Valley Cafe Vegetables

Some of you who grew up in the age of strip malls, Applebees and P.F. Changs will not remember when most restaurants had narrow street fronts and were long and thin, stretching through to a back alley. The Valley Cafe in Ellensburg continues this grand tradition of narrowness, but this venerable establishment had foresighted designers, and is blessed with a row of ancient skylights to alleviate the inevitable darkness of this building design.  The experience of walking back in time is very strong at The Valley Cafe, especially as the booths, counter, and most of the furnishings are original.

Ellensburg makes a great day trip from Pasco.  The day we were there was chilly and windy, but sunny, and we were glad to get in out of the jacket-piercing breeze to see what we could find on The Valley Cafe's menu that would be friendly with our way of eating.

We decided on the Steamed Vegetables and a separate order of Spicy Asian Shrimp.  After we ordered, I asked the server if any bread was involved in this meal.  We're getting used to heading bread off at the pass so it won't be wasted.  She hesitated a moment, but said "No."

It took quite a while for our order to be prepared, and when the vegetables arrived, they were a delightfully colorful and flavorful mix of vegetables I'd never seen combined before.  As well, they were topped with a little cheddar-jack cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds, something I'd also never considered doing to vegetables.  Naturally, I took notes.

As it happened, the chef himself brought the rest of our order to the table, and I told him how remarkably tasty the vegetables were, and how unusual was the combination.  He said, "Well, you didn't want broccoli, so I just put together some other vegetables."  Turns out, the server thought I'd asked if any broccoli were involved in our meal, thinking we didn't want it!

I never fail to be intrigued by the happenstances that result in new dishes.  This one is a new favorite of ours, and it goes particularly well with the cafe's Spicy Asian Shrimp, so I concocted an easy-peasey version of that, too, and it'll be up next.
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VALLEY CAFE VEGETABLES
Cook gently so your vegetables will retain their color and flavor.  

2 tablespoons ghee or butter

4 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1/2 pound asparagus, snapped and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/3 of a small red cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (6.5 ounces) marinated (or plain) artichoke hearts


Pumpkins seeds lightly toasted in a dry skillet
Shredded jack or cheddar cheese (optional, of course)

In large skillet, melt ghee.  Add carrots and stir fry for a couple of minutes.  Add asparagus and cabbage, and continue cooking until all is just beginning to soften.  Add red pepper pieces, and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are crisp tender.  Don't overcook.

Remove to serving platter or individual plates, and tuck artichoke pieces here and there evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese and pepitas.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Bundles

Something there is about asparagus that makes one want to create elegant dishes with it.  It's a stalk, for one thing.  Cooks don't get to play with stalks all that often.  So, when I read the very short list of ingredients on a package of Parma proscuitto (pork, salt) at Costco, I felt the time had come for me to try prosciutto for the first time ever. 
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ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO BUNDLES

I adapted this super simple version from several recipes online.  Some called for a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, which I used, but prosciutto is salty, and the salty Parmesan seemed redundant.  So I left it out of my recipe.

1 pound luscious, local CSA asparagus
3 ounces prosciutto (if using two slices per bundle)
Butter

Lay two pieces of waxed paper out on countertop. Peel slices of prosciutto apart and lay them on one of the pieces of waxed paper.  It's okay if they overlap a bit--you just want to get them apart for ease of use.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Generously butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.  Reserve some butter for topping the bundles.

Bring about 1/2 inch lightly salted water to boil in a skillet.  Snap tough ends from asparagus, and wash the stalks.   Simmer asparagus in the water for just a few minutes, until stalks are just crisp tender.  With tongs, remove asparagus from skillet to the other piece of waxed paper.

Divide asparagus stalks into equal-sized bundles.  Wrap each bundle with a piece of prosciutto.  I used two pieces per bundle.  Some directions called for securing them with toothpicks, but I found the prosciutto adhered to itself quite well, and shrank a bit further in the oven, keeping a tight hold on the asparagus.

Place bundles in baking dish, and top each with a little butter.  Bake for 10 minutes or until things start to sizzle a bit.  Remove from oven, turn each bundle a little to bathe it in butter, and serve.  It's easiest to cut the bundles into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife.

Makes 6 bundles, or about 3 servings.

Asparagus, Avocado and Arugula Salad

Last Wednesday's asparagus curry, which I made up, was very good. But before deciding to make it, I considered an avocado that I had in the fridge. (Yes, refrigerating avocados is a good thing. They ripen more slowly in there.)

