Asparagus and Radish Salad

Well hello there!

It has been a while, hasn't it?

When I first started getting the box, and I first started reading more and more about the importance of eating locally and seasonally, all the literature assured me that my tastes and my body would grow to love it. That the zucchini would run out just when I was tired of it, and come back when I was missing it again. I would be thrilled to see the return of the oranges just as the stone fruits went to sleep for the winter, and that the coming of asparagus would be one of the highlights of my spring.

I have to admit that I wasn't so sure I believed it all. I thought that a year in which avocados were available every day and that beets didn't have a season sounded more like paradise. I'd rather have basil grow all winter long and skip the turnips, thankyouverymuch.

But once again, as it turns out, the experts know a tad more than I do. This winter I realized that a stew just hits the spot on a rainy day (and that turnips actually are a perfect part of a good stew!). And while I was eating hot bowls of creamy cauliflower soup or slow-roasted squash, I never longed for an avocado. (I'm still not sure I will ever last as long as zucchini season does, though).

But when the days got warmer and longer, it was so nice to see basil come back, along with it's perfect partner, tomatoes. It is paradise to spend a warm afternoon on the patio eating a no-cook appetizer of basil, cheese and tomatoes stacked together, and some avocado on the burgers we are grilling.

So, because I have spent the spring so happy to see my old friends come around again after months without them, I haven't done much new with them. As I unpack the box every week, I find myself saying things like "Awesome! Asparagus! I am going to make those appetizers I tried last year!" ...or... "Oooh! Lemons! Time for some more lemon curd! And lemon cookies! And lemon bars! And lemon COCKTAILS!" When the snow peas came last week, they didn't stand a chance. I was so excited to see them that I stood and ate them plain and raw as I unpacked the rest of the box.

But then I ran across a recipe for an asparagus salad that sounded just right. It happened to include no less than six ingredients that were all in my box this week! (See why cooking seasonally is so much fun!?)  The salad just basically steamed asparagus and sliced radishes, but it is tossed in the most delicious dressing. I made enough dressing that I had enough for the asparagus salad, and plenty more to store in the fridge. I have used the leftovers for a regular garden salad as well as a dip for raw veggies. Maybe this week's snow peas will at least get dipped before I make quick history of them!

Anyway, on to the salad:

Asparagus and Radish Salad with Spring-Herb Dressing
This one came from Food 52, a site I am looking forward to exploring more!


one bunch of asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into one-inch pieces
one bunch radishes, thinly sliced
one cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of one small lemon
splash of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Steam the asparagus on the stovetop or in the microwave. Slice the radishes thinly.
Place all of the remaining ingredients in a blender and whir until they are well combined.
Toss the vegetables with the dressing, and keep refrigerated until ready to eat!

Asparagus Pesto

I have to admit, I am a fool for anything with the name pesto in it. I adore basil (as much as any person can adore an herb), and by the time you add some garlic to it, I am in flavor heaven.

I also happen to be a fool for asparagus. I was thrilled to see it it my Abundant Harvest Box this week. I have read that there are many cultures who see the first asparagus as the official start to spring, and hold festivals to celebrate its arrival. I totally get it.

When two worlds collide, and I see a veggie I love and a recipe that intrigues me on the same day, I know the vegetable gods are asking that I make it. Who am I to defy the gods?

This pesto is everything I hoped for. The salty, garlic-y, basil-y nutty flavors were perfect. It's not a sauce so much as a paste, and it seems perfect for spreading on crackers or crostini for an appetizer, or with chicken, pork, or fish for a delicious main dish. If you wanted to toss it with pasta I would recommend adding a bit more oil, and letting it puree finer. I served it with chicken breasts that I grilled. A big salad and some fresh strawberries and orange slices, and it was a perfect spring dinner.

Asparagus Pesto
(Adapted from here)

one pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup cashews
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

First, steam the asparagus until tender. I used a microwave steamer that I love for its handiness, but you can do it on the stovetop as well. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, whir the garlic cloves until they are chopped pretty finely. (This way no big chunks will be left to overpower any one mouthful). Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse until they are all chopped finely and mixed well, but not pureed into a sauce. You want some bite to it.

