A “bed” of asparagus, steamed and ready for a salad
Asparagus Tips
My son just returned from Germany recently and told of being in the country during the heart of asparagus season.
“White asparagus was featured everywhere,” he said, “in grocery stores, on restaurant menus, and at nearly every meal.”
Well, the glut of Germany asparagus must have brought the excess to our shores, because I’m seeing some good-looking spears in the produce section.
All this put me in the mood for some asparagus this past weekend. I found an American Test Kitchen salad reprinted in the Washington Post, that featured green asparagus with tortellini, tomatoes, basil and cheese. Best of all, the recipe could be made a day ahead to allow for the flavors to marry.
Trendy: Cauliflower and Toast
While searching for weekend dishes, I ran onto another vegetable of interest. It’s one I eat all too rarely: cauliflower. But it’s now become trendy–as has toast—which makes the pairing all the more popular.
This recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower Toast is the brainchild of cookbook maven Ina Garten. If you have a copy of Cook Like a Pro, it’s in there. She calls for roasting the seasoned vegetable chunks until nutty brown. Spike the cauliflower with mascarpone, Gryuere, nutmeg, and paprika and make into a spread for toast points. Finally, top with chives and seas salt and put under broiler briefly.
Cheesy Cauliflower Toasts on sourdough. Big hit!
The recipe works as a side with soup and salad or as a snack with wine. Among the Internet comments on the dish, were several suggesting that crackers or pizza crust would also be good vehicles for the spread.
Eats Your Veggies First
Having eaten our veggies, we were eligible for a fabulous dessert. Our dinner treat was this amazing and fun-to-prepare French Patisserie Fruit Tart. Oo-la-la!!
This dessert deluxe is a farm favorite: French Patisserie Fruit Tart. The sheen on the fruit comes from a glaze made of apricot preserves thinned with water. Good and gorgeous! (The doily is one my mother made nearly 80 years ago. It’s fun to blend yesteryear with today, especially in the kitchen.)
