8-2-Eat: 8 Things to Do with Asparagus

It's 8-2-Eat, my new food-focused list series. A perfect Friday distraction. For the first edition, I take on a favorite spring vegetable--asparagus--and suggest 8 great ways to serve it.

1. Broil it. This is what I usually do with asparagus because it goes great with salmon and is so easy, such as in Salmon and Asparagus with Tarragon-Lemon Yogurt Sauce.

2. Make it into soup. Asparagus and sweet potatoes make great partners in the springtime pureed soup, Asparagus and Sweet Potato Soup.

Crispy breaded asparagus

3. Make it Crispy. A quick egg dip and panko coating turns typical broiled asparagus into a crispy delight in Crispy Breaded Asparagus.

4. Shave it. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin strips of raw asparagus into Spring Shaved Asparagus Salad.

5. Make it into Pesto. Pesto isn't just for herbs; it can accommodate this spring vegetable too in Pasta Primavera with Asparagus Pesto.

6. Serve it with Quinoa. Quinoa is still the seed du jour, but a flavorful partner like asparagus gives it a needed lift in Quinoa with Chicken, Asparagus, Lemon, Yogurt and Hazelnut-Mint Pesto.

7. Serve it in Risotto. It's the perfect time of year to make a springtime risotto, such as Cauliflower, Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto.

8. Serve it for Breakfast. With bacon, toast and hard-cooked eggs, make asparagus something served not just at dinner in Asparagus with Mustard Dressing, Bacon and Eggs.

Asparagus and Sweet Potato Soup

Winter is a natural season for soup-making, but around this time of year, the amount of soup coming from my kitchen gets curtailed. Stews and chills just aren't as appetizing when the weather warms up.

This soup is an exception--one that works well with spring vegetables and isn't "heavy." I adapted a recipe I found from Whole Foods by substituting sweet potatoes for Yukon gold potatoes and replacing sour cream with Greek yogurt, which still provides creamy texture but with fewer calories.

For prepping the asparagus, I use the simple method of bending the bottom of each spear until it snaps off at a natural breaking point, discarding the tougher end. For cleaning the leeks, I now swear by Melissa Clark's method, which involves cutting the leeks in half through the root (don't cut the root off first), then fanning the layers of the leek under running water to remove any sand and dirt. After that, you can slice off the root end and dark green leaves and chop the remaining white and light green parts.

To puree the soup, you can transfer it in batches to a blender or, for a less smooth puree, use a food processor. This is where having an immersion blender really comes in handy though, since you can puree the soup in the pot without having to transfer it to something else.

Asparagus and Sweet Potato Soup
Adapted from Creamy Spring Asparagus Soup, Whole Foods Market

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (may substitute vegetable broth to make recipe vegetarian)
1 bunch asparagus, woody stems snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or other soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook another 5 minutes until the leeks are tender. Add the broth and increase heat to medium-high to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, add the asparagus and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth (alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor--if you do this, you may want to reheat the soup a bit by putting it back in the soup pot over medium heat). Whisk in the Greek yogurt, salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls topped with a sprinkle of fresh chives.

Crispy Breaded Asparagus

"Asparagus fries!" exclaimed Chris when I set a plate of these on the table in front of him recently. That's pretty much the idea behind this festive preparation of the quintessential spring vegetable.

Line up plates with the three breading ingredients: flour, beaten egg and seasoned panko-parmesan mixture

Wanting to add something crunchy to my usual broiled asparagus, I did a search for asparagus recipes that incorporated panko and came across this simple dish from blogger Kevin Lynch's Closet Cooking. The recipe uses the classic three-step breading technique of flour, egg and bread crumbs (in that order). The results were pleasantly crisp, while the parmesan added an extra bit of flavor.

Crispy Breaded Asparagus
Adapted from Crispy Baked Asparagus Fries by Closet Cooking

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed (bend the asparagus until they break and discard the thicker, tougher end).
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Set a wire cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the panko, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and spread on a dinner plate. Spread the flour on a second plate and the egg on a third plate. Dredge each asparagus spear in the flour, then dip in the egg, allowing excess to drip off, then roll in the panko mixture to coat.