That's it! Serve it with your favorite accompaniment!

this is not your state fair

We have gotten asparagus in the veggie box six out of the past eight weeks. I am a huge asparagus fan, and it is one of the vegetables that my kids tolerate. But still, we are all getting a bit tired of it.

I have grilled it, roasted it, pureed it into pasta sauce, steamed it, and rolled it up with cheese and bread.

And yet, I was able to find another way to prepare it! Actually this turned out to be one of my favorites. (Best if you are looking for yummy. Not so much if you are looking for healthy).

I present to you... deep fried asparagus. Or asparagus fries, if you will. It reminded me a little of tempura vegetables, although it is made with buttermilk instead of egg whites.

First, wash and trim your asparagus.

Dip each stalk into buttermilk, and then dredge in flour.

Gently drop each stalk into hot oil, and let it fry until it is golden brown. Then let it drain onto paper towels.

Enjoy them hot, with ranch dressing or a mixture of plain yogurt and herbs.

Leave a message and I'll call you back. someday.

I get a little panicky about this time every year. May is looming on the very near horizon, and from May until mid-June, I don't think I sit down.

My three kids go to two different schools... so we have two different end-of-year schedules.

We have a preschool picnic and ceremony, two baseball end-of-season parties, the first grade production of The Wizard of Oz, testing for the orange belt in Kung Fu, and end-of-the-year cub scouts ceremony where a Tiger Cub becomes a Wolf Cub, two science fair projects to begin finish, a science fair to attend, an orchestra concert, a district-wide math competition, a book review that will be aired on the local radio station, an out-of-town surprise birthday party, a girl scout end-of-year dinner, a daddy-daughter girl scout dance, open house at the elementary school, a thank-you breakfast for volunteers at each school, a daddy-child ice cream social, two different teacher appreciation weeks, a weekend in Las Vegas, an enormous garage sale to raise money for breast cancer research, and a four days in Palm Springs at my little brother's wedding. All in the next seven weeks.

My husband, who works at a high school will also attend a dinner put on by the restaurant management class, the baseball team banquet, prom, graduation, grad night, and an awards ceremony.

Did I mention that my husband, myself, and my daughter have our birthdays three days in a row... all during the last week of school?

Although all of these things (or other things just like them) happen every year, I get through it all. Most of it is fun and adorable. It just means a lot of running around, leaving one thing early and arriving at the next one late.

I am already slipping into survival mode. I know I can't do all of these things and do them all well. I often wonder if I do any of them well... or even decently.

Dinner tonight, with only a few minutes to prepare it, was (leftover) ham sandwiches. It is probably a good thing that there was some asparagus in the fridge that needed to be eaten or thrown out in the next couple of days. At least that forced me to cook a vegetable.

I got this recipe from one of the other mothers while picking up our kids at school. I was mentioning that I needed something new to do with asparagus or the kids might tie me up and force it all up my nose. She came through with a recipe that was quick and simple, but really delicious.

Roasted asparagus with parmesan and garlic:

Wash and trim asparagus. Toss with olive oil. Lay it on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of sugar. (I thought this was really weird, but now that I have tried it, I will never again do asparagus without the sugar. YUM!). Roast it in a 400 degree oven for about 6-8 minutes, until it is tender. Sprinkle on a pinch of garlic salt, and a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

Every. single. one. of my family members thought it was delicious!  I may just make it to July after all.

You be the judge

I can't decide if the appetizer I made the other day is a white trash food or not. One could argue that the fact that I am questioning this is proof enough, but I want to take a poll before deciding.

On the one hand, it does contain fresh, seasonal produce (Not white trash)

Is your head tilting to the side? I didn't realize I take all my pictures at the same angle!

On the other hand, it also contains white bread. With the crusts cut off. (SO white trash)

Back on the first hand, it also involves making an herb-infused butter (not white trash).

But, back on the other hand, it also contains big chunks of cheddar cheese (pretty trashy)

This recipe came from Sunset Magazine (not trashy) and was clipped out by my mother (also not trashy). In March of 1978. Oh yes, 37 years ago. While 1978 was a fabulous year for new things (like little baby girls), it wasn't a good year for recipes that take into account cholesterol, fat, processed sugars, or carbohydrates. (Does that make it trashy or not? I can't decide. On the one hand, great year. On the other hand, not so healthy. But on the other, other hand, they didn't know any better. It's not their fault).

