same flat pan you used to put it into the oven. Let the flatbread cool for 2-3 minutes before sliding it off the parchment onto a board to cut into 1-2" squares. Arrange on a platter to serve, garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme.

***Chicken Fricasee with Spring Vegetables***

Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods, and chicken thighs respond beautifully to braising. I've braised chicken many ways, but I recently came upon this Epicurious recipe that incorporated spring vegetables, perfect for a spring dinner! This is now one of our favorite dishes. One note, though, is to use young chicken thighs; I tried to use really large thighs and the stringy, tough results were not appealing. Serves 4

8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 lb.)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (8-oz.) package cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped leek, white and pale green parts only, from 1 medium leek
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
Hot cooked egg noodles
chopped fresh chives

Pat chicken dry, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the pepper. Place flour in a large plastic freezer bag; add chicken to bag. Seal bag, and toss to coat with flour. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Remove chicken from bag, reserving flour in bag. Shake excess flour mixture from chicken, and place, bone side up, in skillet. Cook chicken until deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate, and keep warm.
Add mushrooms to hot drippings in skillet; cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add carrots and leek; cook about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved flour; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and wine; cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens slightly, about 6 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper; add chicken, bone side down, nestling chicken into sauce mixture.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until sauce has thickened slightly and chicken is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with asparagus. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and asparagus is tender-crisp, about 10 minutes.
Serve chicken, vegetables, and sauce over hot cooked noodles, and garnish with chives, if desired.