3. Arrange the spears evenly on the rack above the baking sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Cauliflower, Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

I've found inspiration for recipes from unexpected sources such as a novel, a television show and movies, but this is the first recipe inspired by a Twitter typo.

Most Wednesdays, I post a regular feature I call The Feed, a collection of food-related stories from the past week that I thought were particularly interesting. To generate interest in the post and the included stories, I usually send a few tweets highlighting some of the stories.

Last Wednesday, I included in The Feed Washington Post Food editor Joe Yonan's story on Chicken-Fried Cauliflower and NPR writer Dan Charles' story about asparagus. While I meant to tweet that Charles shared asparagus trivia, for whatever brain-dead reason I wrote, "@nprDanCharles shares asparagus cauliflower." Yes, "asparagus cauliflower." I was about to delete the tweet and correct it when New Morning Farm, my neighborhood farmers market, retweeted what I wrote, leading to an exchange between me, New Morning Farm and Joe Yonan about what to call this possibly amazing hybrid vegetable (we settled on "asparaflower") and Joe's great suggestion that it was "risotto time."

Thus was born this spring risotto. Last Saturday, I paid New Morning Farm a visit. While they didn't have asparagus or cauliflower that day, they did have a great selection of mushrooms, which I decided to use both as ingredients in the risotto and its broth to add earthiness. I selected cremini and shiitake mushrooms. I decided to roast the cauliflower, since I love it that way, but to keep the asparagus pretty green, adding it toward the end so it cooks gently. I also used the tougher asparagus ends that I normally discard for flavoring the broth. Although I could have used parmigiano-reggiano cheese for this, I instead went with pecorino romano, which I particularly like with brighter vegetable-based dishes.

Roasted Cauliflower, Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed, cored and cut into 1-inch florets
2 tbsp. olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup diced yellow or sweet onion
6-8 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups arborio rice
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
Dash of ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)
6-7 cups mushroom-vegetable broth (see recipe below)
1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 lb.), rough ends removed (reserve the rough ends for the broth), stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup finely grated pecorino romano
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Add cauliflower to a large bowl, drizzle with olive and a pinch of kosher salt and toss to coat with oil. Spread florets on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Stir to turn florets and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes until browned and tender. Set aside.

2. Heat butter in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is lightly roasted. Add the sage and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper and cook just about another minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Add 2 cups of broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth has mostly been absorbed, then add another 1/2 cup of broth. Repeat adding broth by the 1/2 cup and cooking until mostly absorbed until the rice is cooked through but still a little chewy (i.e. al dente). Stir in the chopped asparagus with the last addition of broth and continue cooking another 5 minutes. This usually takes about 30 minutes and you may not use all of the broth (I used a little more than 6 cups). Turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese and half the parsley. Serve the risotto in bowls topped with an additional sprinkle of parsley.

Mushroom-Vegetable Broth

Yields about 7 cups of broth

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
6-8 cremimi mushrooms, coarsely chopped
6-8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps chops
2 tsp. dried or fresh thyme
8 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Rough ends from 1 bunch (about 1 lb.) asparagus

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, mushrooms and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-lower and simmer for 30 minutes. Add asparagus ends and simmer another 30 minutes. Strain out the vegetable solids.

Basic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

The salad dressings posted earlier this week are all great, but this is the one you really want to master. There are few salads that need more than a basic vinaigrette: a simple emulsion of oil and vinegar with seasonings. More than any other dressing, this is what I turn to for our salads on a weekly basis. It's simple, versatile, inexpensive and delicious. Let's take a closer look.

I said that vinaigrette as an "emulsion," a mixture of two liquids that don't easily blend. In fact, even after mixed, the two ingredients will not be fully integrated in the way that liquid ingredients mix together in cocktails. Rather, the whipping motion causes the droplets of the two liquids to be held in suspension. The drops are so small, that they appear to be mixed together. It's not a permanent state though. Especially with simple vinaigrettes, you'll see the ingredients separate out fairly quickly, which is why it's important to dress the salad immediately after mixing up the vinaigrette. The presence of other ingredients helps hold the mixture longer--mustard, for example, or if you want to get tricky a small pinch of soy lecithin could be used.