At any rate, let's take this Sunset recipe, these herbs and vegetables, and this white bread, and make a delicious appetizer. As long as you don't think about what exactly you are consuming, you will thoroughly enjoy it.

First, we need herbed butter. Dice enough cilantro to make 1 tablespoon. Slice thinly enough green onion (or in my case, spring red onion) to make 3 tablespoons. Also, measure out 1/2 teaspoon dill. Mix these herbs, along with salt and pepper to taste, into 1/2 cup softened butter.

Next, we will assemble the rest of the ingredients:

Trim and blanch a bunch of asparagus stalks. Count out a slice of bread for each stalk of asparagus (I did 18). Trim the crusts off of the bread. Cut sharp cheddar cheese into sticks that are about 3 inches long, and 1/4 inch in diameter.

Now, we'll begin to build our roll-ups. 

Take a slice of bread, and flatten it with a rolling pin. Spread evenly with butter mixture.

Place a spear of asparagus and a stick of cheese onto the bread.

Roll it up, and secure with a toothpick. Once you have finished all of the rolls, melt a1/4 cup of butter, and brush over all of the rolls.

Place them in the oven broiler, about 5 inches from the heat source. Let them toast for about 5 minutes, and enjoy!

Here is the recipe in a more concise manner:
about 18 asparagus spears
6-8 ounces of sharp cheddar
1 loaf of white bread
3/4 cup soft butter
1 T. chopped cilantro
1/2 t. dill
3 T. sliced green onion or spring onion

Clean, cook, and drain asparagus spears. Cut cheese into sticks that are 3 inches long and 1/4 inch diameter. Trim crusts from 18 slices of bread and flatten each with a rolling pin. Combine 1/2 cup of the butter with the cilantro, dill, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly over one side of the bread slices, and top each with an asparagus spear and cheese stick. Roll each slice, secure with a toothpick, and place on a baking sheet. Melt remaining 1/4 cup of butter and brush evenly over rolls. Broil 5 inches from the heat source, for about 5 minutes, until golden.

dinner a go-go

I can't lie. When I learned that a friend, who happens to have four small kids, a full-time job, and a husband who will be unable to walk for the next few weeks, could use some help, I thought to myself, "Now there is a somewhere I can offload some of my veggies!"

Okay, that is only a teeny bit true. I really wanted to make dinner for the family, and I wanted to make it something healthy, easy to transport, and kid-friendly. Getting rid of some of the veggies was an added bonus.

I ended up researching a few different pasta recipes, using parts of all of them, and all of none of them. Here, instead, is what I came up with:

This pasta dish is creamy but not heavy. It has a lightness from the lemon, and the asparagus is cooked just enough to let the flavor shine through without taking on that dull overly mushy vegetable blah-ness that you remember from your youth. Enjoy!


Pasta with chicken and lemon-asparagus cream sauce

2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 pound asparagus spears
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

First, wash and pat dry your chicken. Season it with salt and pepper, and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, uncovered (until it is cooked through). When the chicken is done, set it aside.

Boil about 6-8 cups of salted water. Trim the tough ends off of the asparagus (bend each stalk, and allow it to naturally snap off. That will just get rid of the bit at the end that is too tough). Cut each stalk into 1-inch pieces, keeping the tips separate.

Put the asparagus pieces into the boiling water for 6-7 minutes, until they are tender. Once they have cooked, scoop them out with a slotted spoon or handled sieve, so the water in the pot stays boiling. Run the asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking, and let it drain.

Place the tips into the boiling water for 3-4 minutes, and then take them out with the slotted spoon, rinse with cold water, and drain. Keep the water boiling.

Add your pasta to the boiling water (where it will absorb some of the nutrients left behind by the asparagus). Boil the pasta for about 2-3 minutes less than the package directions. You will be continuing to cook it later, and you don't want it to get too soft.

Place the lemon zest, the asparagus pieces (but not the tips), 1/4 cup olive oil, and about a half cup of the boiling asparagus water into a food processor. Pulse it until is has pureed into a bright green sauce.

