Archive for the ‘Asparagus’ Category

Organic Box 18th May

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Fruit: grapefruit, avocado, oranges, rhubarb, bananas,

Vegetables: asparagus, onions, carrots, beetroot, Romano potatoes, mixed salad, chard, spring greens

In my salad days, when I was green in judgement I never understood the fuss about asparagus, but if it’s fresh and grilled with a sprinkling of lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, I begin to get it.  Ditto – mixed salad bags are generally great (outside the deepest winter season with the ‘weird tasting one’ which is a bit like playing salade roulette). I heard the tail end of a recent food programme on R4 in which someone said the age of more commercial permacultury forest garden type salad bags was upon us. I say bring it on.  It was supposedly a win-win - more viable for the producer not tied down to producing a certain quantity of a particular thing and therefore able to put things in the bag in different proportions when in season, and acceptable to the consumer whose expectations aren’t then dashed when a certain thing isn’t in it. Sounds a bit like the principle behind sausages and burgers at the naughty end of the food industry spectrum.

Posted in Asparagus, Organic Box | No Comments »

Ham & Asparagus Pasta

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Fresh asparagus
1 bunch asparagus
3 slices thickly cut ham
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 glass white wine (opt)
1 pack spaghetti
grated parmesan and toasted sunflower seeds to serve

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus – it will naturally snap at the ‘right’ place, and discard the woody ends or use in stock.  Chop it into 1cm length pieces.  Place in a pan and just cover with boiling water.  Simmer for 2 mins, then drain the water into a bowl.  Chop the ham slices lengthways and crossways to form little squares.

Bring a pan of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions.

Add the butter, flour and wine to a pan.  Heat gently and whisk.  Add a cup of the asparagus water as the butter begins to melt and keep whisking.  Once the butter has completely melted, add the rest of the asparagus water and keep whisking until the mixture bubbles gently and thickens.  Mix in asparagus and ham, then season to taste.

 Drain the pasta, then mix with the sauce.  Serve in bowls, topped with grated parmesan, toasted seeds, and a grind or two of black pepper.  Lovely with a mixed salad.

Posted in Asparagus, Ham, Parmesan, Pasta, Recipe, Sunflower seeds | No Comments »

Wrapped Asparagus

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Fresh asparagus
This makes a great, simple starter.

1 bunch asaparagus (1/2 bunch per person)
4 slices parma ham (or similar)
1 tbsp crumbly blue cheese (something like Shropshire Blue)

Preheat the oven to 180c.  Snap the hard ends off the asparagus (the woody parts should just snap off at the right point, leaving tender stems.  You can use the ends to make stock).

Boil the asparagus in salted water for 2 or 3 mins.  It should be just tender.  Time will depend on how thick your stalks are, so adjust accordingly.  Try not to overcook them.

Divide the asparagus into four and wrap the thick ends with ham, making four bundles.  Lay them in an ovenproof dish and crumble over the blue cheese.  Bake for 10 mins or until the cheese has melted and browned a little.  Serve with Hackney salad and a lemony vinaigrette.

Posted in Asparagus, Blue cheese, Cheese, Parma Ham, Recipe, Starter | No Comments »

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pasta

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Purple sprouting Broccoli

300g purple sprouting broccoli (or asparagus)
500g spaghetti or tagliatelle

Sauce:
1 egg yolk
3 tblsp lemon juice
3 heaped tblsp salted butter
pinch salt

Bring a two pans of salted water to boil.  Cut the broccoli into 1cm length and rinse well, discarding any tough stalk ends or yellow leaves.  Add the sauce ingredients to a glass, metal or ceramic bowl large enough to sit over one of the boiling water pots (but with the bottom of the bowl not touching the boiling water).  I use a big salad bowl and serve the dish straight from it.

Put the pasta and broccoli on to boil.  Fit your sauce ingredients bowl over the top of the boiling pan and whisk gently.  Keep whisking as the butter melts and everything starts to incorporate.  Give the pasta and broccoli a stir (watch out, the bowl will be hot), then return the bowl to the top of the pan and keep whisking the sauce until it becomes custard-like in texture.  As soon as this happens, remove from the heat.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of the broccoli water to loosen it a bit.

After 8-10 minutes the pasta and broccoli will be done.  If the sauce, pasta or broccoli are ready early, remove from the heat until the other components have cooked.  If you need to check the broccoli or pasta, make sure you take the sauce off the heat while you aren’t whisking.  Drain the broccoli and pasta and add both to the warm sauce bowl and stir through.

Season to taste.  Serve with parmesan and black pepper.

This easy dish makes a lovely, moreish lemony pasta with chunks of sweet broccoli, perfect for a quick supper or winter lunch. 

If you use green broccoli, use chunky pasta and cook pasta and broccoli together in the same water: ideal for camping suppers!

Posted in Asparagus, Broccoli, Butter, Eggs, Hollandaise, Lemon, Pasta, Purple sprouting broccoli, Recipe, Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Toddler, Vegetarian, Weaning | No Comments »