Here are the basic steps:

1) Combine the seasonings in mixing bowl (I use a 1- or 2-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup, which makes the dressing easy to pour when you're done). Here, I'm just using salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

2) Add vinegar and any other ingredients except for the oil and combine with a fork. Because the non-oil ingredients will mix together well, it's a good idea to mix them first. Salt, for example, will dissolve in vinegar, but it won't dissolve in oil. Almost any type of flavored vinegar will work well, especially red or white wine vinegar, regular or white balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Alternatively, you can also use citrus juices, especially lemon or lime, or a mixture of vinegar and citrus. Here, I'm only using red wine vinegar. Other common ingredients that could go in at this step include Dijon or other types of mustard, finely minced garlic or shallots, fresh or dried herbs and sweeteners like honey, maple syrup or a pinch of sugar.

3) Add the oil. You'll see that it sits on top of the other ingredients rather than immediately mixing into them like other liquids. I almost always use extra-virgin olive oil in vinaigrettes.

4) Vigorously whisk the ingredients together until they form an emulsion. This is the most important step and it's pretty cool when it's done right. As you whisk, the ingredients will mix together, but at the moment they form the emulsion, the change in the mixture is obvious. It's becomes cloudy and thicker. It's even a different color. Red wine vinaigrette, which before looked dark red, suddenly becomes a dark golden color. Be sure to whisk until you reach this point. I generally find that 70 beatings with a fork is a good point to aim for.

And you're done. The Pizza Salad recipe below uses the basic red wine vinaigrette made above. The Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Salad's dressing is identical except that I used white balsamic vinegar.  At the bottom, there are link to other salads that use a basic vinaigrette.

Basic vinaigrette made with white balsamic vinegar

Basic Vinaigrette

1 tbsp. flavored vinegar, such as red wine, white wine, balsamic, apple cider, etc.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add olive oil and whisk briskly until emulsified. Serve immediately with salad.

Pizza Salad

Pizza Salad

3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 oz. sliced pepperoni, cut in half
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 tbsp. diced sundried tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4 cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 tbsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes
3 tbsp. basic vinaigrette with red wine vinegar (see recipe above)

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Pour vinaigrette over ingredients and toss to coat.

Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Salad

Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Salad

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends broken off
Extra-virgin olive oil spray
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. chicken breast cutlets
3 cups salad leaves (I used an arugula blend with radicchio)
1/4 cup white cheddar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tbsp. basic vinaigrette with white balsamic vinegar (see recipe above)

1. Preheat oven broiler. Line asparagus up in an even layer on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until lightly browned, about 7 to 8 minutes, turning over at the halfway point. Remove from oven, cool, and cut into 1-inch pieces.

2. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a medium frying pan. Pat chicken cutlets dry and add to hot oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned, turn and cook another 5 minutes until lightly browned on the other side and cooked through. Allow to cool then chop into 1-inch pieces.

3. Combine salad leaves, cheese, walnuts, asparagus and chicken in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Other Salad Recipes with Basic Vinaigrette
There are a lot of salad recipes on my site dressed in this manner. Here are a few highlights that illustrate the versatility of vinaigrette dressing:

Cobb Salad with red wine vinegar (i.e. the basic dressing above).
Reconstructed Hummus Salad with lemon juice and garlic.
Crispy Kale and Roasted Chickpea Salad with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey.
Smoky Waldorf Salad with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, walnut oil and smoked olive oil.
Wilted Spinach and Bacon Salad with red wine vinegar, lemon juice and Dijon mustard.
Broiled Peach Salad with Watercress, Sugar Snap Peas and Toasted Hazelnuts with white wine vinegar and honey.
Roasted Beet and Cottage Cheese Salad with white wine vinegar, lemon juice and honey.
Agave-Mezcal Chicken and Curry Roasted Cauliflower Salad with lemon juice and fresh basil.
Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with balsamic vinegar and honey.
Smoky Winter Salad with white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and smoked paprika.

Salmon with Asparagus, Lima Beans and Peas

I love asparagus with salmon. I love peas with salmon. I love bacon with salmon (and just about everything else). This dish, adapted from a recent Bon Appétit recipe unites that trio, along with lima beans and shallots, for an easy midweek broiled salmon. Salmon doesn't appear in the magazine's recipe, but I think it's an obvious accompaniment for this spring mix. Unfortunately, I could not find the fava beans it called for, but lima beans are a fine stand in (edamame would also be good).

