Volume 2 Issue 5 (May 2007)

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May 2007, Volume 2 Issue 5
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In This Issue:
Welcome to the May eFoodletter
Alan's Recipes of the Month: Grilled Asparagus with Peanut Sauce, Chilled Asparagus Soup and Asparagus Risotto
Who We Are and How to Reach Us
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Welcome to the May eFoodletter

Wow! What a month! We closed one store and opened another. May December Home opened for business on the 17th, offering cool stuff for home and entertaining. There's even a blog to go with it, with lots of ideas for living well with, well, junk.

In the meantime, Alan is driving through the countryside, selling his bread at Farmer's Markets across the land. And possibly picking up a few new wholesale accounts for the granola, as well.

We've eaten many pounds of local asparagus (recipes to follow) and had a family of mourning doves build a nest, hatch a family and move on, all in the space of a few weeks. The speed
of departure was understandable, they went from looking comfortable and serene:


to looking insanely overcrowded almost overnight:


Life is full of adventures. I hope you can pick and choose yours as you see fit.
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Alan's Recipes of the Month

Asparagus with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
2 med Garlic Cloves, very finely chopped
1 T Fresh Ginger, grated
1 T Rice Wine Vinegar
1 T Soy Sauce
2 T Sesame Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lb Fresh Asparagus, tough ends snapped off
2 T Peanut Butter, preferably the kind with just peanuts, although the supermarket variety will work as well
2 T Fresh Cilantro Leaves, finely chopped
2 med Scallions (Spring Onions), White and Green parts finely chopped

Method
Fire up either the barbecue or the broiler.
Whisk together the garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and the sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Take two tablespoons of this mixture and toss it with the asparagus (to coat each piece). Whisk the peanut butter and cilantro into the remaining mixture. Whisk in two tablespoons of water to thin it.
Grill the asparagus, turning occasionally, until cooked (5-7 minutes, depending on the size of the stalks). Alternately, spread the stalks out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place about four inches under the hot broiler - shaking the pan after about four minutes to rotate the stalks - until cooked (about 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the stalks).
Place the cooked asparagus on a serving platter and pour the peanut sauce overtop. Sprinkle the scallions on top and serve.

Serves 4 as an appetizer.


Chilled Asparagus Soup

Ingredients
1 lb Fresh Asparagus, the fresher the better
1/2 Avocado
1 stalk Celery, roughly chopped (optional)
2 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 T Soy Sauce (or low sodium Tamari Sauce)
2 t Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 sm Garlic Clove
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme, leaves only
2 t Fresh Tarragon
pinch Cayenne
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
Cut the asparagus four inches from the top. Place the tips in a blender and reserve the rest for another use. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and pour in 12 ounces of water. Puree until very smooth. Pass the soup through a fine-mesh strainer. Adjust the taste for salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
That's correct, this is a raw soup. You will be amazed at how easy and tasty it is. Remember, it all depends on how fresh the asparagus is (if you buy it in the supermarket, it won't be as good).
Serve in small white bowls, if you have them. Garnish with the other half of the avocado cut up into little cubes.

Serves 4.



Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients
1/2 small Onion, or two shallots, finely chopped
1 small Garlic Clove, finely chopped
2 slices Bacon, roughly chopped
2 T Extra-virgin Olive Oil
3/4 c Arborio Rice (better if you can get Carnaroli Rice)
1/2 c Dry White Wine
2 c Chicken Stock, or water
1 lb Fresh Asparagus
1/2 c Best Quality Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
2 T Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method
Place the onion, garlic, bacon and olive oil in a medium pan and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft. Meanwhile, heat up the stock so that it can be poured hot into the risotto. When the onion is soft, add the rice and stir to mix. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and stir constantly until the pan is almost dry. Add 1 cup of the stock and stir occasionally as it cooks.
Cut the top two inches of the asparagus off and place in a small pan with cold water. Bring the pan to a boil over high heat. When the pan has come to a boil, strain and plunge the tips into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain when cool and set aside.
Cut four more inches off the asparagus and discard the rest. Cut the four inch pieces into two inch pieces, place them in a small pan with cold water and bring the pan to a boil over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer the asparagus until very tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the asparagus and puree it in a food processor until very smooth (add a bit of water to thin it if you need to). If you want, pass the puree through a fine-mesh strainer. Season the puree with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Continue to add the stock to the risotto as it cooks into the rice and evaporates in the pan. Stirring occasionally is okay, here; no need to stir constantly.
As you get close to using up all of the stock, taste the rice to see if it is cooked yet. It should still be firm, but not chalky, or stick in your teeth.
When the rice is almost cooked, stir in the puree and the tips.
When the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

visit us on the web at: www.pannifers.blogspot.com

(check it out - the website for the May December Home)

Cheers!

Barb & Alan