Fee, Fie, Foe, Friday: Goodbye, Asparagus Patch

Well, it's time to end our relationship. I know, you are one of the first things to produce anything edible every spring in the garden. but you are too big and needy. Sorry, my dear little patch, but as soon as the asparagus season is over, you are gone. No more asparagus growing for me unless I can relocate an asparagus bed somewhere outside the deer fence and still manage to protect it from those hungry deer. If there's one thing deer love, it's fresh, homegrown, organic asparagus. MY fresh, homegrown, organic asparagus.

I have heavy, clay, rocky soil, and considering the asparagus bed takes up fully 1/3 of the deer fenced vegetable garden, it doesn't make too much sense giving it that much space for the relatively low yield I get. Being a heavy feeder, growing asparagus takes too much time, energy and fertilizing (and $$$) to keep up the bed when I can buy plenty of local asparagus for the same expenditure. And use that garden space for something more productive. Like tomatoes.

Twenty years ago, I'd have never admitted defeat. I'd have just kept pouring effort into getting a good crop...each stalk would end up costing me $64. I'm not sure if this is wisdom coming with age, but I'd rather cut my losses and grow some vegetable that does well here. Sometimes cutting your losses is the only way to keep growing. Think about that.

So, over the next week or so I'll be digging out asparagus roots to make room for another raised bed for more tomatoes. Any one want some free asparagus roots? Lemme know in the comments below and we'll figure out how to get them to you.

So long, farewell...Asparagus bed...

Fee, Fie, Foe, Friday: First Homegrown Asparagus for Dinner!

Yep, it's true. Spring is finally here. Last year we were eating homegrown asparagus 3 weeks earlier, this year, a late cold snap slowed the local asparagus down, and my asparagus bed was no exception. But finally, we'll have homegrown asparagus  for dinner. The fact that my asparagus bed needs to be overhauled badly isn't going to be a topic today...but it does need it badly. The last few dry summers have been hard on it. Thank goodness my friend Betty gave me some asparagus crowns to fill in with. Nothing sprouting yet from those, but we'll see.

Anyway, back to the asparagus in hand. Am planning to cook it simply; I always do for the first batch. Either I'll steam it, roast it or just butter braise it which is a family favorite. I posted that recipe a while back and you can find it here. Later in the season, when we start to get tired of it every day, I start dolling it up. Just not yet.

Happy Asparagus Season!

Homegrown asparagus for dinner tonight!

Simple, Quick, Butter Braised Asparagus

Succulent, juicy and tender early spring asparagus

I found the first asparagus in the market today, from this hemisphere. Spring is coming. It's early spring somewhere... Time to share my favorite way to fix asparagus with you. I've been making this asparagus recipe for so long, my family thinks I invented it. I got it from my friend next door  in our old neighborhood, Marge, sometime in the 1980's. As I recall, she found it in a magazine like Gourmet or Food & Wine. Up to that point, I had generally steamed asparagus, or quickly sautéed cuts in butter. It was expensive for newlyweds, and I hadn't started my own asparagus bed yet. In the 80s, we steamed EVERYTHING, and usually until it wasn't quite done. See what Cuisine Minceur did for us? Gave us crudités for dinner. Anyway, when she served us this at dinner, it was the essence of asparagus, and it was perfect. You're just baking it, covered, but what's happening is it's braising in its own juices, and wonderful, marvelous  butter.

Back then everything was steamed. Now, everything is roasted. After a while, I get sick of roasted  vegetables. It seems all you see is roasted this and roasted that. You can even buy vegetables frozen already roasted.You know the fad is trending away (hopefully) when you can buy them ready-roasted, frozen in bags.  Problem is, roasted vegetables aren't always succulent. tender and juicy. Sometimes they're downright tough, and dry, if the cook hasn't been paying attention. You have to stay on top of things roasting at a high temp, or all you'll have is burnt scraps to compost. What's great about this technique, is you can pop it in the oven, and go about making the rest of the meal, and then put it right on the table if you bake it in a nice dish.

These will cook in under 30 minutes, unless your asparagus is large and tough. This recipe is a shining opportunity to get creative with your seasonings. Instead of plain butter, a compound butter like chive or truffle is fabulous, or you can drizzle with plain extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer, in place of the butter. Flavored oils, like blood orange olive oil is delicious, here too, or garlic oil. I won't look if you want to include some chopped fresh garlic, some lemon zest, or a little soy sauce. All are worthy inclusions.