The crispy shallots are a nice touch but watch them carefully. Although the original recipe called for frying them for 10 to 12 minutes, mine were definitely ready after just 5 minutes and you don't want to overcook them.

Salmon with Asparagus, Lime Beans and Peas
Adapted from Pea, Asparagus and Fave Bean Salad, Bon Appétit

3/4 lb. salmon fillet
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the salmon
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch lardons
2 tsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1 cups lima beans, fresh or frozen thawed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack about 5 inches from broiler (the top position in my oven). Place salmon fillet skin-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Spray or brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Broil until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

2. Cook bacon in a medium frying pan over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel lined plate.

3. Whisk together 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

4. Bring a large (4 qt.) saucepan of water to boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Add asparagus and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove asparagus from hot water and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer peas to the bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain vegetables.

5. Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 4-6 minutes (original recipe said 10 to 12 minutes, but mine were definitely ready much sooner). Transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate.

6. Add vegetables to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Divide among two plates and top each with half the salmon, bacon and fried shallots.

7. Add dressing to bowl with vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer salad to a serving platter and top with shallot and bacon.

Vegetable Napoleons with Red Wine Sauce

I'm anxious for the bounty of spring vegetables to arrive. Apart from the asparagus though, we're just not quite there, a situation The New York Times bemoaned last week. Their solution was to treat winter vegetables with spring-like preparation or to "cheat," that is take advantage of spring vegetables that are already available because they are grown in other places, like California.

I don't know if I consider it cheating, but I did have a craving for a mix of vegetables recently that I decided to satisfy by making roasted vegetable napoleons. Traditionally, a Napoleon is a layered pastry, but a recent Washington Post article about a meal at Mintwood Place described a vegetable version. Mine isn't nearly as complex as Chef Cedric Maupillar's, but it's still a fun way to serve roasted vegetables in a different way.

Because the asparagus and mushrooms require less time in the oven, I arranged them in one pan so I could remove it from the oven while the heartier vegetables--the peppers, onion and zucchini--continue in the oven until they develop a little color. Since the whole thing goes back in the oven for a final blast to warm through and melt the cheese, be careful not to overdo it, especially with the mushrooms, which could burn if left in the oven too long.

I served the napoleons with fried polenta and went the easy route: I bought the pre-cooked polenta that comes in the tube, sliced it into 1/2-inch slices and fried them in olive oil with a little salt and pepper.

Roasted Vegetable Napoleons with Red Wine Sauce
(Red Wine Sauce adapted from Red Wine Reduction Sauce by Jen Hoy for About.com)

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends trimmed
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1 sweet onion, sliced into 1/3-inch thick rounds
1 zucchini, cut on an angle into 1/3-inch thick ovals
1 red bell pepper, sides cut off in four flat pieces
1 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
10 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (aim to cut two large pieces of cheese into 8 slices each)
1 cup fruity red wine (I used pinot noir)
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1/2 shallot, peeled with ends sliced of
1 rosemary sprig
4 tbsp. Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Brush two baking sheets with olive oil. Arrange asparagus and portobello mushroom cups one sheet and the onion, zucchini and red pepper on the other. Spray vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes for the asparagus and mushrooms and 15-20 minutes for the other vegetables. Remove from oven and allow vegetables to cool so you can handle them. Chop asparagus spears and mushrooms in half.

3. While roasting vegetables, make the red wine sauce: combine wine, shallot and rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook until reduced to about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup. Remove from heat to cool. Discard rosemary and shallot.

3. Assemble the Napoleons (you'll be making four): Line a baking with with parchment. Lay down the bell pepper slices, skin side down. Top each with a slice of mozzarella, then 4 or 5 asparagus spears (the fatter ones), an onion slice, more cheese, a zucchini slice, more cheese, more asparagus spears (the tips), more cheese and finally the portobello mushrooms (you'll have some leftover vegetables, wi. Return to oven to heat through and melt cheese, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve with red wine sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus Pesto

Yesterday I had my asparagus raw. Today I’m cooking it. Two ways!

