Braised Asparagus with Rosemary

Sometimes a recipe looks so simple that it's hardly a recipe at all.  It is easy to dismiss as a guide for the inexperienced or rushed cook.  But this asparagus dish deserves your attention despite its simplicity.   Pluck a few sprigs of rosemary from the garden, add some bay leaves, and asparagus is transformed into an amazing treat.  We ate ours on the side with a quick sandwich, but it would also make a wonderful addition to a salad or on top of a flatbread. 


Braised Asparagus with Rosemary
adapted from Vegetable Harvest by Rosemary Wells

Ingredients

1       lb             asparagus
1      Tbs           olive oil
1      tsp            coarse sea salt
                        several sprigs fresh rosemary
                        several bay leaves

Procedure

1. Rinse asparagus and trim ends.
2. Toss asparagus, olive oil, salt and rosemary and place in a single layer in a large skillet.  Add several tablespoons of water, cover, and cook over high heat until oil and water mixture begins to sizzle.
3. Reduce heat to medium and braise, turning from time to time, until asparagus softens and begins to brown in spots, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Farro, Asparagus and Pea Soup

Farro is not always easy to find, but it is well worth the search. It is a hulled wheat imported from Italy with a nutty flavor and dense, chewy texture.  Farro holds up extremely well in soup, and combines well with many vegetables.  This soup has been a star at our restaurant this winter, selling out every day it's been on the menu.

At home, we make this soup with parsley and arugula from the garden.  You can use fresh or frozen peas, and the soup can be made as spicy or mild as you like by adjusting the quantity of red pepper flakes.  The first time we served  it, my mouth was on fire but most of our customers thought it was perfect.  This is Texas after all.   The recipe below is for a mild version, but feel free to adjust based on your heat tolerance.

Farro, Asparagus and Pea Soup

Ingredients

1/2            cup            farro
3               Tbs            olive oil
1/2            cup            Italian parsley
1/8            tsp             red pepper flakes
                                  or up to 1/2 tsp if you like heat
4                                 garlic cloves, choped
8               oz              new potatoes, peeled and cubed
4               oz              arugula, stemmed and chopped
1               cup            peas, removed from pods
3                                asparagus spears, thinly sliced crosswise
4               cups          vegetable stock
                                  sea salt and black pepper to taste
                                  optional:  parmesan or feta cheese

Procedure

1. Cover the farro with cold water and cook until tender.  This will take at least an hour.
   
2. While farro is cooking, saute parsley, red pepper, garlic and potatoes in the olive oil until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
3. Add arugula, peas, and salt and pepper to taste.  Season with salt and pepper and saute a few minutes.
4. Add cooked farro and stock and bring to boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper again, and (optional) serve topped with cheese and a pesto crostini on the side.
   

I Cheated on My Garden Yesterday

We have been eating vegetables from the garden every night for months. We have had some great dinners, and the flavors have been amazing. I'm ashamed to admit that despite the bounty of our garden, we cheated last night. David brought home asparagus from Costco, only $2.25/pound. How could we say no? We had a cream of asparagus soup, and a side of roasted asparagus and potatoes. Despite my feelings of guilt, I enjoyed both tremendously.

I'm sure Alice Waters is cringing, but I have really missed asparagus this summer. Having a vegetable garden has forced us to follow Waters' doctrine of eating with the seasons. Luckily, we have a lot of variety in the garden so it has not been difficult to have amazing vegetable dishes each night without tiring of our home-grown produce. But seasonal eating is not without its limitations since many vegetables cannot be grown in Houston until the fall. This has forced me to experiment with vegetables with which I was previously unfamiliar such as senposai and malabar spinach, and to come up with millions of uses for our yellow pear tomatoes. We are happy to have discovered these vegetables, and will definitely grow them again next summer. Although they are good substitutes, I do wish we had real lettuce and spinach growing in the garden instead of having to wait for several more months.

I don't plan to grow asparagus because it's not recommended for our zone 9 garden. This eases my guilt a bit about last night's dinner. But I do feel like we broke a long streak of eating only our own vegetables. Tonight we're going back on the wagon, with yardlong beans, "Contender" snap beans, and senposai on the menu. But I have to admit that if asparagus stays cheap, we'll have to buy it again soon. It's a guilty pleasure that's just too good to pass up.