Asparagus ready to cover and bake. These are dotted with truffle butter.
You can nap or fix the rest of the meal while they cook.

Simple, Quick, Butter Braised Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 lb. medium asparagus
2T butter or oil of choice
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Wash the asparagus, well, and snap the stems, or peel them.

2. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer, or at most, a double layer in an oven to table baking dish that they just fit into. Dot with the butter or drizzle with oil, salt lightly and pepper.

3. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or heavy duty aluminum foil, and bake for 25 -30 minutes, 30 to 35, if they are thicker than your index finger, or a little woody.

4. Uncover and serve.

The Beautiful Bowl: Shrimp & Asparagus Soup

Shrimp & Asparagus Soup

There is a collection of recipes, each neatly written out by hand on card, in plastic sleeves, in a box in the hallway bookcase.  Old School. Quaint. They’re mine. I wrote them out, one by one, as I tried the recipes as a bride, back in the last century. It just kills me to say that.

If I hadn’t accidently knocked the box over, and picked this recipe for Shrimp and Asparagus soup up off the floor, I’d have probably passed from the planet without having made it again. That would have been a loss, we loved it so much, I probably served it as a first course for every holiday meal for two years straight.

The original version of this uses frozen asparagus cuts, half & half, and two cans of Cream of Asparagus soup. I have no idea where I found the original recipe (it has to date from the late 70’s) but it was so delicious, I knew I could remake it and still get all of the flavor. Actually, this version is better, and the flavor is brighter since it uses fresh asparagus, and doesn’t have that pasty taste you get from canned cream soup. I’ve replaced the canned soup, and the half & half with silken tofu. It adds no taste, but makes a thick, creamy substitute for the dairy and the flour. This soup is dairy free, gluten free, and if you want to leave out the shrimp (and its good!) vegetarian / vegan.

The big thing here is making a quick stock from the scraps and trimmings of the ingredients. There is HUGE flavor in them, and it really boosts the taste into the stratosphere. I do it all the time with vegetable bits and keep some in the fridge to use to pump up the flavor of soups, sauces or just to cook rice, pasta or other vegetables in it.

Shrimp & Asparagus Soup

Serves 4

Two Versions: the slightly fussy, pretty version, and the less pretty, less fussy version. The first version actually doesn’t take long to make, and the result is a gorgeous spring green soup studded with pink shrimp. You do eat with your eyes, after all. It makes for a beautiful bowl.  The less fussy version isn’t a really pretty green as is the version with the blanched asparagus. Both taste great!

1 lb. fresh asparagus, woody ends broken off, and reserved

¾ lb. Extra-Large Shrimp, cleaned, shells and tails reserved

1 bunch scallions, keeping the white and light green part, reserve the green tops and roots

1 Tblsp kosher salt

1 Tblsp safflower or canola oil

2 tsp mild curry powder

1/2 cup dry sherry

1 box shelf stable silken tofu (firm or x-firm)

Kosher salt

1. Make the stock from the trimmings: Place the woody asparagus ends, the shrimp shells and tails, the salt and the scallion trimmings in a small saucepan. Add water to just barely cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, stir well, and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for about 10 minutes.

Flavor boost: Quick stock from shrimp and vegetable trimmings

2. In the meantime, trim the tips off the asparagus, and set aside in a small bowl, then cut the remaining stalks into 1/3” to ½” pieces. Set aside in a separate bowl. Cut the scallions into ¼” rounds and set aside in another small bowl. 

3. Bring about 6 cups of water in it to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Salt it heavily— 2-3 tablespoons. Fill a medium bowl with half ice, half water and set near the stove. Drop the asparagus tips into the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or a skimmer to the bowl of ice water. Now drop the cut asparagus stalks into the boiling pot and cook for 3 minutes. While it cooks remove the tips from the ice water and put back into their bowl. This is your pretty bright green garnish for your soup.  Remove the asparagus cuts from the boiling pot, and shock in the ice bath. Remove the asparagus cuts to another bowl, and cook the shrimp in the salt water for 3-4 minutes, until they turn pink and opaque. Remove to a separate bowl and set aside.