Pasta primavera is one of the simplest, most versatile ways to celebrate the arrival of spring produce. You can put any combination of vegetables in it you want. Last year, I made a version based on the recipe from The New Basics Cookbook with bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, carrot, onion and celery.

I didn’t set out to make primavera with this dish, it just sort of happened. I had asparagus on hand and wanted to try making pesto with it. But I wanted other vegetables for the pasta too. Looking for good suggestions, I put it to the Washington Post Food section staff during a recent Free Range chat. Editor Joe Yonan suggested reserving some of the asparagus and broiling the spears for some “asparagus-squared action.” He also suggested peas and scallions as additional vegetables. Whole Foods didn’t yet have fresh English peas, but they did have sugar snap peas. Perfect!

I decided some roasted red pepper would be good in there too. While you can buy little jars of roasted red pepper, it’s so easy to make that it’s hardly worth the cost of store-bought. Just cut a red pepper flat, broil it, seal it in foil to self-steam a bit, then peel off the skin. Quick and easy.

Like primavera, pesto can also be made in many different ways. Traditionally, it has basil and pine nuts, but with pine nuts having become increasingly expensive, lately I like making it with walnuts. Since the flavor focus is on the other ingredients, this isn’t noticeably different—perhaps a little earthier, which is nice actually. Pesto isn’t a “cooked” food, but I did blanch the asparagus just briefly for this and plunged it into an ice water bath. This softened it while keeping its bright green color.

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus Pesto

1 lb. asparagus, tough ends removed
Olive oil spray
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped, plus a few other leaves cut into ribbons for garnish
1/4 cup walnuts
5 garlic cloves, minced (set aside half of one clove for the pesto, the rest goes in the pasta sauce)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus additional at the table, if desired
1 lb. dried pasta (I used orecchiette)
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, cut in thirds (stem ends removed)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Italian Gavi Gavi made from Cortese grapes)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven broiler with rack about 4-5 inches from heating element. Divide the asparagus (half will be broiled in this step, the other half will be used below in the pesto). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the asparagus on one half of the baking sheet. Spray with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the stem out out of a red bell pepper, then cut pepper in half. Remove any remaining ribs and seeds. Place on baking sheet skin-side up and push down to flatten. Put baking sheet in oven to broil asparagus and pepper for 4 minutes. Remove from oven, toss asparagus, rotate baking sheet and broil another 4 minutes. Remove from oven and wrap bell pepper in foil. Set foil-wrapped peppers and asparagus aside to cool. Remove skin from bell pepper (if should peel off pretty easily). Chop both vegetables roughly into pieces about 1 inch in size.

2. Heat a 4 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat fitted with a steamer insert and an appropriate amount of water (water level should be just below steamer). Bring to boil. Cut remaining uncooked asparagus into 2-inch pieces and add to pot. Cover and steam for 3 to 4 minutes. Prepare a bowl of ice water while asparagus steams. Remove asparagus and plunge in ice water to cool. Drain asparagus.

3. To make the pesto, add basil and walnuts to food processor. Pulse a few times to chop ingredients. Add 1/2 clove minced garlic, the steamed asparagus, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pulse a few times until asparagus is ground up but still chunky. Transfer mixture to a bowl, add parmigiano-reggiano and stir to combine.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Drain, and set aside.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter; when melted, add onion and sauté until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add remaining minced garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook another 2 minutes. Add wine and vegetable broth, stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cut up broiled asparagus and roasted red pepper, stir to combine and heat through.

6. Combine vegetable sauce with cooked pasta. Serve in bowls topped with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Serve additional parmigiano-reggiano cheese at the table.

Spring Shaved Asparagus Salad

Nothing announces the arrival of spring vegetables like asparagus. Although available year-round, when you can get it fresh from a local source it's as good as it gets.

While I generally cook asparagus, it can be good raw too. For this salad I shaved the asparagus spears with a vegetable peeler, very carefully from about an inch from the cut end up to the tip. I got about 5 or 6 shavings per spear. Since I was shaving the asparagus, I decided to shave several other ingredients into the salad, specifically fennel and apple.

