1. My current addiction: Asparagus!

    July 12, 2009 by foodle

    asparagus2I know asparagus is one of the real spring vegetables, and believe me I ate plenty of  it this spring, but I seem to have been hit with a second coming of asparagus addiction this year.

    Asparagus can of course be prepared and served in a lot of different ways, but for some odd reason I have gotten stuck on blanching them and drizzle sea salt or freshly grated parmigiana over them. I guess its because I really like them that way.

    I keep doing this with certain dishes at restaurants to. Whenever I enter these restaurants I get an immediate craving for a particular dish I have eaten there before. The result is that I keep going back for the same wonderful dish and miss out of the rest of the potentially equally delicious dishes at the menu.

    So I figured I had to start preparing asparagus in some other ways as well, so I wouldn’t miss out on all the other wonderful ways to enjoy this green sprout. I turned to the knowledgeable foodies at twitter and asked for their advice regarding asparagus dishes, and here are some of the yummy suggestions I received:

    • @Margie1110@yummit Roasted!
    • @cdkitchen@yummit roasted? that’s how I love asparagus – roasted, tossed with olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt
    • @ChefMelissaIcon_lock@yummit Steam w/wedge of lemon in the water. Roast w/sea salt & cracked pepper. Large-dice & sautee w/olive oil & balsamic reduction.
    • @MDTeresa@yummit they are yummy roasted w/a little olive oil and then sprinkled w/feta after you take them out of the oven!
    • @MommyImHungry@yummit try roasted asparagus! Mmm! Or with a penne alfredo.
    • @kimberlykeith@yummit I marinate asprgus w olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin then top w parm and broil 1 min. Lil crunchy, yum.
    • @KAHUNA75@yummit for asparagus I marinate in S&P,thyme,lemon,garlic,grapeseed oil in zip lock bag then grill them
    • @KAHUNA75@yummit asparagus chopped saute w/garlic,olive oil remove add red pep flake some butter then toss in tortolini cook add aspa. add ricotta
    • @thekeylime@yummit, it’s also good with lemon like so http://whatscookingamerica…. (can also add grated parm)
    • @ohitsclaire@yummit asparagus: makes a happy base for poached eggs. plays well with the grill as well. Which is how I spent july 4 w/ a side of snapper
    • @chefgwen@yummit My fav asparagus is grilled. Here’s post I wrote (http://eaturl.info/fhmm) Also like to wrap prosciutto around them for appetizer.
    • @Bookie15@yummit: Sounds divine! Also love it roasted with olive oil and garlic.
    • @lonebaker@yummit Grt sauce for asparagus from JPepin: 1/2cmayo, 2Tdijon, 2Twater, 1Tredwinevinegar, salt and pepper: garnish chopped hb eggs, chives.
    • @elena_ohsnoes@yummit Blanch or steam them for a minute or two, then coat them in some flavored olive oil and grill them. So yummy.
    • @chefgwen@Rubee100 Thanks for white truffle butter tip w/ prosciutto wrapped asapargus; passing on to @yummit: http://bit.ly/QQj5Q
    • @DocDamo@yummit They’re amazing in risotto, just arborio rice, white wine, asparagus, and possibly some fresh mint – large knob of butter just before serving – just sublime!
    • @triciarobey@yummit Toss asparagus in EVOO, season w/ salt & pepper, roast in oven just long enough for tips to crispen. Garnish w/ toasted pine nuts.
    • @tamarakong@yummit i chop it and fry up with garlic/butter to top on almost anything (eggs, pasta, salad). A little crunchy and loads of flavor.
    • @KitchenDani@yummit my favourite is blanched on top of poached eggs and sourdough with hollandaise.
    • @LovingLocalFood@yummit stir fry the asparagus with sreak and serve over quinoa
    • @ohitsclaire@yummit yes! please do! in frittatas, omelets, or use them as a bed for the poached or fried one, top w/ hollandaise :)

    This afternoon I am going to a bbq, venturing away from the blanched asparagus and bringing marinated asparagus to put on the grill! I am also planning to try some of the asparagus & pasta suggestions for tomorrow’s meatless Monday :)

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  2. Pasta is perfect for meatless-Mondays!

    July 7, 2009 by foodle

    pastaAfter the 4th of July weekend, and gorging on barbecued ribs, hot dogs, grill spears, and home made burgers, both me and my belly felt heavy. I was ready for something a little lighter and fresher, and along came “meatless-Monday”.

    Meatless-Monday is a great concept for a couple of reasons. First of all it is a good opportunity for us omnivores to explore dishes that aren’t focused on meat. For some reason that one ingredient would always play the lead role when I planned my dinner, so to me meatless-Monday is a chance for other ingredients to be the star of the meal!

    Another good reason to get on the meatless-Monday bandwagon is that eating more vegetables has great health benefits, like  lowering your cholesterol, and reducing the risk of diabetes and coronary diseases. So it wouldn’t hurt to try it out for at least one day a week.

