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!

Lemon, Almond and Rosemary Cake

Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons is my go-to cookbook for lush, inspiring photographs and recipes. Whenever we have a lightning storm, I get out this cookbook ... because once I was reading it when a lightning storm with drenching rain struck, and somehow a full-circle connection was created between nature's majesty, me, and this book. It leans definitely to the Middle-Eastern, and ever since that last big storm we had a while back, I've been thinking about trying this cake. I used homemade sourdough bread that already had rosemary in it, organic lemons, organic sugar, and my luscious local eggs.

The author suggests serving it with berries, but my little patch of strawberries is just beginning to produce, so we augmented them with mango when it came time to partake. This cake has a wonderfully grainy texture, a sweet lemony tang, and an exotic, Middle-Eastern syrupy aspect, all infused with the woodsy essence of rosemary.

I know it's not health food, but it's soul food.

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LEMON, ALMOND AND ROSEMARY CAKE
Adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry

For the cake:

2 ounces stale white bread (3/4 cup crumbs)
3-1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) blanched almonds (non-blanched work fine, too)
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves
3/4 cup sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil
4 local, free-range eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

For the syrup:

Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 sprigs rosemary

Butter bottom and sides of an 8-1/2 inch springform pan. I think you could also use an 8-inch square Pyrex pan, or similar cake pan, if you butter it generously, flour it as well, and run a knife around the edge of the pan when releasing the baked cake.

In food processor, grind bread, almonds and rosemary as finely as possible. Add sugar, lemon zest, olive oil and eggs, and pulse as briefly as possible, just to blend. Add baking powder and pulse very briefly, just until until baking powder is incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan, put into a cold oven and turn oven on to 350 degrees. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake is brown and a toothpick inserted int he center comes out clean. Cool cake for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a plate.

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Turn heat up and boil syrup for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Leave rosemary in to infuse.

Pierce holes in the warm cake, and pour the syrup evenly over. Serve with berries, other fruit, yogurt, ice cream, or any other accompaniments that strike your fancy.

Makes 8 servings.

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.

Food Fads: A Mini-Discussion

Food Fad #1: Dessert Shooters

Once in a while I feel strongly enough about a food fad to speak up. These creepy little things have shown up in many major restaurants, and are being hailed all over creation as something "you gotta try!"

Now, I know there's lots of craziness out there in the world, and people are irrational fairly consistently, and there's no accounting for taste. But dessert shooters? If you want a small dessert, why not plate it attractively so you can enjoy looking at it (horizontally) and enjoy its unique shape and texture? Why shove it into a glass cylinder, making it a generic, stuffed-test-tube looking kind of thing?

You might say, "Becky, did you not just blog quinoa pudding and strawberry-rhubarb trifle? And are they not served in glass cylinders?" Of course! Puddings and trifles are SUPPOSED to be served like that. There's some integrity there. And they're accessible, not served in beakers, for goodness' sake!

My point is that in many cases these imposter desserts are called by the same name as real desserts--key lime pie, or apple crisp, for example. Key lime pie is PIE, people! Served in a SLICE, a TRIANGLE, a SHAPE, for heaven's sake, that you can recognize as a portion of something that was created whole as a dessert.

And apple crisp ... even a small portion of apple crisp ... is vastly more attractive on a plate, with a dab of ice cream or whipped cream nestling alongside it, with maybe a drifting of cinnamon over the plate so you can admire it for a bit before tasting it. Why should your serving of apple crisp look like something from your high school science lab?

It has to be said ... dessert shooters look like the cooks have just shoved leftover dessert components (and who knows what all bits of things they found in the back of the cooler) into those little glasses and are trying to pass them off as something creative!

I predict that dessert shooters will totally disappear within two years, and sanity in the dessert world will be restored.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Fresh Greens

I do love a sturdy salad. This one travels well, and if you take it to a potluck, you might as well take copies of the recipe with you. People are going to ask.

The recipe is from an old Cooking Light magazine now long lost. I usually stick pretty close to the original on this one, but I did substitute fresh sliced farmer's market arugula for some of the spinach, and local green onions for the red onion. And I added garlic and oregano. I usually add more spinach than it calls for; it seems to be absorbed in the salad, and I love upping the nutrient count!

Reminds me of our old family joke ... whenever Mom says "I made it just like the recipe called for," we wait a beat and say, "Except ..." Sure enough, almost always she's made some kind of substitution. But that's creative cooking!

The green onions were from my friend Elizabeth, and the tomatoes I used were grown by my Dad and dried by my Mom. How grateful I am for the sharing of bounty.

