Mushroom Soup for Autumn

This is my updated mushroom soup- the flavor is MUSHROOM.
It's fairly simple and it doesn't take much time. It's the version of mushroom soup I've been using for several years now... one of those things you get to and think, "Ok, I don't need to look any further."
(It's like when you find or figure out your OFFICIAL crème brûlée recipe... I mean, I feel like it's a waste of your time and taste once you know what you want.)
It's also very easily vegan, actually- but I don't think anyone would know it.

There's a little shop at the farmer's market that only sells mushrooms, year round. Hen-of-the-woods, lion's mane, chanterelle, button, oyster, portabella, dried porcinis and morels, candy caps... and truffles- you can always count on finding fresh whole truffles there- in addition to the sliced, pasted, and infused oil versions.
But when it's fall and you're in the mood for something like this, it's a very convenient place- especially if you already find yourself over there.

You can use any mushroom you choose- I used a mix of brown and baby shiitakes here. Mixes make things a bit more interesting, and depending on the type of mushroom, can make the soup more meaty, savory, mushroomy, and robust in flavor.
White button are perfectly fine, of course. What you use is obviously a combination of what you like and what you can find at the time.
Just remember (depending on what you use) certain mushrooms need to be treated differently- fully grown shiitakes have woody stems that you wouldn't want to use. If they're tender though, go ahead and use them.

 

The only thing that's wanting with mushroom soup, in my opinion, is the color. That cement shade is great for a sweater, but sadly, not so much for food. So if you feel the need to add a bit of something for the eye before serving, please do.
See above.
(Charming, right?)

Mushroom Soup
serves 4-8 

1/4 c (60 ml) olive oil 
1/2 large yellow onion, large dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. (454 g) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, halved, or quartered depending on size
4 large garlic cloves, minced
8 oz (227 g) starchy potato (Russet, for instance), peeled and large-diced
3/4 (180 ml) cup white wine
5 cups (1.18 L) chicken broth, vegetable stock, or water- separated
1 T fresh minced oregano (no weight sorry, but visually 1/2 of a golf ball)
2 t fresh minced thyme leaves (again, no weight, but it's 2/3 of the above amount)

For serving:
sour cream
minced chives or parsley  



Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute until a bit golden at the edges. Add the mushrooms another pinch of salt and a few good grinds of pepper, and saute until the mushrooms begin to lose their juices. Add the garlic and stir through about 30 seconds, then add the potato and saute a few minutes until everything is thoroughly mixed and warmed through. 
Pour in the white wine and bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer a couple minutes before adding 4 cups (about 950 ml) of stock or water along with the oregano and thyme. Bring the mixture back up to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cook 10- 15 minutes, or until the potato is soft. 
Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly before using an immersion blender or blending thoroughly in batches- only filling 1/2 to 2/3 full (don't fill a blender with hot liquid as it expands and can explode into a mess...).
Pour each batch into another pan before moving onto the next round. 
If you want the soup a little thinner, depending on evaporation and how dense the potato made the soup, you can add some or all of the extra stock as you puree. 
Season to taste. 
Serve the soup hot.

Ginger-Soy Rice Noodle Salad

I saw a rice noodle salad somewhere several days ago I thought looked pretty good, so I thought I'd try to put one together (mostly, I wanted one for lunch, and this is the outcome that worked fairly well).

As far as a meal like this goes, whether it's room temperature or cold, this type of dish can be nice light meal for a warm summer afternoon or evening- that's where I was going with it.
Or you could add shrimp, chicken, or beef to make it a little more robust.

For this recipe, things are left pretty open- it's mostly lists.
Amounts are to taste as the additions to each individual dish, though I'd say maybe 4-5 oz of noodles for 2-3 people, but anything extra is an easy meal the next day.
Vegetables can be raw, blanched, or given a quick saute.

 

(But whatever you do, as is quite often the case, the best part of the salad is the end since all the goodies that aren't tangled up with everything else fall to the bottom of the bowl to be captured at long last.) 
Quite honestly, after photographing I added a bigger mess of herbs, more vegetables, and I stirred in a bit more sauce before devouring.