Anyhoo, I really, really wanted to make a salad with the asparagus AND the avocado. Green, right? I was kind of in a monochromatic mood. And I adore the thrill of making something memorably tasty with just what I have on hand. But I just couldn't picture avocado and asparagus getting along with each other. I was pretty convinced that in the history of cooking, no one had combined them. So I turned away.

Little did I know that once again, I'd be shown that courageous cooking is the better way. The very next day, I stumbled across this book at our local Barnes and Noble, and there it was! The very salad I thought could not exist!

But it does.

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ASPARAGUS, AVOCADO AND ARUGULA SALAD
Adapted from The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway

What a glorious triumph of farmer's market greenery. The original recipe called for watercress rather than arugula. They're both peppery, so either will do. I thought the lemon peel would add, too ... and it does. This is a rich-tasting, lemony, peppery salad that is worthy of a role in a special dinner.

1-1/2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 avocado, diced
3-4 spring onions, white and a little of the green parts, sliced
4 cups arugula, washed, spun and sliced

1 organic lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Toss the asparagus into boiling water for a few minutes, until it's tender-crisp but still bright green. Drain and set aside.

Into a large bowl, grate the peel of the lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and juice it.

In a small bowl, toss the avocado thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. This prevents the avocado getting brown.

Into the large bowl with the lemon peel, whisk the remaining lemon juice with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and toss well, then add the arugula and onions and toss well. Lastly, add the avocado and toss lightly to mix.

Serves 6 to 8.

Update: Two days later, this salad is as attractive and delicious as when it was made. I attribute this to the step of mixing the avocado thoroughly with lemon juice. It didn't get even a little brown!

Green Curry of Asparagus, Spring Onion and Fresh Garlic

Although only two vegetable vendors were to be found at today's Pasco Farmer's Market, luscious spring onions, radishes, asparagus, and fresh garlic were on offer. All this greenness made me feel like making something green. Someone once told me that when you wear clothing that is all the same color, you feel calmer. I feel calmer when my ingredients match, too.

I'm really pretty excited about how good this dish turned out. You can see that the sauce would suit itself to a variety of other vegetables and meats. The garlic was so fresh that I just sliced the whole head without peeling.

If you don't have mint, use cilantro or basil, or just skip the herb. For fish sauce, you could use soy sauce, but it won't have the same flavor, of course. I didn't have any limes, but if I had, I'd have squeezed a bit of lime juice over everything.

And if you don't have free-range chicken, deranged chicken will do.

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GREEN CURRY OF ASPARAGUS, SPRING ONION AND FRESH GARLIC

1-1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
4 large (2-inch diameter) spring onions, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 head very fresh garlic, sliced (or a couple of garlic cloves, chopped)
3 cups local, free-range chicken, boned, cooked and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 small (6-ounce or so) can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon sucanat or brown sugar

1/3 cup or so fresh mint, chopped

In large skillet, pour coconut milk and whisk 'til smooth. Turn heat to medium, and add curry paste. Cook, whisking, 'til sauce is hot and bubbly. Add fish sauce and sucanat, cook another minute or two.

Toss in all the veggies and the chicken pieces and cook, stirring often, until the veggies are crisp-tender. Asparagus should still be bright green.

Mix in mint and serve with rice or couscous.

This makes a light but flavorful sauce for everyday meals; if you want a richer dish, and you'd like the vegetables to be really saucy (like in a Thai restaurant), double the sauce recipe.

Makes 4 very hearty servings.

Asparagus, Tarragon and Chive Quinoa

Today's e-mail from the farmer saying ANOTHER bonus box was coming tomorrow with TEN POUNDS of asparagus in it was all it took to send me scurrying to the fridge to gather up all the asparagus I had left from the other boxes. Trimmed, it was almost exactly a pound, and the chives and tarragon in the garden have been producing nicely, so I doctored up this dish to accommodate them.

The chive blossoms, which are an advantage of having a clump of chives in your garden, dressed up this dish but aren't required!
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ASPARAGUS, TARRAGON AND CHIVE QUINOA
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks, originally from the book My Favorite Ingredients by Skye Gyngell

1 pound trimmed CSA asparagus
olive oil

2 cups dry quinoa, well rinsed and drained (Costco sells huge bags of organic quinoa)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dressing:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon (or to taste) Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/3 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
Chive blossoms if you have 'em

About 1/4 cup toasted and chopped almonds

Put quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 cups water into a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until little curls that look like sprouts start forming on the grains. Remove from heat. If there's still water left, drain off as best you can and let the quinoa sit, covered, to soak up the little water you couldn't get out.

