THIS, THE FIRST day of spring, signals new beginnings: unfurling leaves of rhubarb, green asparagus tips deceptive in their power to break through the earth's crust, tiny shoots of chive and spiky dandelion greens. Such beginnings, though, are fueled by endings. And spring this year brings the publication of "Judith Huxley's Table for Eight: Recipes & Menus for Entertaining with the Seasons" (Morrow, $19.95), a collection of her columns published in the Washington Post before her death last fall.
Arranged by seasons, the book appropriately begins with spring and has a menu for each week of the year, each with an introduction in Huxley's incomparably painstaking detail, her uncompromising but efficient shortcuts, her inventive variations. She has revealed afresh her method of de-fatting roast ducks with a blow dryer, and offered three alternative ways to skin and roast red bell peppers. Huxley's prose always brought the reader-cook into the kitchen with her to learn from her experience, which was vast, and to be inspired by her imagination, which was unfailing.
And now these lessons are all in one place, threaded with Huxley's authoritative voice encouraging the cook that "very little can go wrong with this reassuring meal . . . Yet the results are out of the ordinary, well balanced and, as such things go, inexpensive"; and "do not be daunted by the length of the recipe."
Washington tables have long been set with Huxley's menus, which now will have a wider audience. Here, from Huxley's book, are some of the condiments that lead each month's menus as "provisioning the pantry": GOLDEN RAISINS MACERATED IN MANDARINE 1 1/2 cups golden raisins 1 1/2 cups Mandarine Napoleon (tangerine-flavored liqueur made in Belgium)
Place the raisins in a 1-pint jar and cover with the Mandarine. Let stand in a cool, dark place and use after 2 weeks. The raisins keep indefinitely on the shelf. Use in rice puddings, bread puddings, as a filler for baked apples and over ice cream. CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT RIND 7 medium-size thick-skinned, bright-yellow, unblemished grapefruits 6 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups water Sugar for coating the cooked peels
Cut the grapefruits in half and remove the flesh in segments, leaving the membranes behind. Reserve the flesh for another purpose. Hold the empty rinds under cold running water and pull out the membranes and fibers (but not the white pith) with a spoon or with your fingers. Drain the rinds and cut them into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place the strips in a 6-quart pan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Repeat the cooking and draining process six more times, but during the last cooking continue to boil the rinds for 10 minutes. Drain well, return the cooked rinds to the pan, and add the sugar and water. Toss to distribute the sugar, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until the rinds are translucent and the temperature of the syrup reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer. Turn out the rinds into a colander and drain off any remaining syrup.
When the rinds are lukewarm, roll them in sugar and spread on cake racks to dry until the surfaces are crusty--about 12 hours. Pack in airtight boxes or freeze. The candied rinds keep indefinitely. (Orange, tangerine and lemon rinds can be candied in the same way, but cook them in only four waters.) TOASTED ALMONDS (Makes 4 cups) 3 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt 2 cups tepid water 1 pound (about 4 cups) unblanched almonds
Dissolve the salt in the water. Stir the almonds into the brine and let them soak for 40 minutes. Drain well, spread the almonds on a jelly-roll pan, and toast in a 300-degree oven. Stir every 10 minutes and at the end of 30 minutes turn off the oven and leave the almonds in the oven to dry overnight. Decant into jars and cover tightly.
Serve with drinks, or chop and use in bombes or over ice cream. ESCOFFIER'S RED PEPPER CONSERVE FOR COLD MEATS (Makes about 4 cups) 1/2 cup olive oil 2 medium-large onions, chopped 4 medium-large red bell peppers, seeded and chopped 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 pound fresh tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped 3/4 cup seedless raisins
Heat the oil in a stainless steel, enamel-on-iron or other nonreactive saucepan, add the onions, and cook over low heat until the onions are soft and golden. Add the chopped red peppers and cook over low heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic, chopped tomatoes and raisins. Cover and cook very gently for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cool, decant into 1/2-pint jars, and refrigerate. The conserve will keep for months under refrigeration. Serve with cold meats and pa te's.
Some versions of this conserve call for the addition of sugar and various spices. This is the master's recipe and still the best. PISTOU (Makes about 1 3/4 cups) 8 fat cloves of garlic, peeled 32 large basil leaves 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, scalded for 10 seconds, peeled, seeded and chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper
Put the garlic and basil in a food processor with the olive oil. (If you use a blender, you will have to do this in two batches.) Process them briefly and then add the tomatoes. Process until the tomatoes are pure'ed. Add pepper.
Decant into a jar, label, and freeze. Use for Soupe au Pistou (see index) or on pasta. You can also process only the garlic, basil leaves and olive oil and serve poured over peeled, sliced tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. CHESTNUTS IN COGNAC SYRUP (Makes about 3 cups) 16 1/3-ounce jar roasted whole chestnuts (imported from France) 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 vanilla bean (split in half lengthwise), cut into 3-inch pieces 2/3 cup cognac
Place the chestnuts in a colander, rinse under cold running water, drain well, and set aside. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring. Lower heat, add the pieces of vanilla bean, and simmer for 10 minutes without stirring. Add the drained chestnuts and cook for 1 minute after the syrup comes back to the boil. Remove from heat, cool, and stir in the cognac. Serve over ice cream, with puddings or on plain cakes. The chestnuts will keep under refrigeration indefinitely. MARINATED OLIVES WITH CITRUS AND FENNEL (Makes 2 cups)
These are lovely with drinks or as part of hors d'oeuvre varie's. 1-pound jar (11 ounces drained weight) calamata olives in olive oil and vinegar, drained and rinsed under water 2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed Rinds of 1 orange and 1 lemon, peeled with a citrus stripper into long, thin strips 2 tablespoons fennel seed Juice of 1 lemon Juice of 1 orange
Pack the olives, garlic, strips of rind and fennel seed in layers in a pint jar. Add juices and fill jar to the brim with olive oil. Cover, refrigerate, and shake the jar when you think of it. Use after a day or two and bring to room temperature before serving.
