Edible Dirt Recipes

EDIBLE DIRT

Steps:

• Finely chop 1 cup pitted kalamata olives in a food processor. Spread in a ring on a piece of cardboard lined with a double layer of paper towels. Microwave 5 minutes on high, then 7 more minutes at 50 percent power. Regrind in the food processor.
• Serve the "dirt" with any salad.

QUICK AND EASY DIRT CUPS

Steps:

• Beat milk and pudding mix together in a bowl until well blended and slightly thickened; let stand to thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Stir whipped topping and 1/2 of the crushed cookies into pudding. Spoon 1 tablespoon crushed cookies into each serving cup. Fill each cup 3/4-full with pudding mixture and top with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

MUD AND WORMS

Steps:

• Place the chocolate sandwich cookies into a resealable plastic zipper bag, and crush with a rolling pin into crumbs. For a more mudlike appearance, untwist the cookies and scrape off the creme filling before crushing cookies.
• Whisk together the chocolate pudding mix with the milk in a bowl, stirring for 2 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the crushed sandwich cookie crumbs into the bottom of a serving bowl, and spoon the chocolate pudding over the crumbs. Smooth out the top of the pudding, then top with the rest of the chocolate cookie crumbs to resemble dirt. Poke gummy worms halfway into the dirt. Refrigerate until serving.

DIRT DESSERT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Gradually stir into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping. , Spread 1-1/3 cups crushed cookies into an ungreased 13x9-in. dish. Layer with half the pudding mixture and half the remaining cookies. Repeat layers. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with shaved white chocolate if desired.

SPRING SALAD WITH MUSHROOM ''DIRT''

Steps:

• For the salad: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Add fava beans to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender; drain and transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Repeat process with fiddleheads and carrots. Repeat process with snap peas; when snap peas have cooled, trim ends and slice open. Transfer fiddleheads, carrots, and snap peas to bowl with fava beans. Add radishes and golden beets; set aside.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Place morels in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover; stir and remove morels from water; repeat process, changing water, until water runs clean. Transfer morels to a medium nonreactive bowl. Place sherry-wine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, pickling spice, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Strain vinegar mixture over morels and set bowl in ice-water bath to cool. Remove from ice-water bath and cover until ready to use.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. In a medium saucepan, toast coriander, bay leaves, and pepper over low heat. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add vegetable stock, olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, and asparagus; place a parchment paper round over asparagus to keep submerged. Bring to a simmer and cook until asparagus is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place saucepan directly in ice-water bath; let asparagus cool in liquid. When asparagus has cooled, cut each into 4 equal pieces; return asparagus pieces to cooking liquid and set aside.
• Make the zucchini marmalade: Place squash, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat; cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Make the elderflower vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and elderflower cordial; season with salt and set aside.
• To serve: Place a spoonful of mushroom "dirt" down the center of each of 4 rectangular serving plates. Add morels and asparagus to bowl with vegetables; drizzle with elderflower vinaigrette and toss to combine. Divide vegetable mixture evenly among plates; garnish each with a fennel chip. Garnish each plate with a dollop of marmalade; add herbs, flowers, and lettuces and serve.

DIRT CUPS FOR KIDS

Steps:

• Also need 8 to 10 (7 oz.) Clear plastic Cups.
• Decorations: gummy worms, gummy frogs, candy flowers, chopped peanuts.
• Pour milk into a large mixing bowl.
• Add pudding mix.
• Beat with whisk until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Stir in whipped topping and half of the crushed cookies.
• Place 1 tablespoon crushed cookies into bottom of cups.
• Fill cups 3/4 full with pudding mixture.
• Top with remaining crushed cookies.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Decorate with the candy.