Spring Omelette with baby Jerusalem Artichokes

I picked my first 2 spears of asparagus recently, and decided I most wanted some buttery eggs with spring onions to accompany them. I also had a handful of tiny jerusalem artichokes that I pan fried, and topped everything with some fresh tarragon. (Had it occurred to me earlier, I would have incorporated the tarragon into the cooking part, and not just as a garnish. I had to go cut more after I realized how delicious it was with both. Tarragon and jerusalem artichokes = delish!) 

During Ramadan I find I want eggs at least once a week, and the way I want them is with a lot of butter. A LOT. Buttery eggs - how can I eat them any other way? It makes me think of Julia Child. *Though, speaking of buttery eggs - I took myself on a solo date last week to a "show" at the Walker (show is a loose term, because the single other person there, a stranger, and I, made up both the show and the audience, reading our "script" from note cards placed between us under the pane of glass, making it more like an experience) followed by take-out dinner from Rainbow Restaurant. Which included a very fancy egg dish. And those eggs, while I cannot imagine were cooked with butter, must have been cooked in a good quantity of sesame oil in a hot wok - they were so light and airy and somehow both creamy and crispy. With the accompanying tarot rice flour cake, the dish just melted in my mouth and I was in complete awe. So, maybe it is eggs with fat that I love?!

I've made these eggs with just spring onions, or just with butter and herbs. Stellar every time. 

Spring Omelette (serves 1)

• 2 T butter
  
• salt
• 3 spring onions, chopped
  
• 2 spears asparagus (opt), chopped
• opt herbs: tarragon, parsley, chives
• 3 eggs
  

1) Heat a small cast iron on med heat. Melt your butter in the pan, and add your spring veggies. (I add just the white onion part now, adding the green part just before I pour in the eggs.) Saute the veggies for a few minutes until tender.

2) While they saute, crack your eggs into a vessel, and use a fork to lightly whisk them. I hear over-whisking is not beneficial, so whisk just enough to mix them. If you want herbs, add them, and the green onion bits to the buttery pan. Saute 30 seconds or so before adding the eggs.

3) Pour your eggs into your cast iron. Stir them a bit to incorporate the butter into the eggs. As they start to set, gently stir some more so that the runny part has access to the pan. The goal is an omelette, not scrambled eggs, so you want to stir just enough, then let it sit to set. The butter will help you here. I am no good at flipping my omelette, so I stir/let set until the top is cooked, meaning the bottom will brown just slightly. Fold your omelette over on itself, and serve. 

I had mine with some labneh, which was divine, and the baby sunchokes, pan fried in yet more butter.

Also, it is almost Eid!! The last week was particularly challenging on the fasting front, and it was so lovely to not only get this beautiful henna, but also to a) be around some more people who b) are also fasting. What a gift. I love seeing the different designs each henna artist creates - they are all SO different. 💕

Eggs and Asparagus Broiler Breakfast

I got this idea from Nom Nom Paleo, where the main flavoring is furikake, which I don't have, but sounds delicious. Basically, you just saute some asparagus in a cast-iron skillet for a few minutes, then crack some eggs in the same pan, and put the whole thing under the broiler until it's done to your liking (for me, like 2 minutes or so, but I'm a time optimist, so I could be wrong about that estimate).

The flavorings I use are also inspired by Nom Nom Paleo - before I read her cookbook, I'd never thought of using powdered mushrooms before. She has a flavor mix she calls Magic Mushroom Powder, which I've made before and which is good. Lately, though, I've been using an onion powder mix, which I made partly with spices from an outfit called Burlap & Barrel, and I also sprinkle some dried porcini powder on top.

You can get dried porcini mushrooms in small packs at the co-op, and then blitz them in a spice grinder or coffee grinder (if you don't also use it for coffee). I just keep mine in a jar next to my stove.  Add it to anything, for FLAVOR.

SPICE BLEND
Onion Powder
Sumac (I used sumac that was flaked and then cured in oil and salt, as opposed to whole berries)
Pepper flakes (I used "Aleppo-style" pepper flakes - also cured in oil and salt)

I think I used fairly equal parts of the three ingredients, but possibly more onion powder than the other two, as it's kind of the base. I keep this in a jar by my stove, like the mushrooms. It does get kind of caked up, so you have to crumble it with your fingers over the food. I think the oil-cured ingredients help it to not turn into a total brick, which has happened to me before with other onion-powder blends.

