Tag Archives: asparagus

Olive oil, fresh herbs and vinegar with grilled asparagus

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I’ve been trying to do something with the big weed patch that used to be a vegetable garden in a generous-sized plot in my yard near the river. As I’ve been digging weeds, I keep finding clumps of oregano. This aromatic herb must be one of the most tolerant of neglect and sandy soil. And, I guess it doesn’t care one bit about being surrounded by weeds. It’s not only growing, it’s spreading. I’ve been digging each little bunch of oregano up, plopping it into pots and sharing them with friends.

I continue to snip chives and tarragon, plants that are tucked in among the perennial flowers in my garden. I always plant plenty of Italian parsley in the big barrel planter. Last week, all of these herbs went into a vinaigrette. If I’m able to get my basil to grow this year (I’ve planted it in pots rather than the ground this time around), I’ll be adding that to the mix of herbs in this vinaigrette.

Of course, this vinaigrette is wonderful on a salad of fresh greens. But, there are more ways to enjoy this herb-infused oil and vinegar dressing. Spoon it over roasted potatoes or into potato salad. Brush it over pizza dough before adding toppings. Use it to glaze grilled chicken breasts. Or, when you have a bunch of asparagus (or the ends of asparagus spears after making spicy pickled asparagus), grill it and eat it with a drizzle of Fresh Herbs Vinaigrette.

My husband has a grill pan designed for vegetables. I rolled the asparagus ends in some of the vinaigrette before he put them in the pan on the grill. Since the ends had been blanched, they didn’t need much time on the grill. Before serving, I drizzled more vinaigrette over the ends and garnished with shaved Parmesan.

Easy, healthful and delicious. And, a great way to enjoy fresh herbs and fresh asparagus.

Fresh Herbs Vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk fresh lemon juice, grated zest and vinegar together in a 2-cup glass measure. Slowly pour in olive oil as you continue to whisk to form an emulsion. Add garlic and chopped fresh herbs and mix. Store in covered jar in refrigerator. Shake well before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup vinaigrette.

Five women and 60 pounds of asparagus

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Mention a party that revolves around food, and I’m there. When my friend, Bobbie, sent an email out a couple of weeks ago asking if anyone was interested in getting together for an asparagus-pickling party, I hit reply and typed “For sure” without hesitation.

A file folder in my desk drawer had been holding a few recipes for pickled asparagus for years. Who knew what year I might get around to actually using the recipes, but pickling some spicy asparagus for adding to bloody Mary’s, nibbling between sips of wine and tossing into salads was definitely on my “To Do” list. For someday.

The night before five asparagus-crazy, party-hungry women were to gather in Bobbie’s kitchen, she sent us another email, letting us know she had 60 pounds of very fresh asparagus delivered from a local farmer and all the jars and other ingredients we would need. Sixty pounds? She wasn’t kidding. Good grief.

The party began at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon. On my way over, (I went right from my cooking demonstration at the farmers market) I figured we’d be finished pickling by 4:00, when I had to head home to prepare a dish to take to a dinner party that evening. I was wrong.

It takes time to peel and slice onions and garlic and take the seeds out of jalapeno peppers.

And then, little pinches of this and that must go into the bottom of the jars that first had to be sterilized in hot water. And, of course, all those fresh asparagus spears need to be blanched and plopped into ice water. And drained. And cut so they are just the right size to stand tall in one-pint wide-mouth canning jars.

Oh, don’t forget the brine must be boiled. Yes, things often look easier than they really are — have you ever tried packing asparagus into jars so they all stand upright and stay snug and look pretty as they are pushed against onion slices and half of a jalapeno pepper? Well, I’m just glad that wasn’t my job.

I got home that day a little after 5:00, leaving behind at least 30 pounds of asparagus still needing to be pickled. My husband prepared the dish to take to dinner (lucky for me the man can cook!) and I had just enough time to shower the scent of vinegar from my tired body and get dressed for a dinner party. The asparagus-pickling party would resume at 8:00 the next morning.

We drank coffee, ate Rhubarb-Blueberry Nut Muffins and danced around the kitchen, jiving to Johnny Rivers Greatest Hits. Mary had been to his concert the night before and bought his CD. Those old rockin’ tunes kept us jivin’ and picklin’.

We took just one deserving break. A short one!