Spring Asparagus Shaved Salad

1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 lb. raw asparagus, shaved with a peeler (see discussion above)
1 fennel bulb, shaved with a peeler, fronds reserved
1 apple, shaved with a peeler
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 tsp. fennel pollen
3 oz. soft goat cheese (chèvre)

Dressing:
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

1. Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the walnuts and toast until fragrant, being careful not to burn them, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

2. Combine asparagus, fennel, apple and arugula in a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss dressing with salad to combine. Serve in bowls topped with a sprinkle of fennel pollen and a few pieces of goat cheese.

Ricotta Tartine with Chicken, Arugula and Asparagus Salad, Honey-Cinnamon Almonds and Garlic-Sautéed Squash Blossoms

This dish has an awful lot going on, owing to the fact that I had the rather mad idea to combine two dishes into one. I guess that makes this a "mash up."

It came about because as I started making dinner one night, I discovered that I'd completely forgotten about the squash blossoms I'd picked up at the market. I'd planned to use them in a tartine with homemade herbed ricotta. So rather than let it go to waste, I decided to incorporate it into another dish I'd planned to make using the ricotta: an arugula-asparagus salad with chicken and honey-cinnamon almonds.

Homemade ricotta mixed with herbs and thinned out with a little milk

Miraculously, the combination it worked pretty well. The ricotta-slathered toast served as the anchor of the dish, upon which I built the salad topped with the sautéed squash blossoms and a sprinkle of the almonds.

Squash blossoms

This was my first time using squash blossoms. A lot of the recipes I read called for stuffing them with cheese and deep frying them. They are so delicate though; I could see trying to stuff them without breaking them being a real hassle. Maybe I can try that later, but for now it worked great to just sauté them with some garlic. To prep them, carefully open the blossoms, remove the stamen--the pollen-covered nub in the middle (and try to not think about how that's basically plant castration), remove any pointy dark leaves at the base of the blossom, and gently rinse.

Ricotta Tartine with Chicken, Arugula and Asparagus Salad, Honey-Cinnamon Almonds and Garlic-Sautéed Squash Blossoms

Serves 2

2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. chicken breast cutlets
Seasoned salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Ground cinnamon (a generous sprinkle; probably about 1/8-1/4 tsp.)
1 tsp. honey
1 lb. asparagus, stalks trimmed
Olive oil spray
2 thick slices of Italian bread
Sea salt
1/2 cup homemade ricotta (see recipe here, may substitute store-bought fresh ricotta, see note)
Fresh-ground black pepper
2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
1 tbsp. milk (optional)
2 cups arugula
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 squash blossoms, stamen and pointy leaves removed


Note: The homemade ricotta I made was rather thick. To make it more spreadable, I added a couple tablespoons of milk and mixed it in with the herbs.


1. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Sauté chicken breasts until cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway and seasoned with salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Set aside until cooled and then slice.


2. Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the slivered almonds and cook until browned, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add cinnamon and honey and stir to coat evenly. Set aside to cool.


3. Turn on the oven broiler. Spray asparagus with olive oil spray and season with sea salt. Broil for 7 minutes until tender. Cut the stalks in half or smaller.


4. Spray both sides of two pieces of crusty Italian bread with olive oil and broil until lightly browned.


5. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the ricotta, pepper and chopped parsley, adding a little milk if needed to smooth out the mixture. 


6. Put the arugula in a salad bowl. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss with the arugula.


7. In a medium pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté by itself briefly until fragrant. Add cleaned squash blossoms and sauté gently for a few minutes until the base of the blossom is tender.


8. To assemble the dish, put the toast on a plate, spread half the ricotta mixture on top, a handful of dressed arugula, half the asparagus, half the chicken, half the squash blossoms and then sprinkle with candied nuts. 

Halibut with Spring Vegetables

Ramps are one of the more unusual vegetables found at farmers markets this time of year. Sometimes called "wild leeks," ramps' bulbs look like scallions but they have red stems and more delicate leaves. They're prized for their flavor, stronger than scallions and almost garlicky.

I've been looking for ramps at farmers markets for awhile. Recently, I finally I found some, although they came with a condition: the seller insisted I also buy her mushrooms. Fine by me, as I was sure the two would go together nicely. In fact, I found this recipe, which also calls for asparagus, and anchors the sautéed vegetables in a pea puree. Any type of mushrooms should work. I used the crimini from the farmers market and added some shiitakes from Whole Foods.

