Chicken Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Snow Peas, and My Thoughts on Carbon Steel Woks
May 11, 2010 by Andrea
Filed under Asian, Main Course, Poultry
My carbon steel wok is 13 years old and a treasured part of my kitchen gear. I found it for $5 on a clearance table and snapped it up, and that little bargain has proven invaluable over time. It wasn’t my first wok as I had given the nonstick woks a try, but after going through two of them and throwing them away due to peeling, I decided to go with carbon steel, which seasons over time similar to a good cast iron pan. It’s on the smallish side, about 12 inches across, but the size has been perfect for our family, up until recently. Read more
Spring Greens Salad with Asparagus, Snow Peas, Radishes, and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
Our spring garden is not as full as the summer garden, but each year we add a little more with the hope that eventually we will have a large cool weather garden space. This spring we planted snow peas, sugar snap peas, rhubarb, three kinds of radishes, two kinds of radicchio, butterhead and romaine lettuce, red Russian kale, arugula, three kinds of chard, beets, green onions, shallots, dill, and cilantro. I still have a couple new rosemary plants (Arp variety) to put in the ground, but we need to finish prepping their new home first. And then there’s the blueberries which will finally go into their permanent home now that Michael tackled the enormous job of transplanting a dozen rose bushes to make room for the blueberries. Read more
Creamy Asparagus Soup
April 19, 2010 by Andrea
Filed under Soups & Stews
“I don’t like that.”
Those words popped out of Monkey Boy’s mouth when I said we were having creamy asparagus soup for dinner, before he had even seen it. This is his new favorite thing to do at every meal. Anything he doesn’t recognize is automatically assigned to the “don’t like” category, which is growing longer than my arm. Read more
Asparagus Quiche with Mushrooms and Shallots
April 12, 2010 by Andrea
Filed under Breakfast, Vegetables
If I had to choose a favorite spring vegetable, it would be a tie between asparagus and snow peas. Pencil-thin asparagus stalks look so pretty on a plate and like snow peas it tastes delicious either fresh or cooked. Though we don’t yet grow our own asparagus, the thought has crossed our minds on several occasions. We keep looking around the yard trying to decide where we want to put everything we want to grow, and we just haven’t chosen a place yet for asparagus. Things are getting tight in some spots so we have to think carefully about how plants will work together before building more beds and putting in anything else. Read more
Roasted Asparagus with Orange Ginger Glaze
April 23, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Vegetables
“Can I have one?” asked Builder Guy and Top Gun as I took the roasted asparagus out of the oven. I handed a spear to each of them, and they noshed on it while I plated the asparagus and drizzled the orange ginger glaze on top. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to cook vegetables, and I enjoy the fresh flavor a fruity glaze adds. I’ll take a light glaze such as this over a heavy cream sauce any day. This recipe makes a family-sized amount, but you can cut it in half for a smaller group. You can also make this with green beans, if you prefer. Read more
Roasted Asparagus
May 1, 2006 by Andrea
Filed under Vegetables
Often the best foods are simply prepared with minimal fuss and ingredients, and that is the case with roasted vegetables. With just some extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and maybe some herbs, you can have a delicious and pretty side dish to serve for a weeknight meal or for special weekend dinners. I love roasted asparagus in the springtime. The spears are long and colorful, and they make a simple yet elegant presentation with any meal.
Asparagus can make a fun vegetable for kids. I cut up some spears for my toddler during Sunday dinner, and after he devoured the bites he reached over and grabbed a whole spear off my plate and began chewing on it with great gusto! Read more