A word of warning: the amount of dressing will certainly cover more than two salads- more like four or more. But that's ok.
If you're at all wary about any of the ingredients and the amounts, perhaps add what you like, let it sit to blend, then taste. The dressing by itself could potentially be whack-you-in-the-face strong to some, but when tossed with the bland noodles, it's great... I think I could eat it on lots of things so I'm perfectly fine with the leftovers (stored in a jar in the fridge). Again, go easy on certain ingredients and/or the amount you use when dressing the noodles it if you're at all concerned.
(And don't spill any fish sauce on yourself. A wonderful flavor in smaller doses, great as part of a whole, it's pretty rank by itself and if you spill you'll probably have to change your clothes.)

 

Ginger-Soy Rice Noodle Salad
(Dressing serves at least 4)
Rice noodles (whatever style you choose)

Ginger- Soy Dressing:
1 1/2 T freshly grated ginger
1/4 c (60 ml) tamari or soy sauce
2 t (10 ml) fish sauce
1 1/2 t (8 ml) sriracha (optional if you like a little heat)
1 T plus 1 t (16 g) sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Zest of 1/2 lime, plus 1 T (15 ml) juice 

Vegetable options:
cubed avocado
thinly sliced red pepper
sliced sugar snap peas
cucumber batons
grated or julienned carrots

Fresh herbs:
green onion
basil
cilantro
mint

To serve:
chopped peanuts
caramelized shallots
lime wedges
sriracha

Extras:
cooked shrimp, chicken, or beef



*As there are different types of rice noodles, make sure to cook them according to package instructions. Drain, shock under cool running water, drain well again, and set aside.

Stir together the dressing ingredients in a bowl and let sit at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of your salad ingredients. 

When ready to put salads together dressing noodles, add enough dressing to moisten and loosen the noodles, and toss well to distribute. 

Place noodles in bowl (or bowls) and add vegetables and herbs as desired.
Top with peanuts and shallots, and add extra dressing, lime, or sriracha if you wish.

Roasted Beet and Carrot Soup

I'd been meaning to get this post up for quite a while, more than a year, so finally... here it is.
During my (generally) bi-monthly Saturday walk to the farmers' market yesterday, I had hoped to find what I needed. I was in luck.

I'm grateful to have such a great place close enough to walk (or have a mini-trek). In addition to finding an organic booth of vegetables with all roots $2 per pound (yippee), I found some wonderful pears, blood oranges, and huge passion fruit (which I will be eating in my yogurt for breakfast).
I grabbed bleu cheese for the pears and crème fraîche for the soup from Cowgirl Creamery (!!!), and I was completely set.

The recipe is based on other beet soups, though this is rigged to my own preferences.
I think the ginger and lime are what really make it- bite and zing - and I think both need to be present.
Additionally, a bit of crème fraîche stirred into a bowl adds a nice creamy smoothness and a touch of nutty tang.
With all the roots, it's great for winter or spring- even though it's  a cold soup (it then follows that it also works as a summer starter).
Well... I serve it cold. But warm is an option.
Plus, it's an absolutely fantastic shade of magenta.
And other than the obvious visual, if you're not a beet person there's a good chance you might not even know there are beets by taste alone.

Of course, you can halve the recipe, but if you're serving fewer people I'd recommend making all of it and putting half aside in the freezer for someday down the line (it's like money in the bank).

(P.S. It's a vegetarian soup, but it becomes vegan without the crème fraîche.)


Roasted Beet and Carrot Soup
serves 8-10 as a starter

2 lbs. (a scant kilo) red beets
3/4 lb. (about 340 g) carrots
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (60 ml) olive oil
10 cups (2.36 L) vegetable broth
8 sprigs of parsley
3-4 inches of ginger, divided into one 2 inch and one 1-2 inch portion
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 large cloves of garlic, minced

To serve:
lime wedges
crème fraîche or sour cream


Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C).
Peel the beets and carrots and slice them into 1-2 inch pieces. Toss with about half the olive oil on a rimmed sheet pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the vegetables until they're soft and browned a bit, flipping/stirring once or twice, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the vegetable broth into a large pot. Peel the larger piece of ginger root with a spoon and slice it thinly. Place the sliced ginger in the broth along with the parsley.  Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the vegetable broth infuse.

While the vegetables are roasting and the stock is simmering, warm the rest of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  Saute until softened and translucent, with a bit of caramelization. Add the garlic and warm through about minute, until you can smell it. Set the pan aside to wait for the vegetables in the oven to finish.

Finely grate the second piece of ginger and set aside.