    Eating a little less meat can also do good in other ways. Did you know that it takes eight times as much resources to produce meat as it takes to produce vegetables? So meatless-Monday is also an opportunity to help save the world little by little.

    My cravings for this particular  post-4th-of-July-meatless-Monday was leaning towards pasta. Pasta dishes are perfect for meatless-Mondays, as so many pasta recipes do not even ask for meat, and the ones that do can often do fine without.  I started to run through all my tested and tried pasta recipes in my mind, and that’s when I realized I could get some great new ideas by asking the fabulous foodies on twitter to suggest their favorite pasta recipes.

    Here are some of the yummy suggestions I got:

    So many great suggestions (my mouth is watering as I am reading through them).

    For this time my pasta dish was decided by what I had in the kitchen, so I made a quick artichoke and mushroom sauce. I am definitely going to try out some of the suggestions above within the nearest future tho!

    Mushroom & Artichoke Sauce

    • 10 ounces white mushrooms
    • 12 ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained and diced
    • 1 diced onion
    • 1 juiced lemon
    • 1/2 cup white wine
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • olive oil
    • chopped fresh basil
    • salt & pepper
    • parmigiana cheese

    Heat oil and garlic, add artichokes, mushrooms, and basil, let cook for a couple of minutes. Add lemon juice and white wine, let simmer for another couple of minutes before adding salt and pepper.
    Mix with your favorite pasta and drizzle some grated parmigiana cheese over before serving.

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  3. PIMM’s No. 1 perfect for hot summer days

    June 30, 2009 by grasshoppah

    pouring_pimmsThe first time I had this drink was in good ‘olde’ England, however my best memories of this drink are actually from the south of France. My friends parents had just bought a cozy old farm house in the Aix-en-Provance district. For a wine enthusiast this place actually is spelled W-I-N-E as the only view from the house was vineyards.

    As good boys we traveled from vineyard to vineyard to check out the neighborhood so to speak. Of course after enough testing we’d be pretty spent. It was not until after we’d had our coffee, and orange marmalade covered croissant  in the morning and were just about ready to wish the new day welcome we’d take to the Pimm’s cup. We’d sit on some lounge chairs outside in the shade of an old Oak tree in 28C and just enjoy a cold Pimm’s cup with the view of the vineyards in the neighborhood and plan the rest of the day. A perfect start to a holiday-day.

    The Pimm’s cup is a reasonably easy drink to make, however don’t fuzz about and put a lot of different fruits in it. It is all about the cucumber. Also if you find a recipe which say’s lemonade, they mean British lemonade, which is the same 7up or so in the US. You can alternatively use ginger ale, but I’d strongly recommend the classic Pimm’s cup first.

    Wikipedia describes the Pimm’s as:Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is based on gin and can be served both on ice or in cocktails. It has a dark tea colour with a reddish tint, and tastes subtly of spice and citrus fruit. It is often taken with lemonade, as well as various fruits including apples, oranges and lemons. It is 25% alcohol by volume.

    The  original Pimm’s Cup, however, is made this way:

    • 1 shot Pimm’s No. 1.
    • 7-Up soda
    • 1 slice cucumber
    • 1 twist lemon peel (if you like)
    Pour pimm’s no.1 into a highball glass. Add a twist of lemon and fill with 7-up. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.
    ….perfect for a sticky hot summer day.

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  4. Cool cucumber dishes for hot summer days

    by foodle

    cucumberQuite some years ago I spent a summer at a monastery in Greece studying the history of philosophy. Besides sitting under the olive trees reading Plato, and listening to taped lectures (no podcasts back then) on Socrates while tanning at the beach, I would enjoy spending the hot Greek summer eves hanging out with my fellow students discussing philosophy and playing backgammon, while drinking red wine and snacking.

    One of my favorite snacks would be picking up a big bowl of tzatsiki from one of the local restaurants, then sneak into the monastery kitchen and steal some fresh loaves of bread to break with it. Ever since then tzatsiki brings with it the association of hot summer eves, redwine, and great company.

    Tzatsiki recipe

    • 1 cucumber
    • 3 clove garlic, finely minced
    • ½ lemon (juiced)
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 250ml/9fl oz Greek yogurt (or non-fat plain yogurt + some light sour cream)
    • salt
    • pepper

    Grate the cucumber and squeeze as much as you can of the moisture out of it. Mince the garlic and blend with olive oil and lemon juice. Blend everything with yogurt, and taste with salt and pepper. Serve chilled as snack with artisan bread, or as side dish with grilled food. Keeps well in fridge for several days.

    Today I went out to buy missing ingredients for tzatsiki and ended up buying a whole lot of fresh juicy locally grown cucumbers. Enough to make tzatsiki for an entire football team or two, so I figured I needed to find some more uses for them. I asked the great foodies at twitter for suggestions and would like to share the responses with you here:

    I can see delicious cucumber soups and salads in my near future :)

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