Asparagus and Rhubarb Salad

When spring finally arrives in Southwestern Ontario, the first vegetables seem to hold so much promise.  If you grow rhubarb it is a beautiful and slightly mysterious looking thing that emerges, unfurling from the ground.  Asparagus is stranger still, coming out simply as odd individual spears working their way skyward. 
These perennials are wonderful vegetables but they often seem to get stuck in the same roles; asparagus gets roasted or fried and is served as a side, while the rhubarb gets thrown in desserts and baked goods, never being allowed to truly stand out by itself.
This dish gives both vegetables a chance to be part of a main course in the form of a very hearty salad.  With the addition of spring greens, lentils, and bacon there are lots of flavours at play, but the asparagus and rhubarb are both in the forefront, with the rhubarb giving a wonderful tangy zing and the asparagus a hearty crunch.
This is a very Bailey’s friendly dish, enjoy!  The recipe was inspired by Green Kitchen Stories’ Maple Tossed Rhubarb & Puy Salad

Rhubarb and Asparagus Salad

Salad
1 cup lentils
2 cups water
½ tsp. salt
1 bunch asparagus, chopped in 1 inch pieces
3 stalks rhubarb, sliced thinly
½ lb spinach, chopped
Handful young kale leaves, chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
½ lb bacon, fried and chopped
½ cup of your favourite local cheese for salads – goat cheese, feta, etc.

Dressing
3 tbsp. oil (sunflower, soy, canola, or other local options)
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp. maple syrup
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Cook the lentils by bringing them to a boil with 2 cups of water.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until they are soft.  Drain any remaining liquid and add the salt.
Meanwhile fry the bacon and save the grease to add to the greens (optional, but very tasty).  Steam the chopped asparagus using a steamer or a covered pan or pot with a bit of water.  Steam the asparagus until it is bright green but still crunchy.  Remove them from the steamer or pan and allow them to cool and dry on a plate.  Chop the greens, tomatoes, and herbs.  Make the dressing and then toss all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl.  Serve with some hearty rustic bread and butter, or with rice. 


©2015 The Local Kitchener

Even More Asparagus

You’ve already eaten a lot of asparagus, but you don’t want to stop

Since asparagus is still in season, and still super delicious you might need another idea of something else to do with it.  Why not put it on pizza?  Strangely the first place I ever had asparagus on a pizza was in Honduras.  I don’t think asparagus is grown there so I’m not sure what inspired La Albahaca (“The Basil,” my favourite pizzeria in Tegucigalpa) to put canned asparagus on a pizza but I always ordered it, both because it was tasty and I never ate asparagus there otherwise.  So now I put asparagus on my pizza whenever I have it.  It works with frozen asparagus but is best with fresh asparagus (isn’t that true of all vegetables?). 

Asparagus Pizza, with Potatoes and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

·        ½ lb (250g) mushrooms, sliced

·        1-2 tbsp. butter

·        1 tbsp. maple syrup

·        1 small potato, sliced in ¼ inch rounds

·        4-5 asparagus spears, chopped

·        ½ - ¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese

·        ½ - ¾ cup pizza sauce (we just use leftover spaghetti sauce)

·        pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 400^◦F.  Heat a pan over medium-high heat and fry the sliced mushrooms with the butter and maple syrup until they are greatly reduced in size and nicely caramelized, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile place the potato slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, then flip and roast another 10 minutes and remove.  Steam or boil the asparagus for 3-4 minutes.

Increase the oven heat to 500^◦F.  Stretch the pizza dough, top with sauce and cheese, then follow with the roasted potatoes and caramelized mushrooms, and finally the asparagus.  Bake the pizza until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.  Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Need another asparagus pizza idea, try this one that we made last year and also featured rhubarb!

Jon Spee is a Bailey’s member who can be a bit obsessive about local food.  To make sure he doesn’t talk about it too much he writes about it instead at The Local Kitchener.

So Much Asparagus

So you bought a ton of asparagus, now what?

Asparagus season is a great time of year.  Partly because asparagus is the first real vegetable of spring, but also because it’s just such a tasty vegetable.  If you’re anything like me you might find yourself buying it multiple times in a week while it’s in season because of the fear that it will soon be gone.  However, if you just end up cooking it and throwing a little butter on it every night you might be missing out on some other delicious opportunities.  And what if you don’t save any of it for later in the year?  You don’t want to end up eating asparagus from Chile… or maybe you do, but I don’t.  So be sure to freeze some of it. 