4. Drain the hot salt water, rinse and dry the pan, and place over medium heat. Add the safflower oil and heat for a moment or two then add the scallion rings and the curry powder. Cook until fragrant and the scallions begin to soften. Add the sherry. Bring to a simmer.

5. Carefully strain in the stock from the pot with the shrimp shells into a bowl, and measure out 2-1/2 cups (add a little water if needed). Add to the scallions. Put in the asparagus cuts and cook until they begin to soften, also about 3-4 minutes. Carefully put the mixture into a blender container and add the drained box of tofu, and puree until smooth. You may also use a stick blender in the pan if you have one.

6. Taste for seasoning, add the shrimp, and serve immediately, garnished with the reserved asparagus tips. If you must reheat this soup, heat it very gently, just to serving temperature-- do not boil, or the tofu will curdle.

Note: You can “rescue” the soup if it curdles by skimming out the shrimp and asparagus tips, puree the hot soup again, and then add the shrimp and asparagus tips back in.

Serves 6

The much less fussy version:

Do steps 1 and 2 as above. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, and cook the scallions and curry powder, add the sherry, and 2-1/2 cups of the shrimp shell stock.

Bring to a simmer, and add  the shrimp. Remove the shrimp when they are pink and opaque and set aside. Put in all the asparagus, tips and all and cook until it’s softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the tofu, drained and broken up, and puree either in a blender or with a stick blender in the pot.

Taste for seasoning, place the shrimp in the bowls and pour over the pureed soup. If you must reheat this, do not boil or the tofu will curdle. If it does curdle, see the Note above about rescuing the soup.

Little Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus, Egg, Cheese and Pepperoni

Asparagus, egg and pepperoni flatbread

In honor of the first asparagus from the garden, this is one of the best breakfasts, lunches or dinners that I can think of. I just had it for breakfast. As a gardening geek, As soon as the first chard, chive or asparagus pokes its head above ground, I’m running around telling everyone I know. Sad but true. I tend to celebrate Spring.

2012 has to be the earliest I can ever remember picking asparagus. Granted, there are only 4 stalks large enough to pick but there are a couple of hundred coming along later. There also appears to be a major crop of slugs, too. Yum.

Actually, I kinda lied about this being a recipe. It’s not really. It’s just a technique. I didn’t even have the correct ingredients, since this is much nicer with thick asparagus, so it makes a “dam” to keep the egg from sliding off the flatbread before it’s cooked. But this early in the asparagus season, I don’t get thick asparagus out of the bed.

A flatter type of flatbread, other than naan is actually a little better as naan tends to be too bumpy, and the egg tends to slide to one side or the other. But it’s what I had in the freezer and I am all about improvising with what’s available. If your flatbread is largish, two eggs work fine, and could really make two servings.

This has everything going for it. It’s crispy, a little spicy from the pepperoni, creamy from the cheese, fresh tasting from the asparagus and sauced by the egg yolk. Make yourself one for breakfast soon. Or whenever you get your hands on some good, thick, LOCAL asparagus. Celebrate Spring.

Little Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus, Egg, Cheese and Pepperoni

Note: if you don't have a baking stone, place the flatbread on a baking sheet before assembling, and keep it on the sheet to bake.

Preheat your oven with a baking stone, if you have one, in it to 450°F. You’ll need:

4 thick, crisp - cooked asparagus stalks

1 small flatbread

About 2 ounces of thinly sliced sharp cheese

2 thin slices of either sandwich pepperoni or salami

1 or 2 eggs

Coarse salt (I used Hawaiian Black salt because it’s pretty)

Layer the cheese thickly to hold the egg in place when it melts

Place the cheese thickly on the top of the flatbread. Arrange the asparagus on the top of the cheese in a square or rectangle so the asparagus will come in contact with the cheese when it melts to form a wall to keep in the egg. Place the pepperoni or salami in the center. Place the flatbread in the oven on a the stone for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melting, and carefully, with a wooden spoon, press down gently on the asparagus to be sure it’s stuck to the cheese. Break your egg(s) into the middle of the asparagus wall and bake another 4-6 minutes until the whites are cooked, and the yolk is done to your liking. Carefully remove from the oven with a big spatula, and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Serves 1 or 2.