Cut the trimmed asparagus into 1-inch segments and saute them in a splash of olive oil in a large skillet for about 10 minutes. Add a little water and cover to cook for just a few minutes or until tender-crisp. Watch carefully; you want to asparagus to stay bright green. When it's ready, remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl 'til smooth. Taste for heat and spiciness! This will vary tremendously depending on what chili sauce you use. This dish can take a lot, but do monitor and adjust at this point.

Toss the asparagus pieces into the quinoa pot and mix. Stir in the chives and tarragon. Pour the dressing over, stir well, and pile the mixture into a serving bowl. Top with the almonds and chive blossoms and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8.

Spring Chicken Pot Pie

Not your typical wintery chicken pot pie ... this one welcomes the new green tarragon awakening in the garden ... green onions ... fennel ... asparagus ... all gathered together for an unexpectedly fresh taste. As I write this, rain is lashing the window in a sudden afternoon of wind and gray gloom blowing through ... but I can see blue sky right behind it.

I really don't know why dishes with crusts are showing up so often here ... but I don't think it's something that needs to be analyzed.

As always, substitute confidently and enjoy this pie, however you make it. The original called for a diced tomato and some peas. I seriously altered the original version to suit my Spring fancy, but don't think the venerable Sheila Lukins would mind. She would understand the need to realign ourselves culinarily with both the calendar and the barometer.

Update: This dish is sheer ambrosia; very satisfying but suitable for light evenings, blooming lilacs, and chirpy birdsong. Do try it.

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SPRING CHICKEN POT PIE
Adapted from a recipe in Parade Magazine by Sheila Lukins

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter or ghee

1 medium fennel bulb, tops and leaves removed, sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons flour

3 cups homemade local, free-range chicken broth
1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, cut in 1/2-inch slices
1-1/2 cups carrots, diced or sliced
1 cup diced CSA potatoes (1/2-inch dice)
1 apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups cooked local, free-range chicken, deboned and cut up or diced
1 cup CSA asparagus, thick ends snapped off, cut in 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 sheet puff pastry (1/2 pound) or your own coconut oil pastry using half the recipe from this post, or other homemade pastry. Or make biscuits and place cut dough on top of the pie ... or dot cornbread batter on it .. or ... you get the picture.

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash (I skipped it)

Heat oil and butter in large pot over low heat. Add fennel and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle on flour, and cook stirring constantly for one minute.

Add broth, green onions, carrots, potatoes, apple, dill and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring often.

Add chicken and asparagus, season to taste with salt and pepper, then cook 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and tarragon, and add a few grinds of black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon chicken mixture into 2- or 3-quart round ovenproof casserole. Roll pastry out and trim to or just larger than your casserole diameter. Lay pastry over chicken mixture and either crimp edge or tuck under all around. Slit top so steam can escape, and brush pastry with egg wash if you wish.

Bake until crust is golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

Makes 4 very hearty servings.

Asparagus Pasta Salad with Saffron Vinaigrette

Let true Spring begin ... asparagus has long been the herald of this new season, along with the first tender stalks of rhubarb. This salad was quite interesting and satisfying, and its preparation was greatly speeded by help from my Mom with chopping, tending, and chive picking chores. It only needed a small salmon fillet alongside, and some of the tender, crisp CSA radishes to make a superb meal.

Update: This salad is even better the day after it is made; the flavors are stronger throughout. If you make it ahead, wait to add the goat cheese and pine nuts on top just before serving.

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ASPARAGUS PASTA SALAD with SAFFRON VINAIGRETTE
Adapted from several online versions; original from The Taste of Summer by Diane Worthington

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cream (optional)

1 pound pasta (original used orzo; I used penne. Most shapes will work fine.)

1 pound (weighed after trimming) thin CSA asparagus, trimmed, and cut into segments about the same size as pasta you use

1/3 cup chopped chives; garnish with blossoms if available

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Make vinaigrette:

Combine vinegar and saffron in small saucepan. Bring JUST to a simmer over gentle heat; remove from heat and cool.

Smash garlic clove with salt with mortar and pestle to make a paste. Place paste in large bowl with the cooled vinegar mixture, lemon juice, mustard and cream. Whisk in olive oil. Taste; if too tangy, add a bit of sweetener or more cream.

Cook pasta and asparagus:

In large pot, heat salted water to boiling and add pasta. Cook according to package directions; just before removing pasta from heat, add asparagus pieces for about 30 seconds. Drain all in a colander, make sure water is removed completely, and pour into the bowl containing the dressing.

Toss a few times, add in chives, and mix well. Let sit 30 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally. To serve, top each serving with crumbled goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature. To serve leftovers, reheat gently in skillet.

Makes 6 to 8 generous servings.