Grilled Asparagus: Simple is good

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










See that wasted space on your grill, next to the burgers? That's where your asparagus goes. Put these babies on when the burgers are half done, and everything will be ready at the same time.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time: 5-8 minutes
Serves:  2-4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 1 1/2 lbs), rinsed, woody section of the stem snapped off.
3 TB Olive Oil
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your grill.  Place your asparagus spears in a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil, and turn to coat.   Arrange the asparagus in a single layer across the grill (so no precious spears are lost into the flame). Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. (Grill heat varies widely so watch your asparagus closely).  Place spears on a serving platter and drizzle with any remaining oil from the baking dish.  Season  to taste with salt.

Yum.

Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Sandwiches

A decadent way to serve asparagus.  This simple cheese sauce is also perfect for homemade mac and cheese (at its heart, this is bechamel).  

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS

Sliced bread, your favorite

For the cheese sauce
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons whole wheat (or white) flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded asiago, provolone, or cheddar (or a mix).

For the asparagus
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off.

 DIRECTIONS
Heat the milk in a small saucepan, or in the microwave, so that it is hot but not boiling.   While milk is heating, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the flour.  Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Slowly stir in the milk, stirring.  Cook for a minute or two, then stir in the shredded cheese, salt, and pepper.  Stir for another 2 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

Toast the bread.  While bread is toasting, heat the olive oil in a saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat and cook the asparagus for 4 minutes, turning once or twice, or until the asparagus is tender crisp.  Remove asparagus from pan.

Set out toasted bread on serving plates.  Top one slice with a layer of cheese sauce, and nestle asparagus spears into the cheese.  Top with the remaining piece of toast, and serve.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Herbed Asparagus Parmesan Omelet

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick












A fluffy omelet filled with tender crisp asparagus and savory Parmesan.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  5-8 minutes
Yield: 2-3 omelets (depending on the size you like)

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12-15 asparagus tips, each about 4-5"
8-10 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in your omelet pan or skillet over medium-low heat and cook the asparagus for 3 minutes, turning once or twice.  Add the sage, stir, and cook for another minute, or until the asparagus is tender crisp.  Remove asparagus from pan.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in 2-3 tablespoons cold water.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil the the pan.  Pour in about 1/2 (or 1/3, if you want to make 3 omelets) of  the egg mixture, and allow to cook for a minute or two, or until the eggs are mostly solid, loosening the eggs around the edges with your spatula.  Arrange half (or 1/3) of the asparagus on one side of the omelet, and sprinkle with Parmesan and chives.  Using a spatula, gently fold the opposing side over this filling.  Slide or lift your omelet onto a serving plate, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tips:  Omelets take a little practice, but remember that the world will not beak if your omelet does.  It will be delicious, and then you'll be compelled to keep practicing, which just makes victory all the sweeter when one day you reach the Holy Grail - a perfect omelet.  An omelet pan has low, curved sides, and are often nonstick, two features that enable sliding an omelet onto your plate.  If you're using a regular skillet, it's probably better to simply lift the omelet out with your spatula.

Asparagus & Broccoli Soup

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










I have heard hearty soups like this called "peasant food".  I can't think of higher praise, because to me the term embraces simplicity, flavor, and creativity with ingredients.  A meal in a bowl like this is perfect for a cool spring night, and makes terrific use of tender broccoli stems.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  4+

INGREDIENTS
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups tender broccoli stems, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups asparagus, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked potatoes, coarsely chopped
2-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Toasted almonds to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat, and cook the broccoli stems, the onions, and the red pepper for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add  the asparagus and cook for another three minutes, stirring, or until the broccoli and asparagus are tender-crisp.

Add the potatoes, the chicken stock, the pepper, and the salt.  Process with an immersion blender (or in batches in a countertop blender) until smooth and thick.  Heat in the stock pot to a simmer, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Distribute to serving bowls, garnishing with toasted almonds and a grind of black pepper.

Tip:  Use only tender broccoli stems.  A simple way to test them is to try a stem raw, or cut it with a paring knife.  If it's crunchy, use it.  If it's woody, or hard to cut with a knife, banish it to the compost.

Tip:  This soup is a terrific destination for leftover cooked broccoli or asparagus.  Feel free to vary the proportions of these key green ingredients.  All asparagus?  Great.  All Broccoli? Yum.

Asparagus & Herb Quiche

Photo & Recipe by Tod Dimmick












This indulgent quiche is a great destination for leftover cooked asparagus.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner - this is good anytime.

