Sesame Ginger Grilled Asparagus

Enjoy the asparagus while you can - we've got maybe two more weeks before it's done for the season.

This recipe would work for roasting, too, but who can think about roasting when its 95 degrees in the shade?

2 Tbsp grated ginger root
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off

Combine the ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a small bowl and mix well.

Place the asparagus in a wide, shallow bowl or baking pan and drizzle with the sesame-ginger mix, then toss until thoroughly coated.

Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, until the asparagus is tender.

Serves 4.

Thai Cucumber Salad

So the cucumbers have starting coming in - with a vengeance. And when you've just picked half a dozen (or more!) at once, there's nothing like cucumber salad to use them up. There are many possible variations and flavor profiles - this is just one. (Feel free to add tomatoes if desired.)

4 cups diced cucumbers (peeled if desired)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (or other sweet onion)
1/4 cup finely chopped Thai basil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
Salt to taste
Sesame seeds (optional)

Toss all ingredients except sesame seeds in a bowl until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate if not serving right away. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds (if using) before serving.

Serves about 4.

Variations: substitute mint or cilantro for some or all of the Thai basil.

Sesame Snap Peas

A quick and easy side dish. Snap peas work beautifully with Asian flavors.

2 cups whole snap peas, stemmed
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
Sesame seeds (optional)

Toss the snap peas in a bowl with the sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce until they are well coated. If desired, top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Serve chilled or room temperature.

Serves 3-4.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Garden Vegetables

You can serve these noodles warm or room temperature, but they are really great served cold on a hot night. At this time of year, I like to make them with snap peas and shredded carrots, but you can use other vegetables if you like. Later in the summer, sweet red peppers are delicious here.

1 lb linguine or other pasta
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp minced ginger root
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2-3 tsp chili paste or sriracha sauce (or to taste)
1-2 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
1 pint snap peas, stemmed
1-2 cups shredded carrots
Chopped fresh mint, cilantro, and/or Thai basil for topping (optional)

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. When done, drain and rinse with cold water until thoroughly cooled. Toss with canola oil and refrigerate until the sauce is ready.

Combine the garlic, ginger, tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste or sriracha, and honey or sugar in the blender. Blend until smooth, adding water 1-2 Tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired consistency (it should be creamy and pourable but not runny).

Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the snap peas and carrots until everything is coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (If you make these more than a few hours in advance, the sauce may thicken more than desired; in this case, drizzle the noodles with a small amount of water and toss until the sauce regains a good consistency.)

Serve cold, topped with chopped herbs if desired.

Serves about 6.

Variations: Add chopped scallions; add or substitute diced cucumber or halved cherry tomatoes.

Sesame-Garlic Stir-Fry with Beef and Greens

Apart from asparagus, greens are about the most plentiful kind of local vegetable at this time of year. Fortunately, like asparagus, they are good in many different types of dishes - including stir-fries. I used a combination of spinach and mustard greens for this, but you can use whatever greens you like. Serve this over rice.

1 lb not-too-fancy steak (like London broil or top round)
1/4 cup soy sauce, or more to taste
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil (1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp)
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 lb greens, washed and stemmed if needed (chop or not, as desired)
1 Tbsp corn start
Salt to taste
Hot sauce (optional)

Slice the steak against the grain, about 1/4-inch thick, with slices about 2 inches long. Place it in a bowl, add 1/4 cup soy sauce, and toss to coat. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (more if you have time).

Heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a wok or very large skillet. Scoop the steak out of its bowl, leaving excess liquid behind, and cook over high heat until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of sesame oil to the wok or skillet, then add the garlic and onion. Stir fry over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, then add the greens (you may have to do this in batches). Cook the greens until wilted, then add the steak back in and remove the pan from the heat.

Mix the corn start into the soy sauce remaining from marinating the beef, then pour it into the pan. Return the pan to the heat, briefly, until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve hot, over rice. If desired, add hot sauce at the table.

Serves about 4.

Sesame-Garlic Green Bean and Pepper Stir-Fry

Frozen vegetables will never you give you that perfect tender-crisp texture you can get with fresh ones, but they still work remarkably well in many contexts, including stir-fries. This one was particularly good. Serve this over rice.

