Gettin' By and Makin' Do

Some of us grew up in an era where you made do with what you had. You went without until you could afford it. You used it up and you wore it out! And it is that vein, that I am writing this blog.

In my refrigerator, I found an "empty" bottle of Dijon mustard. "Empty", meaning you can't get it all  without the addition of liquid. Enter vinegar, in this case, red wine vinegar.

I actually got the idea for using mustard in a salad dressing from the French. And you know, they got that food thing going on. The French often add mustard to salad dressings. If you to make something else with mustard, check out Serious Eats.

This is simple and it's a no recipe, recipe. Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to the mustard. Put the top on and shake it up. A kid will come in handy for this part. Once it's mixed, add a little olive oil, one or two tablespoons should do it. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can also dress this up with parsley, chives, shallots, or not. You decide.  It's okay to store this in the refrigerator for a few days. Allow to come to room temperature before using.

I used my dressing on boiled potatoes. But don't be limited to potatoes, use green beans, green salad, asparagus. It would even be good a broiled salmon. Give it a try and you will never toss an "empty" mustard jar again.

The Hawley Hamlet

Last fall I had the pleasure of visiting The Hawley Hamlet.  The Hawley Hamlet is a group of about 26 neighbors who decided to grow some of their own food.  It was an amazing evening.  I spent most of the evening in awe of the entire process.  There were sweet potatoes, large sweet potatoes.  There was butternut squash growing on tomato cages.  Hope for those with less space for gardening.  There was kale, strawberries, and of course, tomatoes.  You name it they seem to be growing it.

 

The 'instigator' of the project, Tim Rinne, has a goal to have at least one food from the garden on his plate 365 days per year.  Yes, I was amazed by all the food these neighbors are growing.  But what blew my mind away was level of community engagement.  One person started it, but others embraced the idea.  Even city government loves this project.  I just imagine all these people getting to know each other.  Imagine, a neighborhood where people talk to each other - face-to-face.  Reminds me of Mayberry and a simpler time.

If you want to know more about Tim Rinne and The Hawley Hamlet, check out the April edition of Mother Earth News.  If you want to start a garden, check with your local county extension office.  They will usually have a master gardener's program.  Local nurseries are also good sources of information.  After all, they want to sell gardening supplies.  If you are a little intimidated by the idea of gardening, start small.  Container and herb gardening are great ways to get started with gardening.

It's almost spring - I'm talking temperature, not the calendar.  I thought a recipe of asparagus, lettuce and lemon would be a good way to start off the gardening year.  To Hawley Hamlet, thanks for showing the rest of us the way.  I hope your project spreads all over the city. And Happy Gardening!


Roasted Asparagus and Spring Greens
with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
½ cup shallots, finely minced
¼ cup lemon juice, preferably fresh
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
6 cups baby spring greens
6 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.  Place asparagus on a large-rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil.  Roast until crisp-tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
3.  Dressing. In a small bowl, whisk shallots, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, salt and remaining two tablespoons of olive oil until thoroughly blended.
4.  Toss greens with about one-half of dressing.  Place greens on a serving platter.  Top with asparagus spears.  Top asparagus with more dressing and cheese.

Asparagus - A Sign of Spring

I'm not sure that seeing asparagus in the grocery store is a true sign of spring.  Since now, I seem to see it all year round.  For me, seeing fresh asparagus means that spring is not far away. 

Since Easter is coming up in a couple of days, I thought this asparagus recipe would be great for a nice dinner.  This is a recipe I made several years ago.  It was originally published in Cooking Light magazine.  A colleague made it and declared that her family gobbled them straight off the baking sheet.  What more can you say about a vegetable!

For more information on selecting, storing and the nutritional value of asparagus check out the Fruit and Vegetables More Matters website.  Also check out the Local Foods/Seasonal Eating section of UNL-Extension Food Website.  You will find more recipes for asparagus and other seasonal produce.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper, optional

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F. 

 

2.  Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Coat with olive oil.  Rub asparagus to coat with olive oil.  Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until tender.

3.  Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan continually.  Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.  Pour over asparagu, tossing to coat.  Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the first signs of the arrival of spring. The name asparagus comes from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot” and is a member of the lily family. It is a perennial garden vegetable, native to the East Mediterranean area, cultivated from antiquity and now grown in much of the world. The stems function as a leaves and the leaves are reduced to scales. Asparagus is harvested when the spears are about nine inches long with compact, tight heads.

Asparagus is offered in the traditional green color as well as the purple and white spears. There are thick and thin spear varieties. All provide health benefits. Asparagus is high in folic acid and an excellent source of fiber. It also provides vitamins B6, A and C as well as thiamin.

When grown without exposure to light, asparagus lacks the pigment chlorophyll. Purple asparagus contains anthocyanins, a group of phytochemicals that supply plants with a blue-purple color. Some scientific studies show that anthocyanins act as antioxidants and may provide cancer-protective benefits. Anthocyanins are somewhat heat sensitive; therefore, the color will fade when cooked.

Asparagus has been prized by foodies since ancient Rome. Ancient Romans considered asparagus to be a delicacy and valued it for its ease of preparation. The story goes that when Romans used the phrase “as quick as cooking asparagus”, they wanted something done speedily. That same thought still goes for preparing asparagus. It is important not to overcook asparagus. The thickness of the spear determines the cooking time. Cook asparagus until a knife can just be inserted into the thickest part of the spear.

When choosing asparagus, choose purple-green and tightly closed spears. If you must store asparagus, treat it as you would treat a cut flower. Trim the stems and stand them in a glass with one to two inches of water. Cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days or until ready to use.

There are endless possibilities for preparing asparagus. I prefer to keep mine simple. Now my favorite is roasted asparagus with balsamic browned butter sauce. It appeared several years ago in Cooking Light magazine. Some of their readers rate it as the best asparagus recipe ever. Now how is that for an endorsement? And, everyone I give this recipe to loves it. Check it out at http://bit.ly/WWopE

Also try this recipe for asparagus with lemon butter.

Asparagus with Lemon Butter

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus
2 Tablespoons butter
1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, depending on your taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Peel or break off the tough lower ends of stems. Cook asparagus in a wide 6 to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Drain well in a colander, return to pot and toss with butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Note: I usually cook asparagus in a large skillet. I find that with a skillet it is easier to get all the asparagus submerged.