Lemon-Chive Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups bite sized pieces of asparagus
2 large shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
zest one lemon
salt
pepper


Directions:
In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan Saute the garlic and shallot until lightly caramelized. Add the rice, salt and pepper and saut� for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually. Add the broth a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, and waiting until the liquid is absorbed before each addition. When you are about half way through the broth, add the asparagus to the rice.



Continue to add broth and stir. When the risotto is creamy and the rice is al dente remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan, zest and chives.

My thoughts:

I am excited to see the first stalks of asparagus making their way into the market. After a winter marked by two very large, late snow storms any sign of spring and warm weather is very welcome. The big farmers market opened for the first time this weekend. May is the first month one can find local produce with any sort of regularity or variety in Baltimore, some smaller markets are open year round but until now they were sparsely stocked with dairy and meats. So this time of year I eat lots and lots of asparagus.

Creamy risotto is one of my my favorite ways to use asparagus. It is easy, the asparagus really shines and typically it is not so hot yet as to make the prospect of stirring a pot over a hot stove seem unbearable. The lemon and chives add to the springy fresh flavor and complement the asparagus perfectly. What more could you ask of a weekday meal?



Note: As I normally do when I have leftover risotto, I made arancini di riso. Rather then dig through and cut the asparagus into smaller pieces, I just sort of tucked the larger bits towards the middle and surrounded them with rice.

Potato-Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 lb red skin potatoes (baby or quartered standard sized)
1/4 lb asparagus spears, cut up (about 3/4 cup)

for the dressing:
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 1/2 tablespoons nonpareil capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar


Directions:
Boil the potatoes. A few minutes before they are fork tender, toss in the asparagus to steam. Drain. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss the potatoes with dressing. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

My thoughts:

I know it seems like it is all salads all the time but really, it is all I've been feeling like eating lately. I think I must be making up for all those years when I only occasionally had cold salads. I am still not sold on the super mayonnaise-y ones and I find hard boiled eggs in potato salad abhorrent (sneaky whites masquerading as potatoes) so I've been sticking to low mayo and a equal or higher mustard/vinegar/citrus ratios without an egg to be found. This salad is definitely on the savory side and the capers add a burst of saltiness that I love.

Strawberry-Asparagus Salad with Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 bunch spring lettuce
1 bunch baby spinach
2 strips crisp bacon
3/4 lb fresh asparagus
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup bee pollen dusted hazelnuts
2 oz ch�vre

for the vinaigrette
2 oz avocado oil
2 oz pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar*
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 strawberry, mashed**

Directions:
Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar or salad dressing mixer. Shake until a smooth, emulsified dressing forms.

Place the lettuce in a large bowl. Top with the spinach. Cut the bacon into bite sized pieces. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain and cut into manageable sized pieces. Arrange on the salad. Add the sliced strawberries. Dot with goat cheese. Toss in the hazelnuts and bacon. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

*I used locally bottled Pompeian vinegar.
**I just put it on a cutting board and mashed with with a potato masher until pretty smooth.

My thoughts:

A while back I was invited to do a cooking demonstration at the Maryland Heartland Sustainable Living Fair which is going on today. Of course I agreed to do it. The major challenge was designing a recipe that made the most of what is in season in the end of May in Maryland. Which, unfortunately, isn't terribly much as May is pretty much the beginning of the growing season here. I had thought of doing some sort of stir fry but when I looked at the list of what was in season I realized that a big salad might be a better choice. I used locally grown strawberries, lettuce, spinach and asparagus along with some local fresh goat cheese. I tossed in some bacon because it just smells so good and thought it might draw some people in to watch the demo. It also adds a smoky note to the salad. I used some hazelnuts from a family owned farm (in Oregon) that were dusted in local bee pollen for some crunch. The dressing was simple but extremely tasty and added an additional fruity note to the salad. Unfortunately some of the dressing ingredients were not quite local but there is a drawback to living in the mid-Atlantic; no avocado or olive trees for oil.

All of these seemingly disconnected ingredients came together to from a very satisfying salad that felt light and fresh. I loved the asparagus and the strawberries, they made the salad feel hearty despite the near absence of meat. The perfect springtime meal salad.

Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces3 bunches baby bok choy, cut into 1 inch strips
1 lb asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 oz extra firm tofu, cubed
1 cup snow peas
1 bunch chives, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 dried shiitaki mushrooms
2/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fermented black bean paste
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

for the marinade:
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cornstarch
salt
pepper

hot rice for serving


Directions:
Combine all of the marinade ingredients, pour over the chicken and marinate for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, rehydrate the mushrooms in the hot water. Drain and slice, reserving the water. Add both soy sauces, sesame oil, fermented bean paste, Shaoxing wine to the reserved water and whisk until smooth. Sit aside. Heat the canola oil in a large wok. Add the chicken (and all of the liquid it marinated in) and the mushrooms and stir fry until the chicken is just opaque. Add all of the vegetables and the tofu and cook for a minute then pour the sauce over everything. Stir-fry until the bok choy has wilted slightly and the chicken is cooked through but the snow peas and asparagus are still crisp. Serve over hot rice.

My thoughts:

We have some sort of stir-fry at least once a week. Stir-fries are a great, quick way to use up any vegetables or odds and ends you have around and perfect for weeknight dinners. This week's stir-fry was especially fresh and tasty so I thought I'd share the recipe. Snow peas and asparagus are just coming into season here, so naturally I threw them in. We also had a small amount of tofu leftover from an earlier meal and two lonely chicken breasts so in they went! I like to keep the flavors of the marinade and the sauce similar so the final dish has a cohesive taste but pretty much any of the other ingredients can be swapped out for something in season where you live.

Spring Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 carrots, cut into coins
1 zucchini, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups corn
2 cups broth*
14 oz nonfat evaporated milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
pepper

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions and carrots and saute. When just softened, add the asparagus, green beans and zucchini and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn, evaporated milk, pepper and broth and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.


*I made this soup using some broth leftover from making stuffed peppers. This gave it a slightly spicy edge that regular chicken stock doesn't have so feel free to add any spices you'd like.

My thoughts:

This such a simple soup that is great for using up leftover odds and ends of vegetables. You can use pretty much anything. I like to make it with fresh corn or barring that, corn I froze myself at the height of corn season. The evaporated milk gives it a creaminess with out it being too heavy -the flavors of the vegetables shine through.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Olive Oil

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh asparagus
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil. Drizzle the olive oil in the middle of the sheet. Break of any tough bottoms on the asparagus*. Place on the baking sheet and roll them around in the oil. Sprinkle with the kosher salt. Zest a lemon over the asparagus. Bake about 6 minutes or until the spears are bright green and tender, but not browned**. Serve immediately.



*An easy way to do this: hold an end in each hand. Bend the spear gently from the bottom, and the tough part will break right off where it meets the edible part.
**I like to take them out of the oven before the asparagus browns so avoid them drying out the tiniest bit. You can leave them in there longer but I don't think they are a vegetable (at least not when served on their own) that benefits from any sort of carmelization.

My thoughts:

This is my absolute favorite way to eat asparagus. If you fed it even to a hardened asparagus critic, I bet they'd love it. The asparagus is so bright, tender, crisp and the flavors are clear and simple. It is like Spring on a plate. To make it even easier, they are sort of self-saucing, their juices, the lemon zest, salt and olive oil mingle together while baking to form a light sauce that clings to the spears when you remove them from the pan.