When the vegetables are done, strain the parsley and ginger slices from the broth. Add the onion and garlic, as well as the roasted beets and carrots and the freshly grated ginger (if you're concerned about the amount, perhaps start with less and see what you prefer). Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook everything together about 10 minutes. 

Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. After the soup is completely pureed, adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste (or more ginger while it's still hot if you so desire).

Serve warm with crème fraîche and lime wedges, or chill several hours and serve cold (with the same accompaniments). 

Broccoli Soup

The original purpose of this soup was to use up broccoli stems. MANY people don't like broccoli stems (thus you can find crowns only in the store for purchase- stems removed). And besides, if they're not prepared correctly, peeled namely, they can be tough and woody. This could potentially lead to people not liking them...

The tops of the whole broccoli stalks are cut off when people use them, and the stems sometimes just sit there, sad and neglected in the fridge. And maybe many people don't even bother with that, just throwing them away. If that happens, it's a shame.

But lots of people like broccoli soup: cream of broccoli with tons of cream and topped with cheddar. That's all fine and dandy, but not exactly what this is here.
It's pretty much all vegetables, puréed into a smooth and velvety blend.
Adding the cream and cheese would be up to you in the end, more a finishing note than the base.

It started off as a very eyeballed thing, each time it would be a bit different as measurements were never exact. I've written things down so it's more tangible and there's an actual jumping off point.  Fix it as necessary.

You may not believe there's no cream in here, and if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken,  replace the butter with extra olive oil if you so choose, the soup easily becomes vegan.

The recipe is large. I mean, 4 lb. broccoli? 12 cups broth? Yes.
It can easily be halved.

Serve as is or with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche, plain yogurt, grated cheese, sliced green onion.


Broccoli Soup
Serves 8 (generously) or more

4 lb. (1.8 kg) broccoli (I like a combination of crowns and stems, but whatever you have works)
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
2 T  (30 g) butter
1 large onion, large dice
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium potato (Russet or maybe Yukon Gold), peeled, quartered and cut into pieces
12 c (2.8 L) vegetable or chicken broth, plus more as necessary
A good pinch cayenne pepper, more as you require
Freshly ground nutmeg (I like about 1/2 a whole nutmeg grated directly into the pot)
Baby spinach (optional, but it will add iron and give a boost to the shade of your soup)
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt


Cut the crowns from the broccoli stems. Separate the florets and place them in a large bowl. Cut the dry end from the stem and peel the outer layer from the stems using a paring knife (it comes off nicely in strips). Cut the stems into 1 inch slices and set aside.

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and sauté until it begins to caramelize. Add the carrot and onion, and continue to sauté the vegetables several more minutes. Add the sliced broccoli stems, potato, and garlic, and stir to coat everything in the oil and begin to warm the garlic.

Pour in the broth, a dash of cayenne (I maybe use 1/8 t or so total, but you may want to start with less), several grinds of fresh black pepper, and a good pinch of salt. Bring the soup to a boil, stir, reduce to a simmer, cover with a cocked lid, and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the broccoli stems are easily pierced with a knife, add the florets, stir them through, and continue simmering the soup 10-15 minutes longer, until the broccoli florets are easily pierced with a knife.

Carefully purée the soup in batches in a blender (only filling the blender about 2/3 full, holding the top on with a folded kitchen towel as you blend), adding a small handful of spinach to each batch before blending if you choose. Pour the soup into another pot and continue blending the rest of the soup.
If extra liquid is required for the consistency, you can use water or extra hot broth (or, of course, cream if you like).

Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary: salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg.
Serve warm with garnishes as desired. 

Tempura

I had to put this one up as soon as I could because all potential options are not available year-round.

It's pretty much the soft shelled crab that I do this for- I don't spend time year-round battering and frying food.
But soft shelled crab is a once-a-year thing, and that's it.

Tempura is light-ish, as far as fried foods go, and nice appetizer idea.
Shrimp, vegetables.... and, as above, really nice with soft-shelled crab for a meal if you can get your hands on some.

Vegetable options include green beans, carrots, sweet potato, squash or zucchini, squash blossoms,  asparagus, broccoli/broccolini, sliced onions or whole green onions, eggplant...

Obviously, you'll need fry in rounds, and you certainly won't want to be making it for a huge crowd. AND, you'll want to give the oil a chance to come back up to heat between rounds as necessary. I can be personally guilty of not doing this, as I want to hurry up and get it done, but it can lead to oil-logged tempura (not quite so nice).