Who  knew it would take five women 8 hours to pickle 60 pounds of asparagus? But it was well worth the time having great fun with friends canning 55 pints of Spicy Pickled Asparagus. That’s right — we got 55 pints from 60 pounds.

I drove home with my 11 pints of pretty spears packed carefully in boxes. And 5 big bags of the ends of all those spears.

I’ve already chopped some of those blanched asparagus ends to toss into an angel hair pasta dish and we’ve grilled some of those ends. I guess you could say Bobbie had a party that just keeps on giving.

Oh, I think I forgot to mention my job was to cut each blanched spear just the right size to fit into the one-pint jars. Aren’t they just so adorable?

Bobbie, the organized one on our team, took notes as we partied. Surely we would forget all the little tips we learned along the way by next year’s party. One thing we will all remember though — an 8-hour asparagus-pickling party must begin at 8:00 in the morning.

Spicy Pickled Asparagus

For about 5 pints (much more manageable than 55 pints, unless you have a team to work with:) you will need:

  • 5 pint jars, washed and sterilized
  • 10 pounds fresh local asparagus, washed
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spices, tied in cheesecloth or sealed in a tea ball
  • 2 tablespoons canning (pickling) salt

For each jar you will need:

  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/2 clove fresh garlic
  • 1/2 jalapeno pepper
  • 1 onion slice

Place asparagus spears in boiling water for just 2 minutes, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.

Place dash of cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon dill weed, 1/2 clove garlic, 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper and an onion slice in each jar.

Cut blanched spears to fit into jars. Pack asparagus spears, upright, into each jar.

Combine vinegar, water, mustard seed, canning salt and pickling spices that have either been tied into cheesecloth or sealed in a teaball in a saucepan and boil for 15 minutes. Remove bag or tea ball of pickling spices and discard.

Pour hot brine over asparagus in jars. Seal jars. Place jars into canner of boiling water for 10 minutes to process. Remove from water and set jars aside to cool. Makes about 5 pints.

Stand back and admire!

 

 

 

Asparagus Egg Bake for Two brings comfort to a cloudy, wet morning

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Large pans filled with a billowy mixture of oven-baked eggs, bread and vegetables is always a good choice for breakfast when you need to feed a crowd of hungry sleepyheads. But what about feeding just two people who love to sleep in on a cool, cloudy, drizzly no-work-day morning? Just have a couple of ramekins of Asparagus Egg Bake in the refrigerator.

While the water is heating for the French press and bacon is sizzling in a cast-iron skillet on the stove, two ramekins filled to the top with layers of chunks of English muffins, cheese, eggs, asparagus and chives can be baking in the oven. What a way to start the day.

Several spears of fresh asparagus that had been roasted to eat with grilled steaks were in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator when I decided to put together a couple of breakfast dishes to have on hand during the long holiday weekend. In the refrigerator, I knew they would be good for a few days, if necessary.

This morning was cool, dark and dreary — perfect for turning on the oven to heat up my chilly kitchen. I had thought about layering bits of crispy bacon into the egg-bakes, but decided against using the quality Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon I’d discovered at my local grocery store last week. I wanted to eat slices, fried to crispness, alongside my egg-bake.

According to the weather predictions, we can expect a cool, wet summer. I’ll be keeping this recipe handy. Any summer-fresh vegetables, slightly cooked, can be layered into this dish. Experiment with a variety of your favorite herbs and cheeses.

What looks like an awful morning — dark clouds, rain, and chill — can turn into something quite wonderful with Asparagus Egg Bake for Two. And then, back to bed for a little more sleep as the raindrops pitter-patter on the roof.

Asparagus Egg Bake for Two

  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 English muffins, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 6 asparagus spears, cooked crisp-tender, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

Lightly grease the inside of two (10- to 12-ounce) ramekins. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter and some salt and pepper.

Put 1/4 of the English muffin pieces into bottom of each ramekin. Layer with 2 tablespoons grated cheese in each, 1/2 of asparagus pieces in each one, 1 teaspoon of chives in each ramekin, and top with remaining pieces of English muffin. Slowly pour egg mixture over layers, using half of it for each ramekin. Cover ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from ramekins. Place ramekins on a small baking sheet to catch any drips that my slip over the sides. You don’t want to start the day with a smoky kitchen. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until egg mixture is set. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

 

Asparagus for breakfast? Why not?

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"I never thought I’d be eating asparagus, much less for breakfast."

