A Souper Easter Celebration: Asparagus Style

Easter dinner can present a challenge for those who preach the benefits of eating local. While all around me, the markets and green grocers are showing off their bountiful displays of artichokes, mushrooms, spring onions, and asparagus, my CSA share is presenting me with more turnips, potatoes, and when I'm lucky, kale and spinach. Good things, yes, but right now I want a big helping of the tastes of the coming season, not more of what I"ve been enjoying all winter.

So, I figure, it's the holiday, why not indulge? And so we did. Big globe artichokes from California were trimmed, blanched, and sauteed in olive oil and garlic! Mushrooms of various types and sizes were sauteed and turned into sauce for veal chops--at least those were locally and humanely-- raised by Tim Rocha of Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland, NH. Heron Pond Farm of Hampton Falls' potatoes were sliced thin and combined with leeks in a cheese-filled potato gratin. But there was still all that asparagus calling my name. My sister Robin suggested an asparagus soup. Perfection!

We had some homemade chicken stock in the freezer and a bottle of  Brookford Farm buttermilk in the fridge, which seemed like it would be a lighter, tangier substitute for cream. All we needed were some of those nice spring onions!                         

To prepare the soup, I reserved the asparagus tips, snapped off the bottoms and cut the remaining stalks into inch-long pieces. The onions were chopped and then sweated in a little butter over low heat for 25 minutes. Next, I poured in the stock and the asparagus stalk pieces and simmered until the vegetables were soft. Then, I put the soup in the blender -- in batches, of course -- and blended until smooth.

When I was ready to serve the soup, I spooned it into a sauce pan, added the buttermilk, and combined. Lastly, I chopped the asparagus tips, sauteed them briefly and sprinkled them on top of each bowl. Finally, I added some fresh-snipped chives from the garden for a delicious start to a spring-inspired meal.

I'm already looking forward to having this soup again when the local asparagus is in. Then, I'll serve it cold -- with a little topping of creme fraiche.

Cream of Asparagus Soup 

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
2 c. chopped yellow onions
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1  qt. chicken stock, preferably homemade
1  lbs. asparagus
1/4 to 1/2 c. buttermilk, depending on how thick you want the soup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chives for a garnish

Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a heavy 4-quart pot and simmer the onions over low heat, stir frequently, until very soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

2. Snap off the ends of the asparagus, then trim the tips and reserve. Cut remaining stalks into 1-inch pieces. Add to the chicken stock and onions, and simmer until soft.

3. Blend soup in small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Be careful as this is very hot!)
Soup can be made to this point and refrigerated until ready to serve, later in the day.

4. Pour soup into a large saucepan and add the buttermilk. Stir over low heat until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Chop the asparagus tops into 1/4" pieces. Sauteed briefly until just cooked. Pour soup into serving bowls, top with asparagus tips and chives, and serve.

Shank of the Season: Braised Osso Buco

I view snow on April Fool's Day as Mother Nature's way of reminding us New Englanders not to get too caught up in some romantic vision of spring. But instead of becoming dispirited, I say, salute this mercurial season with a dish that tastes a little lighter than the stews and braises of winter, but still has enough  flavor to be savored in front of a roaring fire with a nice bottle of red wine.

To me, that means veal shanks. I actually have a lovely, light almost Easter-dinner worthy recipe of shanks with pea tendrils and a lemon risotto, but  a cool, blustery Spring day demands something a little more substantial, with a sauce that's redolent of mushrooms, root vegetables, and tomato.

Some people who eagerly tuck into other meat feel guilty about eating veal, but those of us who live in the Seacoast have access to local veal that is humanely raised. Mind you, this is not the pale white stuff you'd find in a supermarket. No, this veal is deep pink, with a real meaty flavor; that's because the little critters actually get to spend some time outdoors. We usually get our veal from Kellie Brook Farm, but there are other local farmers who also offer delicious, guilt-free veal.  

From what I've read, traditional osso bucco, which is Italian for bone with a hole, was made with white wine, flavored with cinnamon, bay leaf, and a gremolata of finely chopped lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. This version, an invention of my brother-in-law Dave, was inspired by a couple of recipes in  Molly Steven's cookbook, All About Braising: the Art of Uncomplicated Cooking, though I must admit the delicious fennel/coriander coating for the shanks was all his idea.

While risotto is the classic accompaniment for osso bucco, we served it with farro (which is Italian after all), and some braised local chard. Add in some candlelight and you have a perfect fireside meal for a cold spring night.

