Steak and Asparagus Scramble with Feta

I waited too long to post this, and asparagus season is over unless you froze some. Oh well, come back to it next year... This is a great vehicle for leftovers. If you don't have leftover cooked asparagus, give it a quick steam or blanch.

1-2 Tbsp butter
8 eggs, beaten
1-2 cups diced cooked asparagus
102 cups diced cooked steak
2-3 ounces crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Mix the eggs with the asparagus, steak, and feta. Add to the skillet and cook over low-medium heat, scrambling the eggs, until the eggs set up. Serve hot with salt and pepper. A nice salad and a loaf of fresh bread wouldn't go amiss.

Serves 4-5.

Spring Garlic Butter

Spring garlic, aka green garlic, is what you get when you harvest garlic plants early, before the cloves and bulbs form. It's milder than its mature cousin, and tender enough to use a good portion of the stalk. Some people even use the leaves. Here I've used it for a spring version of classic garlic butter. Super simple, dangerously delicious, excellent over asparagus (or mixed grilled veggies, or steak, or...) Use melted, or let the butter firm up again and use it solid.

2 stalks green garlic, minced
3 Tbsp butter

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the minced green garlic and let it cook briefly in the butter, then remove from heat.

Garlic Roasted Asparagus and Shiitakes

Save this for when it cools down enough to run the oven for a few minutes. Or try it on the grill in a grill basket.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs asparagus, in 2-inch lengths
1/2 lb shiitakes, stemmed and halved if large
6-8 cloves garlic or 1-2 stalks green spring garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss asparagus, shiitakes, and garlic in a mixing bowl with a drizzle of olive oil.Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until veggies are done the way you like them.

Serves about 4.

Asparagus Pizza with Salami and Feta

If you slice it thin or use slender stalks, you can put raw asparagus on a pizza and it will come out of the oven done to perfection. Here it is nicely counterpointed by the rich saltiness of feta and salami. (Feel free to skip the salami for a still delicious vegetarian version.)

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 lb asparagus, slice in 1/8-1/4-inch rounds
2 stalks green garlic, thinly sliced (including greens)
2 ounces diced salami
2 ounces crumbled feta
2 ounces shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the tomato sauce over the crust. Distribute the asparagus, green garlic, salami, and feta over the crust, then top with mozzarella.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Spinach and Edam Quiche

It's springtime (even if the weather thinks it might be summer), and that means greens and eggs are plentiful. If you like, you could substitute shredded or sliced asparagus for the spinach in this recipe - just steam it lightly first. And if Edam doesn't suit you, swap in goat cheese or Swiss instead. I used Chase Hill Farm's Dutch Gold cheese, which is much like an Edam.

5 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cream or milk (or a combination)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb spinach, washed and stemmed
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell, prepared in the pan
Olive oil
2 ounces Edam, sliced or shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the eggs and cream or milk in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly steam the spinach (I do this in a covered bowl for 1 minute in the microwave). Pour of excess liquid and chop finely.

Lightly oil the bottom of the pastry shell. Spread the cheese over the the bottom, then the spinach. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and spinach. Swirl around gently to mix the ingredients.

Carefully transfer the quiche to the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Serves about 4.

Asparagus Feta Pizza

Slice the asparagus fairly thin and it will come out of the oven just right - tender but still with a little crunch.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4-6 ounces asparagus, thinly sliced into rounds or on the diagonal
4 ounces crumbled feta
1/2 tsp dried dill or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces shredded mozzarella (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the tomato sauce over the crust, then add the asparagus and feta distributed over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with dill, then salt and pepper. If desired, top with a scattering of mozzarella.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Grilled Asparagus with Chipotle Butter

Not that fresh grilled asparagus really needs any embellishment, but this is delicious. Chipotle peppers and asparagus make an excellent, if perhaps unexpected, pairing. (If you like this, you should also try my Chipotle Roasted Asparagus and Chipotle Asparagus Scramble.)  Conveniently, it takes just about exactly as long to grill asparagus (unless you have very skinny spears) as it does to grill a good steak to medium rare. Also conveniently, this chipotle butter is great on steak, too.

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and very finely minced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 lb asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
Canola oil
Salt and pepper

To make the chipotle butter, combine the minced chipotle with the melted butter and mix well. Set aside. You may need to remelt it just before serving, or slather it on the asparagus in a semi-soft state.

Prepare the asparagus for grilled by brushing or spraying it lightly all over with canola oil, then sprinkling with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for about 6-10 minutes (depending on how fat the spears are and exactly how hot your fire is), turning once or twice.  You want them a bit charred but not blackened.

Serve the asparagus drizzled with chipotle butter, or pass the butter at the table. Chipotles do pack some considerable heat, so start with a little and taste it before adding more.

Serves 3-4, unless you're feeding serious asparagus lovers.

Asparagus and White Bean Salad

Quickly blanched asparagus and white beans complement each other in texture and flavor.  Feel free to jazz this up with some chopped fresh herbs, too, if you like (try basil or dill). I got the idea of combining blanched asparagus and white beans in a salad from the New York Times, but the seasonings are my own.