That was my husband on Saturday morning as he dangled a small chunk of roasted asparagus from his fork. He was just finishing up his breakfast of poached egg atop roasted asparagus spears with an Italian-seasoned ground almond crumble.

Just after he headed to the golf course, I started cleaning up the kitchen and discovered one asparagus spear still on his otherwise empty plate. I guess expecting him to eat up six asparagus spears was pushing my luck a bit too far.

I love asparagus. Steamed, roasted or grilled, just hand it over. Althought I strongly support the Buy Local movement, I just can’t stop myself from buying some of the first asparagus that appears in the grocery stores in the spring. Green and bright, my first asparagus each April truly is a rite of spring. Around here, asparagus is often harvested for the first time in June. That would seem a rite of summer.

I bought some asparagus last week when I was making Medley of Rice with Roasted Red Pepper and Asparagus. That recipe is in my column this week. I bought another bunch to make something I saw on a restaurant menu. It was listed as a brunch item — asparagus with poached egg and ground almonds. It wasn’t brunch time when I was reading the menu, but I made note of it in the small moleskine notebook that I carry in my purse.

This is my take on that dish that I was not able to try at the restaurant. Once again, I’ve roasted the asparagus. I can’t say that I’ve ever had a knack for making a perfectly poached egg. I cheat with silicone poachpods or my Nordic Ware egg poacher insert. But it seemed only proper that when I was making a restaurant-style poached egg dish, I had to go with the real thing.

I pulled out my 9-inch copper-bottomed pan with its lid. I filled it almost to the top with water, then poured in at least a tablespoon of vinegar. Once the water was boiling, I turned it down to a simmer, cracked each egg into a custard cup and slid the egg into the simmering water. I did two eggs. With a spoon, I moved the whites up close to the yolks. The covered eggs simmered gently for 4 minutes. They were done just the way I like them. If you prefer a runny yolk, simmer for just 2 or 3 minutes. Gently scoop the eggs out of the water and place on paper towels to drain. This will prevent a puddle of water on your plate. Perfect poached eggs.

If you’re not counting fat grams and calories, there’s a way to make this poached egg dish even more delectable. Serve it like eggs benedict on a buttered toasted English muffin topped with a slice of smoky ham or Canadian bacon, then the asparagus, poached egg and some homemade Hollandaise sauce. Top it all with a sprinkle of Toasted Almond Crumble. Eggs Benedict is my favorite out-for-breakfast pick. But, I’m trying to be more mindful of fat grams these days. And, I must say, this egg and asparagus are delcious served on their own.

When my husband and I finished our breakfast, I thought how nice it would have been to scatter some freshly grated Parmesan over the egg along with the Toasted Almond Crumble.

Asparagus for breakfast? Why not? Add a perfectly poached egg with toasted almond crumble and you will have a perfectly wonderful breakfast on a sunny morning in spring.

Roasted Asparagus with a Perfectly Poached Egg and Ground Almond Crumble

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, washed, tough ends removed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
  • Splash of fresh lemon juice, about a teaspoon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss prepared asparagus spears with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until spears are fork tender. Remove from oven and set pan aside.

While asparagus is in the oven, make Toasted Almond Crumble by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet. Add garlic, almonds, 1/4 teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Stir over medium heat until almonds are toasted. This will take just 2 or 3 minutes. Immediately transfer almond mixture to a small bowl. Add lemon juice and blend. Set aside.

Pull out a 9- or 10-inch pan with a lid. Add water to about 1/2-inch from top of pan. Add vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Break each egg into a custard cup, and slide into the water. When all the eggs are in the pan, use a spoon to scoop the whites close to the yolks, cover and set timer for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how you want the yolk to be cooked.

Warm 4 plates in the oven while eggs are cooking. The oven should still be warm from the roasting asparagus.

Carefully transfer poached eggs to a paper towel to drain. Arrange 6 asparagus spears on each of 4 plates. Top with an egg. Sprinkle with Toasted Almond Crumble. Serve immediately (with whole grain toast that’s been cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter to really make your diners smile). Makes 4 servings.

Tip from the cook

When you’re shopping for Italian seasoning, look for a blend that does not include salt. This allows you to control the amount of salt used in your dish. I buy a blend that my Italian friend, Carmela, mixes and sells. Carmela’s Condimento is fragrant with dried basil, garlic, parsley, oregano and crushed red pepper. I’ll bet she’d send you a bag. Go to her blog and you can contact her: Carmels’s Cucina.