Prep time:     20 minutes

Cook time:    30 minutes

Yield:            1 quiche

INGREDIENTS for the crust
1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

6TB unsalted butter, cold

½ tsp. Salt

1/3 Cup Cold Water

INGREDIENTS for the Quiche

4 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup cooked asparagus, diced
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
3 TB minced scallions
3 TB minced fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
 

DIRECTIONS

First, make the crust. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour, along with the salt.  Mix to a grainy consistency.  Slowly pulse in the cup cold water to create a soft crumbly dough.  Scrape the dough onto a floured countertop and roll out to about 14" across and 1/8 inch thick.  Carefully transfer dough to a pie plate.  Some people like to roll out their crust onto wax or parchment paper at this stage to facilitate flipping.  Press dough gently into the corners, and crimp the edges of the dough around the rim of the plate, if necessary cutting off any really big edges.
 

Preheat your oven to 375.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then the sour cream, cream, and milk.  Stir in the asparagus, tomato pieces, scallions, dill, salt and pepper.  Pour this mixture into your pie shell.  Bake for 25 minutes or until center is set (insert a toothpick or cake tester, if it comes out clean, you're ready to go).

Grilled Asparagus with Dandelion Butter

Photo and recipe:  Tod Dimmick

This rich, pungent butter offers a tasty counterpoint to Asparagus' assertive flavors.  If any dish can taste "green", this would be it.
Note:  Use only dandelions grown without pesticides.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4 as a side dish




INGREDIENTS
1 lb asparagus, cleaned
3 TB olive oil
Salt to taste
1 to 2 cups chopped fresh young dandelion leaves
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
3 TB butter
1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TB olive oil
about 2 TB olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your grill.  Toss the asparagus with the olive oil.  A large plastic container with a lid, or a large plastic bag, is perfect for this.  Sprinkle asparagus spears with salt, and arrange perpendicular to the grill bars.  Grill for 5-7 minutes, turning once, or until spears are tender crisp.  Arrange on a platter and cover to keep warm.

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat.  Using a food processor equipped with a cutting blade, process the dandelion leaves, almonds, salt, and pepper to a chunky consistency, adding the olive oil in a thin stream to facilitate processing.  Scrape this mixture into the skillet and cook for a minute, stirring. Distribute asparagus to serving plates, and divide the dandelion butter over each serving.

Salad with Spring Greens

At the beginning of the growing season, my vegetable dishes increasingly include local, seasonal goodies. The objective is everything both seasonal AND local, and we'll get there soon. This simple salad uses the last of the local apples from winter storage, lettuce, dried cranberries, asparagus (blanched), and chives from the garden.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Spring Chicken

How about a free range chicken seasoned with herbs, stuffed with vegetables, and gently cooked in a medium oven for several hours? When you get back home from your meeting, or the soccer practice, this juicy beauty will be waiting. Add some fresh bread, and a glass of good Merlot, and this spring chicken provides an elegant meal any day of the week.

Don't forget to save the leftovers for chicken stock!

Submitted by Tod Dimmick

Asparagus-Parmesan Quiche

Can something taste "green"? Here's one dish that does! Cook it in a water bath for a creamy, custard-like texture, or straight in the oven for a more conventional quiche . Either way it's a "yum".

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

2 TB olive oil
1 pound fresh asparagus, cleaned, woody section of the stem snapped off, and sliced into 2-inch sections
4 eggs
½ cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/3 cup low fat sour cream
½ cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup skim milk
1 TB minced fresh herbs (In spring, sage, parsley & chives are perfect)
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Dash pepper sauce (optional)
Salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 350F. Place a large baking pan with 1“ of water in the oven. This pan should be large enough to hold your pie plate in the water bath. Lightly spray a pie plate with canola oil.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the asparagus until tender, about 5 minutes. While asparagus is cooking, whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the sour cream and cottage cheese. Mix in the mozzarella, Parmesan, milk, oregano, pepper, crushed red pepper, and salt.

When the asparagus is done, stir it in to the egg mixture, and scrape the mixture into the pie plate. Gently settle pie plate into the water bath in the oven, and cook for 20 minutes. At this point, test to make sure the quiche has set (the middle will be just firm). If it is still liquid, give it another 3-5 minutes, or until done. Remove quiche from the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

If it’s breakfast, toasted sourdough bread and black coffee are perfect alongside. If it’s for lunch or dinner, swap that coffee for a glass of dry rose.

Alternate cooking method: This can be cooked in the oven without the water bath – it will brown more, and cook more quickly. To do this, omit the water bath and test for doneness after 15 minutes instead of 20. Options: Quiche is the quintessential flexible dish. Add diced ham, prosciutto, or bacon. Caramelized onions and/or chives. Diced red peppers. You name it!

Submitted by Tod Dimmick