Posted on

Spicy Pickled Asparagus

Spicy Pickled Asparagus

Memory in a Jar

“The dinner table was set in the house. Lee said, I’d have liked to serve it under the tree like the other times, but the air is chilly.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

A friend of mine who knows I like to try new canning recipes asked me if I’d ever tried pickled asparagus. Would I make some and bring him a jar please. Oh, make it spicy too. I always shrug my shoulders and say I’m more of a jam maker. But that’s one of the reasons I decided to join the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge, to try new recipes and techniques. After making regular pickles with cucumbers one quickly realizes that most vegetables and fruits can be pickled. A tangy solution to saving seasonal produce that brightens salads, cheese plates and sandwiches. Even roasted vegetables seem pale in flavor comparison. READ MORE . . .

Posted on

Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart

Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart

Just by Chance

“Kate, when you close, you tap on my door. I’ll have a little surprise for you. What kind of surprise? Oh, a secret surprise.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

A chance connection made at this year’s PMA Foodservice Conference with Gourmet Trading Company led to gorgeous purple, white and green asparagus arriving at my doorstep for recipe testing. I am fond of cooking with vegetables that are in season but a craving for asparagus can’t always wait! Especially when this Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart would be a stunning addition to any upcoming holiday party. Working with three colors of asparagus was such a treat. One night I made pasta with a heaping tablespoon of garlic and sausage and then the next day a lentil salad with roasted shallots and a red wine vinaigrette. But the cornmeal tart filled with creamy goat cheese and ricotta was too just special not to share. READ MORE . . .

Posted on

Asparagus with Fresh Ricotta

Asparagus with ricotta

Spring Zing

“A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Light shifts with the seasons. It’s vague and unassuming at first. We’re never sure when it really happens. The annual time change confuses our innate ability to feel the change. We must see it. We are so busy reestablishing our daily rhythms that one day we realize winter with its sharp dramatic edges and deep shadows of light has been replaced with a softer focus. The plush velvet curtain of winter is pulled back to reveal a stage where the merry making of spring always surprises us. As the light brightens it pushes away the last scrap of winter revealing all the sparkling color we crave. READ MORE . . .