When the past is done, reserve a couple of cups of cooking water, drain the pasta, and add the sauce. Stir in the half-and-half, season with salt and pepper, and let it all cook for a few minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved cooking water a bit at a time.

Place the pasta into a serving bowl, top with asparagus tips, sliced chicken breast, and parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

 .... Or...

Place the pasta in a disposable pan so your friend has nothing to try and remember to return to you.

Take it, along with a salad, a load of bread, and some chocolate chip cookies, over to her house. Stick a few paper plates, plastic forks, and a bunch of juice boxes in there too, and she's got a complete night off.

Remember how she has four kids and a husband who can't move? Don't forget a bottle of dry white wine.

Like a lizard, I need to warm my blood in the warm sun

I apologize in advance to anyone who is reading this in a place where there is snow on the ground. Or anyplace where the mercury is dipping below 75f, for that matter.

Here in Southern California, it feels like summer.

The temperature is in the 70s and 80s, and my kids are out on spring break. We spent the last few days going on bike rides, playing at the beach, playing baseball, and wading in a creek. The kids have had an amazing chance to relax and be kids, and I have had a chance to relax and enjoy them being kids.

Something about summer makes me do everything a little slower. There is no need to rush through the day, to worry so much about what comes next, or to feel a need to do do do. We sleep in, laze in our pajamas, and have coffee on the patio.

Meals around here have taken on the same lazy, relaxed feel. I haven't planned a ton, consulted recipes, or stressed about measurements.

The grill has been our friend, and we are taking the time to enjoy our fresh fruits and veggies, without trying to convert them into complicated meals.

Last night we grilled hamburgers and asparagus, and ate them along with some sweet potato fries I froze back when the sweet potatoes were coming at us faster than big league pitching.

The night before, I grilled chicken breasts alongside broccoli, carrots, and onions. These fresh veggies are so flavorful that I don't need to do much to enhance the meals... just toss with oil, and grill until tender.

Of course, I couldn't completely stay out of the kitchen. I took the extra time saved on preparing dinner, to make a big pot of Italian potato soup, and a batch of lemon curd. I'll let you know all about those...


after the sun goes down. For now, I'm heading out to play!

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

How did my grandmother ever cook without the internet? Pretty much the first thing I do, when I need a meal, is to see what google can do for me. (Anyone want some used cookbooks, by the way?)

So, today's challenge was sorrel. I searched for information about sorrel before I even looked for recipes. Just to see if I really wanted to bother with it.

And I found out that it is a horse!

Picture borrowed from Wikipedia.

Then I found some more useful information. About sorrel the herb. vegetable. herb. weed.  

Picture borrowed, again, from wikipedia. 

As a result of my detective work, I now know that sorrel is a perennial. I know it grows in Africa, England, Greece, and many other places around the world. I also learned that sorrel just may be the plant that St. Patrick was really looking at when he talked about the trinity.  But I can't wait for St. Patrick's day to eat it, because one other thing I learned is that it only lasts about 3 days in the refrigerator. We are on day 3, people. Time is of the essence.

But what do I do with this stuff? Other than move to Africa to start a farm? Other than religious education? I learned that it has a sharp flavor, from its oxalic acid (which just so happens to be a poison, and can be fatal in large doses). That's it! I guess I use it to carefully disguise my evil plans to start collecting life insurance. Who would ever guess death by sorrel?

For the record, I looked up the dangers of oxalic acid. Sorrel has far less of the stuff than spinach or chives have. And I have never heard of anyone dying from spinach. Not even Popeye.


So, now that I knew that the stuff is poisonous but not too much, may or may not represent God and Jesus and stuff, and may or may not refer to horse hair, I felt like I may or may not have been ready to think about cooking.

I looked for recipes next. The first place I went was the website for AHOrganics, the fine people who supply me with weeds  poison vegetables each week. They have hundreds of recipes on their website. Unfortunately, none of them contains sorrel.

So, I went back to google, and I found some recipes for pestos, some sauces for fish (I do NOT do fish), and the suggestion to use it in salads. I tried eating a piece, to see how I felt about putting it in a salad. When raw, it tastes like a cross between freshly mowed lawn and every other green leafy vegetable. So salad is out. I also found a way to cook eel with it. Umm, no.