You'll want to at least double this recipe; the salad keeps well, but you probably won't have any left.

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MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD WITH FRESH GREENS
From Cooking Light magazine, adapted as described above

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes,* drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion or sliced green onion

1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 cups (or more to taste) baby spinach or arugula, or a mixture, chopped
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and place in a large bowl. Stir in the garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and onions.

Drain artichoke hearts and RESERVE THE MARINADE. Cut artichokes into quarters or eighths as you prefer. Place marinade in a small bowl, and the artichokes in another bowl.

To the artichokes, add the kalamata olives.

To the marinade, add salt and pepper and whisk well.

Pour marinade over orzo mixture and stir well. Add feta cheese and spinach, and stir well. Add olives and artichokes and mix gently.

Makes six servings.

*Or use fresh tomatoes, or dried tomatoes that you have soaked and to which you add a little olive oil. If you use oil-packed tomatoes, they may be seasoned already; adjust garlic and oregano accordingly.

Coconut Quinoa Pudding with Rhubarb

Curious about using the new coconut beverage product for cooking, I decided to take the plunge and try this recipe using it. This is not coconut milk like you'd find in cans, but a beverage made for use like milk.

Quinoa is really quite a nutritious grain, high in protein, and tasty besides. This pudding is really easy to make, and you could of course use any fruit of the season.

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COCONUT QUINOA PUDDING WITH RHUBARB
Adapted from this recipe

3-1/2 cups coconut beverage (I used vanilla; if you use unsweetened, you may need more sucanat)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon sucanat
A pinch of salt

Fresh cooked rhubarb from the farmer's market

In medium-sized, sturdy saucepan, bring coconut milk to a simmer over medium heat. Add quinoa and sucanat, stir, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently as the quinoa absorbs the liquid. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk if needed to thin the pudding. When the pudding reaches the texture you desire, remove from heat and cool, or serve warm. It will thicken on standing and when you refrigerate it.

Layer however you please with the rhubarb, or just top a bowl of the pudding with the fruit.

Makes 4 generous servings or 6 stingy ones

Chai-Soaked Shrimp with Spring Onions

These days, when I see something languishing in the fridge like the partially-used box of Pacific Chai tea concentrate, I begin to wonder what I can make with it. How about a marinade for .... shrimp? Googling "chai shrimp" turned up a recipe which, of course, I altered significantly.

Don't you think "soaked" sounds more saturated and luscious than "marinated?"

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CHAI-SOAKED SHRIMP WITH SPRING ONIONS
Adapted from this recipe

About 20 medium shrimp (can be frozen)

2 cups chai tea concentrate
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Thai chili paste

1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil

A generous amount of sliced spring onions (I added a lot more after the photo was taken)

Basmati rice for serving

Mix the soaking ingredients in a small bowl or flat dish that will just barely hold the shrimp. Submerge the shrimp in the soak and refrigerate for a few hours, turning occasionally. If shrimp are frozen, you can leave the bowl out at room temperature.

Remove the shrimp to another bowl, and pour the soaking liquid into a medium-sized skillet. Over medium-high heat, boil the liquid down to about a cup or so. Add the coconut oil and toss in the shrimp and cook quickly, turning, until they all turn pink. You have to look closely, because the marinade will make the shrimp brown, too. Don't overcook them or they'll be tough.

Scatter the spring onions over the shrimp, stir briefly, and serve with basmati rice, spooning the sauce over.

Makes 4 abstimious servings and 2 very hearty ones

Slaw of Coles with Tarragon and Mint

The other day I was reading how plants in the cole family contain important nutrients for humans. As I looked over the list of coles, I was amazed to see 16 plants, most of which will be available in abundance at our farmer's markets this summer and fall. At any given moment, I probably have three or four coles in my fridge. It struck me that combined in a "found" salad, they would probably be very tasty!

The coles are: kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collards, bok choy, tatsoi, chard, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, horseradish, mustard, arugula, and watercress.

By now you probably realize that I am trying to develop and promote the technique of getting maximum benefit from seasonal, market-fresh, local ingredients. To do that, a wonderful shopping technique to use is to buy what looks fresh and good to you at the market, then figure out what to do with it. That way, all your ingredients will appeal to you and be so very fresh that you can't, as I've said so many times before, go wrong.

The habit of buying the freshest ingredients and creating dishes will eventually provide you with a fistful of favorite recipes, and you will begin to look at a motley collection of vegetables and see, instead, a salad, side dish, soup, or other tasty combination.

The mint was added when I looked out the window and saw that my pot of mint had started to sprout.