1/4 lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off
Ice water
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked white beans
2-3 Tbsp minced red onion
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, or more to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the asparagus thinly on the diagonal.  Have a medium bowl of ice water ready.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  Salt, then add the asparagus and blanch for 1 minute.  Drain the asparagus immediately and put it in the bowl of ice water to cool it and stop the cooking.  Drain again once cool.

Combine the blanched asparagus with all other ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.  Serve cold or room temperature.

Serves about 4.

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.

Chipotle Roasted Asparagus

Spicy, smoky, sweet, and asparagus-y.  Easy and really good!  This is not super spicy - you can crank up the heat some more if you like by adding another chipotle or two.

This would also work on the grill.

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely minced (seeded if desired)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the minced chipotle, brown sugar, and olive oil in a small bowl or jar and mix well.  Place the asparagus in a bowl and pour the chipotle mixture over it, then toss until thoroughly coated.

Place the asparagus in a roasting pan in a single layer.  Roast for 12-15 minutes, until tender.

Serves 4 (less if you really love asparagus).

Ingredients to Pair With Asparagus

Now that it's June, the novelty of the early season has worn off - and if you have a patch of your own you've been eating it almost daily for long enough that you're getting desperate for new ideas.  There are many recipes in the archives here, but I thought I've give some more general ideas, too.  Asparagus is a versatile vegetable.  Trying pairing it with:

1. Pork: chorizo, bacon, ham, proscuitto...
2. Eggs: in frittatas, scrambles, quiches, topped with fried eggs...
3. Cheese: goat cheese, feta, cheddar, Parmesan...
4. Mushrooms: especially flavorful wild mushrooms

And with many different types of seasonings:

1. Garlic: always good, whether roasted, grilled, sauteed...
2. Mustard: try a mustard-shallot marinade or sauce
3. Asian flavors: soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger...try these as marinades or sauces, or toss it right into a stir fry
4. Curry: Indian or Thai, it works well in both
5. Herbs: basil, tarragon, dill

Asparagus Bacon Frittata

Our kitchen is functional again!  (Beautiful, too.)  To celebrate having plumbing and a working stove again, I cooked.

This recipe works best if you have two skillets available.  You'll want a clean 10-inch oven-proof one to cook the frittata in; you can saute the other ingredients in another.

4-5 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cups sliced asparagus (in rounds)
Salt and pepper
6 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the bacon in a large skillet, then drain on paper towels.  Pour off most of the bacon fat, then add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add the asparagus and continue to saute over medium heat until tender, about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the bacon and vegetables cook, combine the eggs and Parmesan in a medium bowl.  Chop the bacon once it is cool enough to handle and add to the eggs.  When the vegetables are ready, stir them in as well.

Take a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and oil it well.  Heat over medium heat, then pour in the egg mixture and level it out.  Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are partially set.  Turn on the broiler.  Finish cooking the frittata under the broiler for 3-5 minutes; check for doneness by inserting a knife into the middle.  Watch it carefully to avoid overcooking or burning.

Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Serves about 4.

Pizza with Pesto and Asparagus

Asparagus season continues. Local basil is starting to make an appearance, too; if you like, you can make fresh pesto with scapes instead of regular garlic. I'm still using the last few packets of pesto that I froze last summer, along with the tomatoes I dried at the same time.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/2 cup basil pesto
12 oz. asparagus, tough ends snapped off, sliced in rounds
1/4 cup dried tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water and diced (optional)
3-4 oz. shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza curst with olive oil, then spread it with the pesto. Spread the asparagus and dried tomatoes (if using) over the pesto, then top with mozzarella. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Variations: 1) use parsley-mint pesto or green garlic/scape pesto instead of basil. 2) skip the mozzarella and top with crumbled feta or goat cheese.

Pizza with Asparagus and Egg on Top

There's sort of a deconstructed hollandaise kind of thing going on here, with the egg and lemon zest. It's a great combination with the asparagus. I also really enjoyed the first fresh parsley of the season, from the farmers market. The hardier herbs are starting to be more available now - mint, parsley, sage, etc.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off, in 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon zest (or sprinkle lightly with lemon juice)
2-3 oz. shredded mozzarella
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Paint the crust lightly with olive oil, then spread the tomato sauce over it. Sprinkle with asparagus, parsley, and lemon zest, then the mozzarella. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Remove pizza from oven and carefully crack the eggs over the top, evenly distributed. Even more carefully, put the pizza back back in the oven and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked; the yolks should still be quite gooey.

Serves 3-4.

Creamy Asparagus Morel Sauce

Last weekend at the farmers market, Paul Lagreze had some morel mushrooms, which I have heard about but never had before. They were pricy by the pound, but they're light and, as a true wild mushroom, they are not that often seen by those of us who don't know where to find them ourselves. As I was buying them, someone asked Paul how to cook them, and he suggested sauteing in butter then making a cream sauce. Here's my take on that recommendation. Mushrooms and asparagus go together like they were made for each other. If you don't have green garlic, substitute ramps or shallots or a clove or two of mature garlic. And if you don't have morels, feel free to substitute any other flavorful mushrooms you can find.