Have it with eggs

One of our family’s favourite things to do with asparagus is making it the main course of our meal by pairing it up with some eggs.  A fancy way to do this is to make an asparagus and mushroom quiche.  A simpler variation of the quiche is to make a frittata.  But the simplest method is to cook up some asparagus then top it with some fried eggs!  It’s easy, it’s tasty, and makes a grain light main dish.

Asparagus with Fried Eggs and Parmesan

Serves 4

Ingredients:

·        ½ - 1 lb asparagus, washed (and ends snapped off if tough)

·        4-6 eggs

·        1-2 tbsp. butter (or olive oil)

·        salt and pepper

·        grated parmesan cheese

Heat a pan over medium heat with about a half inch of water in it.  Add the asparagus, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Pour off the water, add the butter (or a bit of olive oil), a dash of salt and pepper and fry for a couple minutes, then remove from heat.

While the asparagus is cooking fry up the eggs without breaking the yolks.  Cover the eggs to help them cook since you won’t be flipping them.

Serve the asparagus topped with the eggs and sprinkle with the grated parmesan cheese (or other hard cheese) and a bit more freshly ground pepper.  Accompany the meal with some nice crusty bread and a simple Caesar salad, it’s like eating spring!

Simple Spring Greens Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

·        Assorted spring greens (lettuce, spinach, chard, beet greens, dandelion greens, pea shoots, etc.)

·        ¼ cup olive oil (or local oil)

·        2 tbsp. cider vinegar

·        2 tbsp. mayonnaise

·        1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

·        1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)

·        salt and pepper

·        grated parmesan cheese

Rinse and dry the greens, then chop them coarsely.  Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a small jar and shaking. Toss the greens and dressing, top with parmesan and serve.

Tons of Asparagus Variation: If you have so much asparagus you don’t know what to do with it cook up a bit more by blanching it (cook it in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, then cool it in ice water) and add it to the Caesar!

Last Year’s and This Year’s Veggies!

This is an amazing time of year, when the full promise of the growing season is before us.  And yet there are things left to eat from last year!  So why not make a meal that celebrates last season and this new season?

Beets, potatoes, and many other storage vegetables are still in good supply having lasted through the winter.  But maybe they’ve lost their appeal (and grown thicker peels) after a long winter and many meals.  Here are two ideas from the new Oh She Glows Cookbook* that might help these vegetables make one more lap around your table.  And what about the new fresh vegetable?  Make an easy side of fresh asparagus, by lightly steaming it and then briefly frying it with a bit of butter and salt.

The whole meal is: fresh asparagus, Roasted Beet Salad, and Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps.

Beet Salad (Adapted from the Oh She Glows Cookbook)

4-5 medium beets

½ cup walnuts or other local nuts

4 tbsp. Balsamic Reduction

1 tbsp. oil

6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, minced

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Place the beets in a covered ovenproof bowl, like Corningware.  Roast for 45-90 minutes, it really depends on the size of the beets, “until a fork slides easily into the largest beet.”  Let the beets cool until they can be handled, then rub them under cold water until their thick skins fall off. 

Slice the beets as thinly as possible.  Toss the beets with the balsamic reduction, oil, thyme, and nuts.  Alternatively, arrange them on a plate and drizzle with the vinegar and oil, topping with the nuts and thyme. 

Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps (Adapted from Oh She Glows Cookbook)

Potato Crisps:

1-2 large potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds

1 tbsp. oil

Salt and Pepper

Walnut Taco Topping:

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1 tbsp. oil

1 ½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Additional toppings:

Sour Cream or thick yogurt

Salsa

2-3 green onions, sliced

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking mat.  Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss by hand until the oil is evenly distributed.  Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, with none touching.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden, bubbly, and tender. 

While the potatoes are roasting prepare the Walnut Taco Topping: In a food processor, mix together the walnuts, oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, processing until they form a fine crumble. 

When the potato crisps are cool enough to handle arrange them on a plate (or leave them on the baking sheet) and top with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, followed by the walnut mixture, salsa, green onions, and pepper.  Serve warm. 

*Oh She Glows is a vegan food blog written by Angela Liddon of Oakville, ON, that focuses on meat and dairy-free foods that appeal to all eaters.  Angela’s meals are often also free of gluten, soy, and processed foods, so put a hold on the book from WPL or get it on Amazon. Even if you’re not at all interested in vegan eating, the meals are worth trying for their abundant and delicious use of seasonal vegetables!