This recipe makes a very light slaw with a delicate tarragon and mint flavor. It's a good accompaniment to a substantial main dish. If you'd like the slaw to be heartier, stir in a tablespoon of Dijon, an extra tablespoon of olive oil, and a little honey. You can also use the creamy dressing from this salad (adjust amounts to suit the volume of your greens) or go Oriental by adding fresh ginger and garlic.

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SLAW OF COLES WITH TARRAGON AND MINT

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
A grind of pepper

2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups sliced arugula
1 bunch sliced radishes
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper thoroughly in a large bowl. Toss in the coles and herbs and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.

Makes 6 hearty servings.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Trifle

Here again is a simple yet brilliant culinary tradition brought to us by the British. What could be a more perfect way to showcase fresh, seasonal fruits than to loosely combine them in a delightful muddle of sponge cake, custard and whipped cream? If you don't have a trifle dish, use another pretty dish, or make individual trifles in glasses or parfait dishes.

The variations on the basic trifle are endless, which merely reaffirms its status as a truly classic recipe. All of its components can be changed to suit what you have on hand. Use almost any fruits, or use jam. The cake can be chocolate or any other flavor, or use ladyfingers or other cookies. (Just don't use Twinkies, you hear?) The custard layer soaks into the cake, so you can use other sauces and puddings to your heart's content.

A lovely way to celebrate a Mom who is the cream of the crop, as mine truly is.

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STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB TRIFLE

3 pints fresh strawberries, trimmed and either left whole or sliced

Some fresh rhubarb that you have washed, trimmed and cooked with a little water and sweetener of your choice (I used agave syrup)

1 recipe Creme Anglaise from Joy of Cooking, or any custard sauce recipe you like; you'll need about 2 cups.

1 8-inch square (or 13- x 9-inch) sponge cake (or any firm cake) from your favorite recipe, cooled and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes

1 cup lightly toasted sliced almonds

1 to 2 cups whipping cream, whipped and lightly sweetened if you wish

Spread a little rhubarb in the bottom of the trifle bowl. Top with half the cake cubes. Pour half of the Creme Anglaise evenly over the cubes. Arrange half the strawberries over that, and spread a generous layer of rhubarb over them. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the almonds over the rhubarb. Add the remaining cake cubes, pour the rest of the Creme Anglaise over them, and arrange remaining strawberries on top. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve, up to a few hours.

Spread whipped cream evenly over top of trifle and scatter remaining 1/2 cup almonds over. Serve onto plates or into bowls. I used a wedge-shaped flat pie server to cut vertically down into the trifle like a pie, and lifted out roughly wedge-shaped, gloppy servings. But a big spoon would work too.

This dish served 6 people, with almost universal second helpings, with about 4 servings left over. Remember that you can size this dish smaller quite easily!

Pasco Farmer's Market, Saturday 5/8/10

As the seasons change gradually, so go the farmer's markets. Asparagus is still figuring heavily; the girls at the Middleton Farms booth (at right in the picture) spent lots of time getting all their bunches of asparagus sorted and bundled according to similar size, something that those of us who cook with asparagus appreciate.

My CSA farmer had a number of products on offer, and hinted that the Winter CSA might happen again next year; he's got Brussels sprouts planted already. I happily purchased from him rhubarb, spring onions, arugula, and salad greens. I found lovely head lettuce from Hermiston, and fresh, sweet, local strawberries, the likes of which you won't find in the supermarket because (drum roll) they are developed for flavor, not shipping! Tender and delectable, what strawberries should BE.

And after tasting the offerings at the Monteillet Fromagerie booth, I selected a fresh goat cheese spread with chives and other herbs.

All these things were procured with an eye toward a special Mother's Day lunch ... the Spring Chicken Pot Pie and Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle.

Bliss.

First 2010 Farmer's Market Visit

The Pasco Wednesday market consisted of just three vendors this morning. I knew it would be a small market, and ALMOST didn't go. But one of the things I can do to support local farmers is simply to show up and buy their produce. And as always, I was rewarded with beautiful produce: Chard, spinach and mustard greens from Hermiston, and herb plants for my garden (parsley, rosemary, spearmint, oregano, thyme, and sage) from Buggirl's Garden.

We've had a few days of travel recently and the diet of richer foods that seems to go with that. Greens seem to naturally offset richness, and I'm looking forward to making the chard and spinach into this dish tonight. Or maybe I'll just saute them with a little olive oil and garlic. You can't go wrong with fresh, fresh greens like this.

Crossing the Winter CSA Finish Line: Box Twelve!

