 A few weeks ago, one of our friends on twitter was talking about a fresh delivery of asparagus she received and what she was going to make with it, this Asparagus and Rice soup.
Luckily, she pointed me to a recipe and, you know, we’re always looking for new asparagus recipes.
We are extremely lucky here in Seattle. The asparagus is sweet, tender… Fantastic. I think there’s only one problem with asparagus here. It only sticks around for barely two months, if that.
We easily go through 1-2 pounds a week while it is here, and we’ve posted quite a few recipes using it, but, we’re always torn.
We have our favorite preparations (like Rosemary and Parmesan Crusted Asparagus, Planked Asparagus, Roasted Asparagus with Hazelnuts and Parmesan and our normal standby, Oven Roasted Asparagus).
Do we stick with those that we know and love, knowing that asparagus is such a short-lived commodity, or do we explore new recipes, possibly ruining the spears with a bad recipe, but hopefully getting a new recipe to share with our readers.
Continue reading Asparagus and Rice Soup
 Roasted Aspargus with Morels and Horseradish Sauce Today I want to tell you about one of my very favorite vendors at the University District Farmers Market – Mair Farm-Taki. They take a break from the markets during the winter and early spring and come April, I’m looking for their narrow booth every week. This past weekend, I was finally rewarded. Mair Farm-Taki is back! They have some of the most unique and interesting items throughout the year. I’ve gotten fresh and candied ginger, umeboshi paste, taro root, yuzu, and fresh horseradish.
Fresh. Horseradish.
Fresh. Horseradish.
Continue reading Roasted Asparagus and Morels with Fresh Horseradish Sauce
 Spot Prawn and Asparagus Risotto
Sometimes I really second guess my cooking chops. Until I found myself with both spot prawns and asparagus in the fridge, I had no idea that shrimp and asparagus risotto was such a common dish. But apparently it is. I can count at least three cookbooks in our collection that feature a variation of this recipe and dozens of pages of recipes online. I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised. Asparagus pairs nicely with Parmesan cheese, a common ingredient in risottos and prawns have a round, rich, sweet flavor which should be perfect with the creamy risotto. So why not?
Continue reading Spot Prawn and Asparagus Risotto
 First of the Season Asparagus Asparagus is finally back at the farmers markets. At least for the next week or two, if you want local asparagus, you’ll have to get to the market early, no later than half an hour after opening. The first farm to return with asparagus this year was Alm Hill Gardens. They are selling this early asparagus for $6/lb and it is about the sweetest asparagus you’ll ever taste. In fact, it was so good that I have a little confession at the end of this recipe.
Now let’s talk about balsamic vinegar. That’s not local, right? So why is it a main ingredient in this recipe? Well, two reasons. One, we love it. So we do make an exception and buy non-local balsamic vinegar. But now, we don’t have to. Rockridge Orchards showed up at the University District Farmers Market this weekend with Rocksalmic Vinegar. It’s a 100% apple wine vinegar aged in French Oak barrels for 7 years. They’ve done it. They’ve made balsamic. When I found out I told Wade I loved him. I don’t think my husband minded. Granted, at $15/bottle, I won’t use this balsamic in everyday recipes. I’ll save it for dipping and drizzling. It is just wonderful to know that we finally have a high quality balsamic available in Seattle. Vancouver Island has balsamic vinegar as well, but as far as I know, they aren’t exporting to the U.S., so you’ll have to travel to buy some.
Continue reading Asparagus with Balsamic Rhubarb Reduction
Prosciutto wrapped halibut
After some web searching and thinking, I decided on this recipe (or a close approximation of it). We had most of the ingredients, and it sounded tasty. Turns out, it was exceedingly tasty and pretty simple too. This recipe was so good that I might even make it for parties or special occasions.
A word on the ingredients: the spinach came from Alm Hill Gardens, the sage was from our garden, and the asparagus was from Alvarez Farms. The only non-local ingredient we used was some thinly sliced prosciutto we picked up from Whole [...]
We’ve been overdosing on asparagus recently. We buy at least 3 pounds every week at the farmers markets, and sometimes have even stopped at a local store or two for some of their local asparagus (yes, Whole Foods and PCC have local asparagus now too!).
Creamy asparagus salad with tarragon
We’ve been serving it roasted, Parmesan crusted, and planked. But last night I picked up some fresh tarragon and dressed those tasty little spears with a simple bit of dressing. As an added bonus, I threw some of the dressing on chicken, and later, some spinach [...]
I think from the middle of April through the beginning of June, you could probably call this blog Cook Local Asparagus. After all, this delicious vegetable is only available for a few short weeks a year and while it is available, we eat it as often as we possibly can. Even though we love it simply roasted and finished with some Parmesan, we’re always looking for new ways to serve it. I found this recipe while browsing Tastespotting a few weeks ago.
Parmesan crusted asparagus
Rosemary and Parmesan Crusted Asparagus, adapted [...]
Every spring, my wife and I have a torrid love affair.
We do it with each others approval and we are both unabashed about it. It only lasts a couple months.
Asparagus steals our hearts, our minds, our souls, and, yes, our fresh smelling pee. But despite this love, we hit, well, lets call it the seven day itch.
We have a small cadre of recipes to help us in our food related romance, but we’re constantly trying to expand our options when it comes to new ways to enjoy our not-so-secret love. We’ve shared a few of [...]
Last week at the Ballard Farmers’ Market, we bought three pounds of asparagus. This was on top of the pound we’d bought the day before at the University District Farmers’ Market. Yes we love asparagus. The simplest way we prepare it is simply roasted asparagus with Parmesan. However, this year we’re trying a number of new ways to cook this delicious springtime treat.
Asparagus with pancetta
Asparagus is very good for you. It has a high level of folic acid, helps relieve PMS symptoms, helps lower cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure, has some anti-inflammatory and [...]
Finally, asparagus season is back in the Pacific Northwest. Though it seemed like it snuck up on us this year. Last week the markets were still offering all winter vegetables such as kale and parsnips, and all of a sudden, this past Sunday at the Ballard Farmers Market, it was asparagus and morels all over the place! Well, in truth, it was asparagus, morels, peanuts, and dried beans all around.
Hazelnut Crusted Asparagus
We love asparagus. Our favorite recipe is the simplest. Just snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, toss with olive oil and [...]
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