I took the recipe in a slightly different direction though, using it as an accompaniment for fish. I chose halibut for its mild flavor, which would complement the vegetables, but allow their flavors to remain the stars of the dish. I was inspired by Christine Cooks' simple recipe for roasting halibut with lemon slices.

Halibut with Spring Vegetables
Inspired by Greenmarket Recipes' Asparagus and Ramps with Crimini, Shiitake, Oyster Mushrooms and Pea Sauce 

Serves two

3/4 lb. halibut fillet
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper
1/2 lemon, sliced into 4 slices, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp. butter, melted
8 asparagus stalks, trimmed by bending off tough ends, and sliced into 2-inch pieces
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch of ramps, roots removed and bulbs separated from greens

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Rinse the fish fillet and pat dry. Spray a 9 x 9 baking dish with olive oil. Place fish in pan skin-side down. Spray flesh side with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and place lemon slices on top of fish. Roast 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Divide fillet in half.

2. Heat a medium saucepan half filled with salted water until boiling. Add peas and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still green. Remove peas from pan and place in a bowl of ice water. To puree the peas there are two options: 1) place peas in a food processor with melted butter and a couple tablespoons of salted water (use the water the peas were cooked in) or 2) use an immersion blender to puree the peas with the butter and a couple tablespoons of salted water. You'll probably need to transfer them to a narrower container for the immersion blender to work well.

3. Heat a large saucepan half filled with salted water. Add asparagus and cook for 4 minutes. Remove asparagus and place in ice water to cool.

4. Heat 1 tbsp. olive in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced crimini mushrooms and cook until browned. Remove from pan and then sauté the shiitake mushrooms (sauté mushrooms separately to avoid over-crowding the pan). Remove from pan once browned.

5. Coarsely chop the ramp bulbs, and add to frying pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Saute until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Chop the ramp greens. Add the cooked asparagus and mushrooms to pan along with the ramp greens and cook another couple minutes to reheat the vegetables and wilt the greens.

6. Divide the pea puree in two and spoon onto plates. Top with half a halibut fillet and top that with the ramp-mushroom-asparagus mixture.

Asparagus with Mustard Dressing, Bacon and Eggs

Breakfast on the farm means eggs, although the ingredient in this dish from the farmers market is the asparagus, which is drizzled with a shallot-mustard vinaigrette and paired with bacon, hard-cooked eggs and toast. I was inspired by the recent New York Times' recipe for Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette, to which I made a few tweaks.

For the hard-cooked eggs, I tried the America's Test Kitchen technique. They claimed their method prevented that unappetizing gray-green layer from forming between the cooked yolk and white. Turns out, they were right. No green in sight and the eggs were perfectly cooked. I'll have to remember this when I decide to try my hand at deviled eggs.

For the dressing, I pretty much followed the recipe but added some honey for a little sweetness. The resulting dish was a satisfying savory meal to begin the day.

Asparagus with Mustard Dressing, Bacon and Eggs
Adapted from The New York Times' Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 small shallot, finely minced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
4 thick bacon strips
1 lb. asparagus, tough root ends trimmed off
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2 pieces whole grain bread, toasted

1. To make vinaigrette, whisk together shallots, vinegar, mustard, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside while cooking the rest, which will soften the shallots a bit.

2. To hard-cook the eggs, place the eggs in a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water until there is an inch of water above the eggs. Place pan on stove and heat over medium-high heat until the water boils. Immediately remove pan from heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Then place eggs in ice water for 5 minutes (this makes them easier to peel). Carefully crack eggs all over, roll gently on a hard surface, and then use your hands to remove the shell, starting at the less-pointy end. Rinse the peeled eggs by dipping them in the bowl with the ice water. Slice into fourths.

3. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain and set aside.

4. To cook the asparagus, fill a large saucepan about halfway, salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook asparagus for about 3-4 minutes. Remove asparagus from water once cooked.