That's when I realized how silly I have been. There is a gal who lives in my town, who has quite possibly the best cooking blog ever. Because she lives near me, she is often cooking the same fresh vegetables that I am, as they are harvested. However, she is infinitely more skilled, more knowledgable, more experienced, and more professional than I. As a matter of fact, I suggest you quit reading me, and read her instead. Here she is, folks. A girl, A market, A meal.

Of course, her blog came through for me. She just happens to have a recipe where sorrel is cooked into a cream sauce and served over pasta.  Never mind the fact that her recipe uses asparagus, and all of my asparagus was eaten up last night, wouldn't ya know.

I followed her recipe almost exactly, except I replaced the asparagus with cauliflower. 

Her instructions and photos are far better than anything I would come up with, so here you go! All I can say is... if you find yourself with some sorrel, or a chance to get some sorrel, click that link. And enjoy. I sure did.

Hello, Sunshine!

I love summer. I love the sun, the relaxed schedule, the late sunsets and warm evenings.

So, when we had about as beautiful a day as possible today, I decided to cook and eat dinner outside. It's not that I am avoiding the chard and the sorrel in my fridge, but for today, I grilled my asparagus, potatoes and steaks.

The kids cooperated as much as I could possibly expect. They all enjoyed the grilled potatoes. They came out a little crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. They dipped them in ketchup and said they were just like French fries.

The asparagus, of course, wasn't quite as easy of a sell. My younger son said that is was his favorite, and my daughter said it isn't bad, but not her favorite. Remember my middle son? The one who gave us hell over both bell peppers and brussels sprouts? Well, before he even sat at the table, the first words out of his mouth were "Asparagus? Do I have to eat the asparagus?"

But in the long run, he ate everything on his plate. And it was all with relatively no complaining, and relatively a TON of ketchup. He even admitted, at the end of the meal, that it isn't bad, but it isn't good either. I am going to count this as a success, attributable to a couple of things:

1. He could identify the vegetable. It wasn't coming out of left field, never seen before.
2. He has eaten it before. He didn't love it then either, but he got it down and lived to tell the tale. Maybe he had confidence that he would survive the experience again?
3. I gave him a decent amount of it. With the last few questionable veggies, I have only put a tiny taste on his plate. I think maybe that in doing that, I am admitting that it is horrible. I gave each child 3 full stalks. I know that isn't a ton, but it is close to a real live serving. I was actually prepared to bargain with the number of bits he had to eat, but he ate it all!

What a beautiful dinner we all had... sunshine, fresh veggies, fresh air, and conversation that wasn't just about how awful dinner is.

Too bad it wasn't that easy getting it onto the table!

this used to be a bowl, which I knocked off of the grill while I was cooking.

and these are the potatoes from the bowl that landed on my patio.

How to grill vegetables in three easy steps.

I think there is almost no better way to eat veggies. Grilling them allows them to keep some of their crispness, while enhancing their flavor. Plus, it is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors, and leave yourself with no pots or pans to scrub!

First, you need to wash and cut your vegetable into grill-able pieces. They should be thin enough to cook through before the whole surface is charred.  In the case of my asparagus, I just snapped off the tough ends. For the potatoes, I sliced them into 1/4 inch slices.

Toss the veggies with some oil, and season them however you like them! For the potatoes, I just used salt, since I was going for a french-fry sort of experience. For the asparagus, I used salt and pepper. This is enough for most veggies, but you can add virtually any other seasonings you have.

That is all the prep work you need to do. Now, spread them out onto the grill.

In the case of my asparagus, it was so thin and tender, I didn't spread it out that much. I just threw it on the grill and sort of rolled it around. That way, the first pieces didn't burn up while I arranged the rest.

Keep a pretty close eye on it all. The veggies will cook pretty quickly. In the case of the potatoes, I turned them once the bottoms were starting to brown. The asparagus, I sort of pushed around as soon as it started getting a little wilty. That allowed it all to get a chance directly on the grill, to get those great grill lines.

When both sides are browned, serve it and enjoy!