Serve this over pasta or polenta or, if you like, over broiled chicken.

3 Tbsp butter (1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp)
1 stalk green garlic, minced
1/4 lb morels, diced
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, sliced in rounds
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk (ideally whole)

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet. When it foams, add the garlic and saute for about a minute. Add the morels and saute for another 1-2 minutes, then add the asparagus. Saute for another 3-4 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and tender but not too soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly as it forms a paste and turns light brown in color. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure to eliminate any lumps. Heat the milk until it just barely begins to simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (5-10 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the vegetables.

Makes enough to serve 4-6 over pasta or polenta.

Variations:
1. Keep the asparagus in whole stalks and steam in separately until tender-crisp. Serve the sauce over the asparagus.
2. Instead of making a roux-based white sauce with milk, just stir cream into the vegetables.

Asparagus Chorizo Pizza

Asparagus and chorizo have a real affinity for each other.

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
4 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cups sliced asparagus (1/8-1/4 inch rounds)
1/2 lb cooked chorized (sliced or crumbled)
1 shallot, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread about two-third of the mozzarella over the crust. Spread the asparagus and chorizo over the cheese, then sprinkle with minced shallot and sage. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and the cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Variation: Toss some goat cheese on top of this or, if you have it, Manchego.

Asparagus-Ramp Bread Pudding with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

After making last week's Asparagus-Shiitake Bread Pudding, I've been thinking of ways to further adapt the recipe to make it faster to assemble. Here I've cut the assembly time almost in half, to about 30 minuets (it needs another 40 minutes in the oven) and made some changes to the ingredients for a fairly different flavor profile as well. To save yourself some prep time, buy the bread 1-2 days ahead and let it dry out a little.

With ramp season coming to an end, you could take this technique and use it with the ingredients in the other recipe.

1 1-lb loaf white bread (French or Italian work well), preferably a bit stale
3 cups milk
About 10 ramps (1 bunch)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, in 1/2-inch rounds
Salt and pepper
2-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or oil two 8x8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan.

Slice the bread about 1-inch thick, then tear into chunks. Place them in a large bowl. Heat the milk to steaming, then pour over the bread and let stand.

Slice the roots off the ramps and remove any loose outer layers. Thinly slice the white part and the stems, then finely chop the leaves, keeping them separate from the whites and stems.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and the ramp whites and stems. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until the asparagus turns bright green and is slightly tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Turn the bread a bit in the bowl to make sure all of it soaks up milk. Then add in the asparagus and ramps, the chopped ramp leaves and rosemary, and the crumbled goat cheese.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with 1 tsp salt. Pour the eggs into the bowl with the bread and other ingredients and mix well so that everything is coated (trying not to turn the bread to mush while you do so).

Press the mixture into the prepared pan(s). Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden and a bit puffy.

Serve hot or warm. Serves 6-8.

Mark Bittman on Asparagus

In a recent piece in the New York Times, Mark Bittman offers a "flow chart" for preparing asparagus: roasted, steamed, poached, etc. with a variety of different flavors. Check it out for even more inspiration beyond what you find here.

Savory Asparagus-Shiitake Bread Pudding

This recipe, perfect for the chillier days of spring, is adapted from one in Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. I didn't have the mushrooms, the herbs, or the cheese that she called for, so I used what I had and it came out beautifully. I kept the method the same--be warned that, while not difficult, it is a bit elaborate. I think it could be simplified considerably, and am planning to experiment a bit with that in the coming weeks. This works well for dinner, but would also make a nice brunch centerpiece.

As the season goes on a bit, use green garlic and spring onion in place of the garlic and shallot, and vary the herbs with what's available and sounds tasty. Likewise, while I used Dutch Gold (Edam) cheese, this would work well with cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, or goat cheese.

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
3 cups milk
1 1-lb loaf white bread (Italian style is good), preferably stale
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 lb shiitakes, stemmed and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped sorrel
1/2 cup snipped chives
2 cups Dutch Gold (Edam) cheese, shredded

1. Butter two 8x8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the garlic and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let steep until ready to use.

3. Cut the bread into thick slices. If not stale, toast lightly in the oven. Break into chunks, place it in a large bowl, then strain the milk over it and let it soak.

4. Place about 1 inch of water in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and simmer about 3 minutes, until bright green. Remove from the pot and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

5. Melt the butter in skillet. Add the shallot and saute over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and saute until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

6. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the sorrel, chives, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.

7. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, egg mixture, and about two-third of the cheese to the bowl with the bread and mix thoroughly (trying not to turn the bread to mush while you do so). Spread this mixture into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until nice and golden. Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Grilled Asparagus with Green Garlic and Rosemary

It is way too early in the year to have had so many too-hot-to-cook-indoors days already. But here we are, getting a lot of use out of the grill.

Green garlic (tender young garlic that has not yet formed bulbs; you can eat the whole stalk) is in season along with asparagus, and a few weeks ago I finally replaced the rosemary plant that I killed over the winter.

1 stalk green garlic, minced (about 3-4 Tbsp)
1 - 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off

Combine the green garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread generously over the asparagus stalks.

Grill the asparagus over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender.

Serves about 4.