Braised Veal Shanks ala Dave

Ingredients

1 T fennel seeds, toasted

1 T coriander seeds, toasted

Dash of salt
Couple grind of pepper
Handful of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked until soft in hot water to cover, then coarsely chopped
6 veal shanks, 2” thick
2 T olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 small carrots, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped, peeled tomatoes (We used 1/3 cup of our own roasted San Marzano tomatoes)
1 cup Madeira wine
Parchment paper to fit casserole

Instructions
1. Toast fennel and coriander seeds until fragrant. Grind with mortar and pestle or in spice grinder.
2. Rub the shanks with the spice mixture, salt, and pepper.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. In an oven-proof casserole large enough to hold all meat and vegetables, heat 2T olive oil until it shimmers.
5. Brown shanks carefully on all sides, about 15 or 20 minutes, taking care not to burn seeds. Add more oil if the pan is going dry. Remove shanks to platter.
6. Add onions and carrots to pan, scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan as vegetables release their moisture. When vegetables have softened, add garlic and stir, taking care not to let it burn.

7. Strain mushroom soaking liquid and add to pan along with the Madeira. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and stir.

8. Nestle shanks into braising pan amongst the vegetables, and add any juices that have accumulated on platter. Liquid should come up about half way around the meat. If needed, add water.

9. Cover pan with parchment paper, add lid and cook in oven for about 2 hours, until meat is very tender and almost falling off the bones.

10. Remove shanks to platter and cover with foil. Skim off fat from the sauce in the pan and taste for flavor. If it tastes weak, bring to a boil over high heat to reduce volume and concentrate the flavor. Taste for salt and pepper.

11. Spoon sauce over the shanks and serve.

Reinventing String Beans and Ham

It all started with the ham steak that my brother-in-law Dave bought from Tim Rocha at Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland, NH last Friday. Usually we only have ham twice a year. Once in the fall, using a recipe based on my mother's Pennsylvania Dutch braised string beans and ham. And again at our Christmas party when I bake a whole ham with an orange marmalade glaze. Never mind tradition--Dave had a hankering for ham steak, cooked on the grill. I kiddingly said, "Well, maybe we should make string beans and potatoes to go with it." "Why not?" Dave joked back.

Why not indeed? After all, right now, string beans at their peak of flavor  -- as opposed to the tough, old ones I look for when I'm going to braise them toward season's end. And tiny new potatoes are just coming in -- and at their most delicate. Just for fun, I started looking through a few cookbooks. It wasn't long before I found something I was dying to try in the Fields of Greens cookbook.

Greens is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. In fact, I think they were one of the first restaurants to elevate vegetarian cooking to the level of fine cuisine. In this particular recipe, the green beans are blanched and the potatoes are first roasted, then grilled, which gives them a deep, earthy taste. (If you don't have a grill, you can just use the roasted potatoes.) You mix the beans and potatoes together with cherry tomatoes and a blender salad dressing that combines champagne wine vinegar, chopped garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. The salad looks beautiful and tastes even better.

Dave grilled his ham steak with some mustard and balsamic vinegar, and grilled some fresh peaches that we'd bought that day from Susan McGeough at White Gate Farm in Epping, NH, to put on the side. And there it was: ham and string bean perfection on a warm, mid-summer evening. I'm sure we'll be having it again. And I think I'm going to be looking through this and my other Greens cookbooks for more summer vegetable recipe ideas.

Grilled New Potato Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Summer Beans, and Basil
from Fields of Greens, New Vegetarian Recipes from the Celebrated Greens Restaurant

Ingredients
2 pounds new potatoes
Light olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 pound fresh summer beans: green, yellow wax, green or yellow Romano
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sweet 100s or pears
1 handful frisée or salad greens (optional)
Basil-Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Champagne vinegar
12 Niçoise or Gaeta olives (I didn't use these -- my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage rebelled at the though of olives wth ham and strong beans -- but I'm sure it would be a delicious addition)

Instructions
1. Prepare the grill, if using.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes in a baking dish with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cover and roast until tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. (Keep checking if you're using tiny new potatoes like we did.) Set aside to cool. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters if large, then slide them onto skewers for grilling. If the grill grates are close together, skewers won't be necessary. (We left the tiny potatoes whole and used a grill basket.)
3. While the potatoes are roasting, remove the stem ends from the beans and cut in half diagonally or leave whole if they are small. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Drop beans in the water and cook until just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, depending on their size. Rinse under cold water and set aside to drain. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half or leave whole if small. Wash the salad greens if using, and dry them in a spinner. Make the vinaigrette.
4. Place the potatoes on the grill, cut side down and grill until they're golden, crisp, and grill marks appear. Slide the grilled potatoes from the skewers and toss with the beans, cherry tomatoes, and vinaigrette. Adjust the seasoning, if needed, with a splash of Champagne vinegar and salt and pepper. Loosely arrange the greens on a platter, spoon the vegetables over, and garnish with the olives (if using).

Serves four

Basil-Garlic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

Instructions
Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth.
Makes about 1/2 cup