#20 Snacking the Wild Asparagus!

Shownotes for #20 Snacking the Wild Asparagus!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for is less than 30 minutes.

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The podsafe music used in the show:

Hungry Lucy began by chance in 1998 when War-N Harrison was asked to contribute to a Depeche Mode tribute album. War-N asked vocalist/lyricist Christa Belle to record vocals for the song "Blue Dress". Hungry Lucy was born. They perform a style known as trip-pop, an ethereal, synthesized backed sound that combines electronic elements with emotional lyrics and challenging harmonies. The sound will remind you of Bjork, Madonna, and Depeche Mode, but on balance Hungry Lucy is unique. Enjoy their song "Her Song," a perfect accompaniment to asparagus and eggs!

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

To trim thin asparagus, hold the spear near the middle between your thumb and index finger. With your other hand, hold the cut end of the spear and bend the end down until it snaps.

To peel thick asparagus, hold the cut end of the spear on the cutting board and draw the vegetable peeler away from you toward the tip, lefting off the spear as you reach the tip. Turn the spear and repeat.

To blanch asparagus, begin by plunging them into boiling, unsalted water. When the water returns to a boil, remove the spears and put immediately in ice water. After five minutes, remove the spears and drain on paper towels.

Asparagus and Eggs (V)

This simple preparation shows off the fresh flavor of the asparagus. It serves two

1 lb asparagus, trimmed or peeled
4 eggs
salt and pepper

Cook the asparagus in boiling water until just tender when pieced by a knife, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on size. A limp spear is over cooked. Spears will continue cooking when removed from the water. Divide among two plates.

Begin by gently dropping the eggs in boiling water for exactly 3 minutes. Open these soft-boiled eggs and remove the whites and yolk to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

You eat the asparagus by dipping the spears into your personal bowl of seasoned eggs. Serve with toast.

Asparagus Parmesan (V)

This is how Spring is celebrated in Northern Italy

2 lbs asparagus, trimmed or peeled
4 tbs butter
Salt and Pepper
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Heat the over to 400. Arrange asparagus in a shallow ovenproof serving dish. Pour the melted butter over the spears and add salt and pepper. Spoon the cheese even over the spears. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like

Asparagus with Wasabe Mayonnaise (V)

Cook the asparagus in boiling water until just tender when pieced by a knife, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on size. A limp spear is over cooked. Spears will continue cooking when removed from the water. Divide among two plates. This can actually be done the day before. Simpky refrigerate the spears wrapped in plastic until ready to eat them. They are good cold too.

To a cup of mayonnaise, add 4 tsp of soy sauce, 2 tsp lemon juice and 2 tsp wasabi powder or paste. Stir until well combined. Adjust for salt.

Eat by dipping the spears into the mayonnaise.

Cravatta (V) (adopted from Bert Greene's Greene on Greens)

16 medium Asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched
1/2 tsp butter
1 lg. shallot, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs heavy cream
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 lb thinly sliced boiled ham (about 8 slices)
3 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lb fontina cheese, coarsely grated

Preheat the oven to 400.

Melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the shallot and saute until lightly browned. Stir in mustard, cream and lemon juice off the heat. Spread a small amount over each slice of ham. Sprinkle each slice with parmesan cheese and half the Fontina cheese. Put two spears on each slice of dressed ham. Fold the ham over the asparagus and arrange on a lightly greased oven proof serving dish. Sprinkle the remaining Fontina over the packages and grate on some black pepper. Bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week I'm going to tell you about how to make even more exciting versions of Maraconi and Cheese. You'll need several boxes of macaroni and cheese, several yellow onions, 3 red bell peppers, 1 medium yellow squash (about 1/2 pound), 1 medium zucchini squash (about 1/2 pound), 1 medium eggplant (about 1/2 pound), 2 medium Vidalia or similar sweet onions, a garlic, some dried thyme, half a pound of ground beef, parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella for shredding, a box of penne pasta, a head of celery, 1 lb of blue cheese, your choice, 1 1/2 c heavy cream, 1 1/2 c half and half, celery seeds and some eggs.