5. Serve eggs, bacon and asparagus over toast topped with a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette.

Asparagus and Snap Pea Pasta

I saved this for last in my series of spring pasta recipes, since it is my favorite of the group. Cooking the pasta like risotto is an ingenious idea for developing a creamy sauce without the need for actual cream.

The flavors in this dish are so fresh and tangy, with the mint, lemon, asparagus and snap peas combining to create an ideal spring-flavored pasta.

America's Test Kitchen's technique for cooking pasta like risotto creates a creamy “sauce” without the addition of cream. I adapted the recipe by substituting fresh sugar snap peas for frozen peas, using shallots instead of leeks, and omitting the chives.

An interesting part of this recipe is the stock, which consists of vegetable broth further enhanced by flavors in this dish by simmering it with the tough asparagus ends, which would normally just get pitched, and some of the snap peas.

Asparagus-Snap Pea Pasta
Adapted from Spring Vegetable Pasta, Cook’s Illustrated

1 lb asparagus, cut on the bias into ½ inch pieces
1 lb sugar snap peas, string removed and copped into ½-inch pieces
3 shallots (1 coarsely chopped, 2 finely chopped)
4 garlic cloves (2 smashed, 2 minced)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. casarecce pasta (can use farafelle or penne—any bite-size pasta will do)
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons lemon zest and juice from ½ lemon
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Ricotta salata, shredded

1. Bend asparagus stalks to break at their natural breaking point and chop the thicker stalk ends (the ones without the tips) into 1-inch pieces. Add chopped asparagus stalks to a large saucepan with about ¼ the of sugar snap peas chopped in half, one shallot coarsely chopped and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Add 4 cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Strain broth into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup and press on solids to retain as much stock as possible. Add water as needed to the measuring cup to total 5 cups of liquid. Return stock to pan, keeping warm over low heat. Discard solids.

2. In a large, deep saute pan or dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Saute the finely chopped shallots about 4-5 minutes until softened. Add asparagus and snap peas; cook another 4 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook another minute. Remove vegetables from pan.

3. In the same pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add pasta and cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until pasta starts to brown. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until wine evaporates—about 2 minutes.

4. Add vegetable stock (all at once) and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until stock is mostly evaporated to form a thickened sauce with the pasta—about 8 minutes later. Turn off heat. Add cooked vegetables, mint, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve in pasta bowls topped with ricotta salata.

White Asparagus with Brown Butter

For years I've wondered about but never tasted white asparagus. Those ghostly sprigs show up in the grocery store around this time of year, looking like zombie versions of the more common green type.

White asparagus is white because it's grown underground, preventing sunlight from reaching the stalks and thus inhibiting chlorophyll production.

Although green asparagus has woody parts, the outer part of white asparagus is even tougher and must be peeled off before preparing (the snap method does not work for white asparagus). Nonetheless, the stalks themselves are more tender, so this must be done carefully. The recommended method is to lie the stalks flat on a cutting board and run a vegetable peeler over them, starting about an inch below the tip. Even doing this, I broke a few, so be careful.

I tasted a small piece of the raw, peeled white asparagus. The flavor reminded me of bean sprouts, which I suppose makes sense, given that they too grow underground. Cooked, the stalks have a more delicate, less bitter flavor than their green counterpart.

I like this recipe from Gastronomer's Guide, which uses a simple preparation paired with brown butter and fresh parsley.

White Asparagus with Brown Butter
Adapted from Gastronomer's Guide, White Asparagus with Brown-Butter Vinaigrette

1 bunch white asparagus
Salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Cut off about an inch from the bottom of the asparagus stalks and discard. With a vegetable peeler, carefully peel off the outer layer of the white asparagus stalks starting about an inch below the tip.

2. Fill a deep-sided skillet or large saucepan (large enough that the stalks can lie flat when placed in the pan) about halfway (2 inches) with water. Add salt (a tablespoon or so should do it) and asparagus spears. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat (a stainless steel pan will work better than a nonstick pan, since it's lighter surface will allow you to better observe the browning of the butter). Add butter and cook until butter has browned, swirling occasionally to better ensure even heating, about 5 minutes. Pour butter into a glass measuring cup and whisk together with lemon juice and vinegar.

4. Place asparagus on a plate, spoon brown butter sauce over spears and sprinkle with parsley.