For me, all it needs is a squeeze of lemon and maybe a sprinkle of salt right after it's removed from the hot oil... Maybe some chili sauce if you need a little heat.
Wow. Especially that crab. So good. 
And of course, it's all best right off the heat.

Tempura Batter
(coats about 12 soft shelled crabs)

3/4 c plus 3 T (144 g) white rice flour, plus more to dredge
3/4 c (104 g) cornstarch
3/4 t (6 g) salt
1/2 t (4 g) baking soda
1 large egg, cold
1 1/2 c (360 ml) sparkling water, cold

soft shelled crabs (*gills removed by you or your fishmonger), shrimp, vegetables (onion, broccoli, zucchini, etc.) to fry
neutral vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, etc.) for frying

Whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.

When ready, heat a dutch oven over medium heat with about 2 inches or so of oil.  Dust the crab (or the onion rings, or broccoli, etc.) with rice flour and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200-225 F (94-107 C) and place a paper towel lined sheet pan inside.
When the oil reaches 350-375 F (175-190 C) finish the tempura batter.
Whisk the egg and sparkling water together and pour into the cold flour mixture. Whisk the batter together until combined.
Quickly coat a crab with the batter and place it in the hot oil. Repeat with 1-2 more crabs, however many fit comfortably in the pot. Let the crab fry a couple minutes, until a pale golden, then flip it so the other side cooks about the same amount of time.
Remove crabs to the paper towel lined sheet pan in the oven to stay warm and drain a bit.
Repeat with the remaining crabs and/or vegetables, perhaps giving it a minute between batches to come back up to heat (too cool and your batter soaks up extra oil).
Perhaps sprinkle with salt and serve with lemon wedges, chili sauce, or as desired.

Green Soup

Sometimes when you're sad, you have no appetite. And when you do eat something, it just crumbles in your mouth with a texture and taste like sawdust. Overall, food is just unappealing.

You may have a group to commiserate with, depending on the situation, but that certainly has both good and bad points. Camaraderie if you don't really care how you look vs. don't-make-eye-contact-or-you-won't-keep-your-composure.
Your call.

Though, to me, soup can be entirely different when it comes to foods at times like these (or at the very least a more palatable choice). Soup is good for sadness. It is in a way comforting on it's own, especially if it's of the warm and creamy persuasion. And if it has a little kick, there's a bit of liveliness and a different warmth that you're not entirely able to ignore.

I like soup, no matter what, but there are times that soup as a dish is imminently appropriate, and totally fits the bill. It seems nothing else will do.

I'm now thinking that soup would be best following funerals, especially funerals on snowy days.

This is a soup I've made a couple times in the past couple weeks.

One that I initially put together late one afternoon knowing I didn't want to go back out that day and that I could figure something out after going through a well-stocked fridge.
I'm glad I took notes because I enjoyed it (and frankly, it seems the other eaters were ok with it, too).

"Green Soup" has variety of vegetables, can be whipped up in less than an hour, is a springy shade of green, and is good for you and tastes pretty good, too. It has a velvety texture, and while the recipe as written calls for a touch of light cream, it's entirely unnecessary and you could make this and end up with a "creamy" vegan soup. You wouldn't even miss the cream. 

If you like, serve with a bit of grated cheese- cheddar and Parmesan are really nice for their zing.

And as another note or two before we move on to the recipe: most of it is estimation of vegetable size. I don't call for much weights and measures here. So, because this is the case (volume inexactitude), you'll have to play some of it by ear and likely end up with a slightly different soup each time. Start with the 6 cups of stock, and add more (or make that extra a cup of water) if necessary to thin it out. However, you may want to wait until closer to the end of cooking time to finally decide whether to add it to increase the liquid to veg ratio (maybe before you add the broccoli florets is best).
Don't overcook the broccoli florets- they're greatly what gives the soup it's nice shade.