3-4 Tbsp dark sesame oil (divided)
1 lb protein of your choice (chicken, beef, tofu, tempeh...)
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 - 2 lbs green beans, in 1-inch lengths (thaw first if frozen)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips (frozen is ok)
1/4 cup soy sauce (divided)
2 tsp corn starch
Salt to taste
Sesame seeds (optional)

If using meat, heat half the sesame oil in a wok or very large skillet, then cook the meat. When it is done, remove to a plate or bowl.

Add the remaining sesame oil to the pan, then garlic and onion. Cook over med-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour a small amount of the soy sauce into the pan to deglaze, then add the green beans and pepper and stir-fry until cooked through, 3-5 minutes.

Stir the corn starch into the remaining soy sauce, then add to the pan and stir well. Let it bubble for a minute or so to thicken, then remove the pan from the heat. Taste and add salt if needed.

If desired, sprinkle some sesame seeds over the whole dish or each serving at the table.

Serves 4-6.

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Steak

Only a few steaks left from our beef share...I think we may actually find ourselves buying some more before we take delivery of our next share this fall. So easy and quick on the grill in hot weather. If you want to punch this up a bit, you can add some cayenne or Asian chili paste to the marinade.

2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger root
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 - 2 lbs steak (thawed if frozen)

Combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Pat the steak dry, then season with salt and pepper on both sides. Spread generously with the marinade mixture on all sides. Let sit for 30-60 minutes, if you have time.

Grill the steak over a hot fire, 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Serves about 4.

Sesame Mustard Slaw

This recipe, slightly adapted, comes from Didi Emmons's excellent Vegetarian Planet. Didi loves slaws and this book has a whole section of them. At a time of year when cabbage is more readily available than fresh salad greens, slaws are a welcome way to use them. This one is fantastic. For my own contributions, see the variation ideas.

6-8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 large carrot, grated
1 1/2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Combine the cabbage, onion, and carrot in a large bowl and fluff with your fingers to separate and mix all the pieces.

In a jar or small bowl, combine all other ingredients except the sesame seeds. Pour over the veggies and toss to coat. Cover the slaw and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the cabbage soften and the flavors mingle.

Just before serving, lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet. Toss with the salad and serve.

Serves about 6.

Variations: There is no need to limit this to cabbage, or even to use cabbage at all. The dressing goes well with other types of winter vegetables. Try combining shredded carrots and raisins with the dressing (sesame seeds optional). Or use apple instead of carrot in the cabbage version. Or try a combination of shredded carrot and celeriac. Yum!

Sesame-Garlic Grilled Summer Squash

A friend gave us summer squash and zucchini from her garden today. She took a gamble with an early (mid-May) planting and it has paid off in plants that are quite a bit farther along than my own. Here's a great way to use either yellow squash or zucchini.

3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium yellow squash or zucchinis

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic in a small bowl or jar.

Slice the squash lengthwise into 1/4-1/2-inch slices. For the outside slices, peel off some of the skin so the marinade will be able to soak in.

Spread the squash slices on a plate or baking sheet. With a spoon or pastry brush, generously spread the soy sauce mixture over each slice. Let sit for up to an hour.

Place the squash slices marinade side down on the grill. Spread the tops with more of the marinade. Grill over medium-high heat for five minutes, then turn over and grill for another 5-6 minutes, until tender.

Serves 2-3.

Bok Choy and Chicken Stir Fry

As I anticipated, the weekend's frost finally did in the last of the tender vegetables. But the greens are still flourishing--kale, chard, mizuna, and baby bok choy. Last night I picked a bunch of the latter and made a tasty stir fry. If you use regular bok choy, chop it roughly. If you use baby bok choy like I did, you can leave the leaves whole, which is nice aesthetically. Serve this over rice.

1 Tbsp sesame oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced or grated ginger
1 or more hot peppers, seeded and minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 large head bok choy, or several heads of baby bok choy
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp corn starch, plus enough soy sauce to make a thin paste

Heat the oil in a wok or very large skillet. Add the garlic, onion, and ginger and cook for 1 minute or so. Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked through. Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and vinegar and cook until the bok choy is wilted. Stir in the corn starch mix and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 3-4.

Variation: Substitute tofu or tempeh for the chicken. If using tofu, steam or fry it first--or marinate in soy sauce and broil for a few minutes.