Salad greens, hearty chives, radishes, spinach, more of those peppery greens, and leeks. What with the nice weather and more going on, I haven't been too creative of late, but I am thinking about using those exotic greens in the Bye-Bye Winter Pie again, and perhaps tossing the leeks in, too. The salad greens will be served with a fresh vinaigrette tomorrow for a special dinner, as will some of the asparagus, roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of soy sauce.

The Winter CSA has been a marvelous adventure. As for the blog, I think our local farmers' markets will provide much raw material (!) for new recipes and further exploration of the delights of eating locally. I hope you'll come along and explore the world of real food with me!

Another Bonus Box ... Asparagus

Plus some other goodies ... a peppery kind of greens, radishes, and spinach. I've been attempting to "share" my asparagus with friends, family and neighbors ... it is truly fresh and tasty, and of course tastes best when used very fresh.

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.

Slow Food Breadmaking Class

On Saturday, the first ever Slow Food Breadmaking Class got rolling at 9:00 a.m. with six students and three presenters. We learned breadmaking techniques, and shaped and baked personal artisan boules from dough Angela brought. Tracy showed us how to mix and knead molasses-wheat bread, and we shaped little loaves of it to take home and bake.

We also ate a lot of bread! We tasted limpa, molasses-wheat, Ashland bread, chai bread (Angela wants to try it with rye so she can call it chai rye), rosemary sourdough, and 100% whole wheat rolls made from fresh-ground wheat.

As everyone knows, homemade bread is all good, but FRESH homemade bread is ethereal. Using the methods they've been experimenting with from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Tracy and Angela showed us how to keep a bowl of fresh bread dough in the fridge for two weeks, during which time a hunk of it can be shaped and baked anytime you wish. Who isn't for saving work but getting great bread at the same time? Wonderful stuff. And no kneading! Just mix, refrigerate, and the dough is there when you have a hankering for a fresh, crusty loaf.

As always, successful breadmaking results in the desire to experiment further, and try new things. Angela and Tracy are thinking about Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day for their next area of exploration.

Becky talked about her sourdough and wheat-grinding experiences and handed out little containers of sourdough starter for interested bakers. This starter's life began in Becky's parents' grape vineyard ... the yeast was obtained from grapes submerged in flour and water according to the method used in Nancy Silverton's Breads from LaBrea Bakery.

It's an amazing experience to share three hours in a kitchen with eight enthusiastic people who love food, bread, and baking. Hosting a Slow Food class is highly recommended!

Here's our group, except for Angela, who's shown in the next picture taking our artisan boules from the oven. (L-R: Darci, Cathy, James, Tracy, Becky, Madeleine, Peggy, and Lisa.)

Sassy Slaw of Fresh Spring Greens

As tired as I was from a busy day today, the selection of greenery in today's box drew me inexorably to make this crunchy slaw from a British magazine. Once again, the Brits score a hit with a basic dish lifted to sublime heights of earthiness. A bit sweet, a bit tangy, entirely different from typical mayo-laden slaws.

For fun, I've left in the British units of measurement. It was an extra job weighing things to make the conversion, but worth it, I think.

And yes, if you're the one writing the blog, you CAN uses phrases like "sublime heights of earthiness." I write 'em like I taste 'em.

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SASSY SLAW OF FRESH SPRING GREENS
Adapted from British Country Homes magazine

200g CSA greens (I used a mixture of kale, spinach and chard), washed, thick stems removed, and sliced (about 8 cups)
225g cabbage, sliced fine or shredded (about 2 cups)
1 bunch CSA spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 medium apple, cored and diced
15g CSA parsley, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
150g dates (chopped) or plumped raisins (about 1/2 cup)
150g walnut pieces (about 1/2 cup)

4 tablespoons cream or sour cream
150ml walnut oil or canola oil (that's over half a cup, but I used 1/4 cup with great results)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few grinds of black pepper

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients except the walnuts. Stir the dressing in throughly. Serve with walnuts to sprinkle on top. If you mix the walnuts in, they'll go soft if you have leftovers.

Makes 8 or so servings, but it's really good, so seconds will be taken!

Eleventh Box, Eleventh Hour

Seizing the day, seizing the mixed salad greens, spinach, green onions, radishes ... and savoring the experience. More asparagus, and this time some young kale. A hank of chard. We've so enjoyed vegetables of this caliber throughout the farmers-marketless season--it would be tough to go back to store bought next fall.

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.

Bonus Box ... Asparagus

We've been expecting this box, as our farmer let us know we'd have an extra delivery when asparagus harvest got underway. The radishes were a surprise ... and a sweet, crisp accompaniment to our first asparagus dish of the season.