Green Soup
serves 6 or more, depending on the eaters

3 T (90 ml) olive oil
3 medium leeks, white and light green part only
1 medium onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, top and bottom removed sliced lengthwise, then into 1/2 inch half moons
1 medium potato (or 2-3 small potatoes to amount to a medium one)
6-7 c (1.4 to 1.65 liters) vegetable or chicken broth
1 lb, 4 oz (about 570 g) broccoli
1/8 t cayenne pepper (0.4 g if you have a sensitive scale, otherwise a nice pinch)
1 t (2 g) freshly ground black pepper 
Freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 c (125 ml) light cream, optional (half and half, or heavy cream or crème fraîche if you wish)
Salt, as necessary

Slice the root end off the leeks then slice them in half lengthwise. Slice the leeks into 1/2 inch pieces, and place them in a bowl of cold water. Agitate and soak a bit, then pull the leek pieces out of the water and into a strainer (instead of pouring the bowl of leeks and water out through a strainer- leave the sand and grit at the bottom of the bowl instead of putting it back on your leeks).
Drain well.

Warm the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan (such as enameled cast iron) over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion, and saute 3-5 minutes until slightly wilted and the onions are translucent.

Add the minced garlic and saute about 30 seconds, before adding the prepared zucchini and potato. Stir so that everything is coated in oil, then pour in 6 cups of broth.

While the broth is warming, prepare the broccoli. Remove the florets from the stems and place them in a bowl. Set aside. Remove the ends of the stems, and peel the tough outer layer from the stalks. Slice the peeled portions of broccoli stems and add them to the pot.

Add the cayenne and black pepper to the soup, as well as several good grinds of nutmeg.
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. If you so choose, add the extra liquid about 12 minutes in, then add the broccoli florets after 15 minutes. Cook the soup the last 5 minutes, at which time the broccoli tops will have turned a bright green. 

Remove the pot from the heat and puree in batches, carefully filling the blender only 1/2- 2/3 full. Pour the pureed soup into another pot or tureen, and continue to puree the remaining soup.
When finished, add the cream if desired and taste for seasonings. Adjust as necessary.

Serve as is, or with grated cheddar or Parmesan.

Lentil Soup, Plain and Simple

When I say this is plain and simple lentil soup, I mean that it's not flashy. However, that does not mean it isn't good.
Lentil soup may not be the most gorgeous potage of all time, but it can really be nice and comforting when it's cold outside.
This version of lentil soup is thick, not too brothy, as some lentil soups can be. I suppose in a way it's like split pea soup, but the lentils won't break down very much as those peas tend to do. 
And not being a puree, there's just a bit of tooth to it.

The other thing about this soup is that it contains what I consider staples. The carrots, onions, garlic, celery and olive oil, plus broths are things that should be present in a well-stocked kitchen. Maybe not everyone has lentils laying around, but they're not a bad thing to have in the pantry. Dried and easy to store, they're just waiting to be used.  If they're not already present in your cabinet, perhaps they should be considered as you can easily create a meal without having to run out to the store.

Besides being low in fat and high in fiber, a thick and hearty lentil soup is filling and fabulous in winter. It has a way of really hitting the spot on a frigid day.

Keep some extra broth or water handy in case you’d like to thin it out- perhaps keeping an eye on things as it goes,  and maybe taste the broth for seasoning near the end to see if you’d like a bit more thyme or oregano... just so it gets  a chance to cook together and meld.

Possible soup accompaniments:
olive oil
vinegar
plain yogurt or sour cream
minced fresh parsley, cilantro, or sliced green onions

Lentil Soup 
serves 6-10

3 cups (620 g)  French lentils
3 T (75 ml) olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 T (40 g) tomato paste
6 large cloves garlic, minced
9 cups (2. 12 liters) vegetable broth 
1 T (17 g) kosher salt
3/4 t (less than 1 g, so to taste) freshly ground black pepper
1 t (1 g) dried thyme
1 t (1 g) dried oregano


Rinse the lentils well and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and saute several minutes until the onion is translucent and just begins to color. Add the tomato paste and continue to stir about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 30 seconds, until it warms through and begins to smell garlicky.

Pour in the vegetable broth as well as the rinsed lentils. Add salt, pepper, the thyme and oregano, and stir everything through the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place a cocked lid on top of pot and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding extra broth or water if the soup becomes too thick.
Season to taste and serve as desired.

Snowy Day Sauerkraut

One of yesterday's projects...

Instructions here

Turkish Chopped Salad

Sometimes you want a substantial salad, one packed with vegetables. 

I know there are times in my life when all I've craved has been tons of good, fresh fruits and vegetables. Off the top of my head I can certainly think of those times when I was home from college (as college dormitories are not notorious for their great produce), and after returning from Africa.

