Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Four Ways!

Nothing captures the essence of springtime like tender, fresh asparagus.  Asparagus grows wild in many parts of the United States and can often be found minding its own business by the side of roads and interstates!  It's one of the easiest and tastiest ways to starting 'eating wild'.  The recipe below is a simple and delicous way to serve this marvelous little gem.  The spears taste great with the standard recipe, but pesto or hollandaise sauce provides an intriguing twist.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

2 bunches of asparagus, preferably thick trimmed and pelled if needed

2 tbsp dry white wine or dry vermouth

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  In a large shallow baking pan toss together the asparagus, wine, salt and pepper to taste and olive oil until the asparagus spears are evenly coated.

Roast the asparagus until the spears are browned in spots and are just tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Transfer the asparagus to a platter and drizzle with the lemond juice to taste. Serve at once or try the following variations:

with Shaved Parmesan

Drizzle the hot roasted aparaa=gus with lemon juice as directed, then, using a cheese shaver or paring knife shave -2 oz of Parmesan, Romano or dry Jack cheese over the asparagus.

with Pesto

Omit the lemon juice. Toss the hot roasted asparagus with 1-2 tbsp pesto or to taste.  Serve at once.

with Hollandaise

Drizzle the hot roasted asparagus with lemon juice as directed,then serve it with hollandaise sauce.

Recipe: Strawberry Onion Salad

From allrecipes.com:

Strawberry Onion Salad

SUBMITTED BY: Chuck Iannuzzi

"Strawberries on a bed of red leaf lettuce, garnished with red onions for a stunning color combination. An unusual sounding recipe that turns people off until they taste it, then they love it."

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
1 red onion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, red wine vinegar, sugar, milk and poppy seeds. Set aside.
   
2. Divide the lettuce into 6 individual salad bowls. Sprinkle strawberries over the lettuce, and garnish with onion slices. Pour dressing over salads just before serving.
   

Cauliflower Leek Soup

This is an excellent recipe for a creamy and rich soup that has the added benefit of being low-cal and low-carb!  Leeks have a wonderfully complex flavor and I recommend them in many recipes where you could use onions.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons butter
  
• 3 leeks, cut into 1 inch pieces
  
• 1 large head cauliflower, chopped
  
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 8 cups vegetable broth
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 1 cup heavy cream (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.
   
2. Remove the soup from heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or hand mixer. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the heavy cream, and continue blending until smooth.
   

...from allrecipes.com

Recipe: Pot au feu

Pot au feu sounds so much better than "stew", doesn't it? It should, because pot au feu resembles ordinary stew like a fine French wine looks like Boone's Farm. They both have the same basic shape and belong to the same family, but the resemblance ends there. In any case, the pot of fire is a wonderful choice in bitter weather and tough times. It's 'stick to your ribs' food combined with a velvety texture that is hard to beat.

Ingredients
2 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
1 onion
1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley and bay leaf tied together with a string) [I just added the thyme and parsley]
1 pound pork spareribs
3 fresh sausages
6 Brussels sprouts, halved
6 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
6 small potatoes
1 celery root, peeled and chopped
3 leeks, sliced into thick rings [you could substitute additional onions]
Horseradish or sharp mustard
Pickles

Steps
1. Simmer: settle pork shoulder in a medium pot. Pour in cold water to cover. Boil and skim off foam. Add onion and bouquet garni. Reduce heat; simmer tender 2 1/2 hours.
2. Stew: Add ribs and sausage and continue to cook, 20 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and cook until tender, 25 minutes.
3. Sizzle: Pull out ribs and transfer to a broiler pan. Slide under hot broiler until tops turn crisp, 2 minutes.
4. Serve: Discard bouquet. Pull out shoulder and sausage and carve into big chunks; arrange on a platter. Arrange ribs and vegetables alongside. Service with horseradish and pickles.

Recipe: Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's fast, not too complicated, tasty and fun! Because you can reuse the spaghetti squash shells as part of the presentation, it's also very visually appealing. 

NB: this recipe calls for ground veal, but you can easily substitute ground round, ground chuck or any other type of ground meat.

Ingredients:
1 small spaghetti squash, about 1-1/2 lbs
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cut red pepper, diced
1 garlic clove
8 oz. ground veal
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
dash salt & pepper (to taste)
2 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Cut squash, removing flesh and separating into strands. Set aside.
2. In skillet, heat oil, add onion, red pepper, garlic and ground meat. Saute until mixture is golden and meat isn't pink. Add tomatoes, seasonings and reserved squash pulp; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Spoon half of mixture into a shell.
3. Place halves in baking dish and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on each one, then broil until melted and browned. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Video: More Fun With Minestrone!

Recipe: 30 Minute Minestrone

Minestrone is, along with pasta, one of the cornerstones of Italian cooking. There is no single recipe for minestrone (in Italian, "the big soup") because it is made with whatever vegetables you happen to have lying around. This makes it a wonderfully versatile and fast dish if you, like me, love to entertain on short notice!

This recipe is taken from allrecipes.com, but you'll be able to play around and customize this delightful dish to your particular taste and circumstance.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian stewed or diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cubes beef bouillon
1 cup torn fresh spinach
2/3 cup cooked elbow macaroni
1/4 teaspoon pepper


DIRECTIONS
In a 3-qt. saucepan, saute carrots, cabbage, celery, onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add water, tomatoes and bouillon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in spinach, macaroni and pepper; heat through.

Cabbage and Hamburger Bake

This recipe is a great way to take advantage of that leftover head of cabbage (or the one on sale for $.19/lb in the grocery store). It's quick, easy and doesn't scream 'I'm cabbage'. In fact, with the Swiss cheese and caraway seed this recipe chimes with the faint taste of a Reuben. Thousand Island dressing would certainly work as an optional topper.

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped cabbage, steamed
1 lb hamburger, browned
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz Swiss cheese
1 tbsp onion
1/4 tsp caraway seed

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Heat the milk and add swiss cheese and spices.
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Layer browned hamburger and steamed cabbage in casserole dish. Pour sauce over top.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cabbage Soup

SERVING SIZE
6

INGREDIENTS
6 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth (for really local flavor, make your own)
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup barley
2 cups diced ham
1 tablespoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chicken broth, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, cabbage, barley, ham and parsley in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Home Made Chicken Broth

SERVING SIZE:
Yields about 6 cups.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Whole chicken (small) or 1 bone-in chicken breast (large)
3 Cloves of Garlic, or to taste
2 Carrots, chopped into 3" pieces
1 Onion, coarsely chopped
2 Stalks of Celery chopped into 3" pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut off excess fat and skin from chicken, being sure to leave some skin for flavor. Place the chicken in a pot and add 2 quarts water.
2. Bring pot to boil, skim of foam (it's clarified chicken fat)
3. Reduce heat, add remaining ingredients and gently simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain.

Recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash

Hello dear readers. Local Food has a new feature! Starting today I will be posting a season-appropriate recipe each Thursday. This is a tough time of year for local eaters, but you might have a few winter squash left from harvest or your local market. In that spirit, here is a simple but delicious recipe for roasted squash!

SERVINGS
4

INGREDIENTS
2 medium acorn squash
3 tablespoons butter
2 small onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cut the squashes in half length-wise and remove the seeds and membranes. Roast them, cut side up, on a baking sheet for 50 minutes or until flesh is tender. Reserve warm.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the onions until they begin to caramelize at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, coriander, and nutmeg and cook until the garlic is tender. Season with salt and pepper and fill the squash halves with the mixture. Serve warm