Turkish chopped salad is a great salad for summer with all the fresh vegetables available. Things are even better if you have a garden that can supply you with almost everything you need.

Another plus: this salad is going to keep it's shape, and won't quickly turn into a wilted mess on you.

Turkish Chopped Salad
Adapted from Casa Moro
serves 8 or more

1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, deseeded, and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
1/3 large red onion, cut into 1 cm dice
10 oz (290 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 c (12 g) fresh minced cilantro

1/4 c (12 g) fresh minced parsley

1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 T (30 ml) lemon juice
1/2 c (120 ml) olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
plain yogurt (milk or cream added if not a pourable consistency)
3-4 T (42-56 g) butter, melted in a saucepan on medium low and heated until browned and nutty, cooled slightly
chile flakes

Place the cucumber, red pepper, green pepper, red onion, cherry tomato, cilantro and parsley. Zest the lemon on top of the prepared vegetables.  
In a  small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and and pepper.  Adjust the seasonings as necessary, and carefully fold the dressing into the vegetables until everything is coated.  
If plating the salads individually, place a portion of salad on each plate. Spoon yogurt over the top of each salad, drizzle with a bit of the browned butter, and sprinkle with chile flakes. 
If preparing a large salad, spoon the salad onto a large platter or shallow bowl, add the yogurt, butter, and chile flakes on top. 

Spring Salad

Not that I haven't used the phrase before, but I absolutely love this salad.

This one in particular is chock-full of many of the flavors of spring: fresh new green veggies- particularly peas and asparagus, verdant parsley, a little sharpness from alliums, plus bright lemon.
It's the taste of spring on a plate.

Once we start to find lots of green and new vegetables at the market, it's a reminder that warm weather is on it's way.
Fresh cut grass, daffodils, violets, and peonies, new leaves, flowering trees, lighter clothing, allergies, planting the garden...

Everything is fresh.
(And speaking of spring, salads look like little green nests sometimes, don't you think?)

I like a vinaigrette with tons of vibrant flavor. The only real way for me to be sure of this is to measure and pay attention instead of eyeballing things. If I've got too much asparagus, the vinaigrette is stretched a bit too far. If not enough lemon, there's not enough zip.

Plus, you'll want to make sure the vegetables are well drained and dry(ish) before adding the vinaigrette. Water does not tend to help vinaigrettes.

Sorry, I wasn't able to obtain pea tendrils for photographing this post, but if you are able to find them and choose to finish your salads with the curly, delicate things, you won't be disappointed.

The salad components can be prepared in advance, but keep everything separate until ready to serve. Resist dressing the vegetables until right before assembling the salads and serving.

Spring Salad
(serves about 6)

zest of one lemon (plus more to taste, if desired)

2 1/2 T (37 ml) Lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with salt
1 1/2-2 T (15-20 g) minced shallot (depending on how strong you like it)
1 t (5 ml) Dijon mustard
7 T (105 ml) olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

1 lb (454 g) asparagus 

8 oz (227 g) sugar snap peas
mixed greens or baby spinach (about 5 oz or 142 g, but you may not use all of it)

2/3 c (60 g) chopped green onions (or maybe ramps)

1/3 c (20 g) parsley, minced
Parmesan shavings (use a vegetable peeler)

pea tendrils (optional garnish, but both pretty and tasty)

Mix lemon juice and zest,  garlic, shallot, and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, all the while whisking. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 

Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Meanwhile, trim the asparagus and cut into 1 inch lengths. Reserve the tops separately from the pieces of stalk. Remove the strings from the sugar snap peas and cut in half on the bias. 
When the water comes to a boil, salt generously. Make sure to have a large bowl of ice water at the ready.  
Cook the asparagus stems about 2 minutes, remove from the hot water, and plunge them into the ice water. Next, cook the sugar snap peas about 1 minute, and add them to the cold water along with the asparagus. 
Remove the vegetables to a colander to drain once completely chilled. 
Cook the asparagus tips 1 minute and remove to the bowl of cold water. Once these have chilled,  drain and remove them to small bowl separate from the other vegetables. 

Prepare plates with a layer of greens. 
Re-whisk the previously prepared vinaigrette and gently toss the vinaigrette together with the well-drained asparagus stalks and sugar snap peas, green onion and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper as necessary and spoon dressed vegetables into the center of each nest of greens. Divide the asparagus tips among the salads to garnish and top with Parmesan shavings and pea tendrils (if using).