BROILER BREAKFAST
Handful of asparagus, washed and chopped (or you can cook them whole)
Two (or more) eggs
Your favorite fat to fry eggs in (I've been using some schmaltz I made)
Oniony spice blend to taste
Dried porcini mushroom powder to taste
Salt to taste

1. Turn on the broiler.
2. Heat the fat in the skillet on the stovetop.
3. Add asparagus and saute them for a few minutes, to par-cook them.
4. Crack the eggs into the skillet and turn off the heat.
5. Sprinkle everything with salt, the spice blend, and the mushroom powder.
6. Put the pan under the broiler and cook until the eggs are done how you like them. I don't like undercooked whites, but I do like the yolks to run a bit, so I wait until there's a skim of white on the top of the yolks (see picture above, and below, where I've scraped that white away so you can see the yolks aren't overcooked).

Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, and Tarragon

Yesterday's garden harvest included the first 3 spears of Asparagus (I have a fledgling patch that I am in the process of bolstering), a trio of green onions, some dandelion greens for a salad, and fresh tarragon. I actually pulled a lot more dandelions while prepping my community garden plot, but that was mid-day and they didn't make it in my home-bound bucket. I ended up walking home from my garden plot with my rather large metal trash can atop my head (carrying said bucket), because really that is the best way to carry such a vessel. It was a bit awkward and I had to use my arms to keep it up there, but, I mention it because it was a delight from the day, ferrying a large thing the 8 blocks between here and there in such a manner!

At least an hour of my fasting days involves me thinking about what I want to eat for Iftar, so after harvesting the asparagus, I set to consider how to eat them. Maybe wait until Suhur, the pre-dawn Ramadan meal, and have them with eggs? I thought that was the plan until I spied how much tarragon came up, overnight it seems, and decided I wanted potatoes, tarragon, and the asparagus to eat with some steak. I love tarragon. I planted it last year, and it proliferated in great abundance, so I started putting it in everything: roasted carrots, salads, potatoes, chicken, eggs. It reminds me of my teenage years working at Hotel Sofitel where their house salad dressing was a creamy tarragon, and they made a bernaise sauce to go with the pommes frittes. Which, come to think of it, would be really delicious (I just looked it up, bearnaise is a hollandaise-like sauce with tarragon and white wine and vinegar, withe butter and egg). Anyway, the tarragon came back up this year, before the mint, even!

This dish was simple. The tarragon crisps up in the roasting pan with the green onions, the potatoes are crunchy and creamy, and the first asparagus - well i can't wait for more. I am not including amounts here, use whatever you have.

Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, and Tarragon
potatoes (red or gold are nice), diced
asparagus spears, chopped
green onions, chopped - separate green and white parts
fresh tarragon leaves - as many as you have!
salt & pepper
olive oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Start with the potatoes, doused with olive oil in a baking pan, with enough room to all be in one layer. Roast for 12ish minutes. Pull them out, add the asparagus and white parts of the onion, and toss and turn everything so the potatoes land on a new side to brown and the veggies get coated in the olive oil. Roast for another 8-10 minutes, add the tarragon and green onions, and repeat the toss/turn. Roast for a final 8-10 minutes. Salt everything, and serve.

Garden Asparagus!

Last year the late freeze did a number on the asparagus plants at the northside homestead. The year of rest must have really been nice for the plants because they are taking off like crazy! All this rain and intermittent sun can't hurt either. I'd eaten just a few stalks already, but Monday morning there was a lovely boquet for breakfast (see accompanying Charming Companion photo).

I also learned an asparagus tip: you know how the bottom of the stalk is fibrous and tough, and usually you snap the stalk in half and discard the bottom part? You can also peel the outer part off with a potato peeler, much as you would the tough part of a broccoli stalk. The inner part is very tender and nice. This is a handy trick when you have thicker asparagus so you don't lose so much of it. Some of my stalks were as fat as my thumb, so it was definitely worth the extra peeling.

I steamed the peeled asparagus in a steamer for just 4-5 minutes, squeezed on some lemon juice, sprinkled some salt, and savored them bite by bite. I ate them with a scramble of eggs, green onions and bacon. It was the first meal of spring where all the produce came from the garden - hurray!

Garden report: The peas, arugula and lettuces are looking bright green and lovely, and about an inch or so tall. The radishes are little sprouts peeking up above the soil. Beets, carrots, and starter beds of greens and brussel sprouts are in - though only the green are making themselves visible just yet.  I have grand plans for the weekend: zucchini, herbs, green beans, and I think I am going to take the plunge and plant my tomato and basil starts. It might be too early - but I am feeling hopeful!

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup

I know this sounds more like a cozy winter recipe, but this creamy soup makes a tasty dish any time of year.  I have been eating a lot of soups lately and this is one of my favorites.  I make my own stock, which increases the flavor and over-all health benefits of the soup, but stock from the store will work just fine.

This recipe is from Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.   SCD is a diet that restricts carbohydrates, obviously.  However, this soup doesn't have any odd substitutions that are common on the diet, such as almond flour or fermented yogurt.

I usually pair it with a grilled chicken breast or baked salmon.  However, on a hot summer day, sometimes all I am hungry for is a bowl of soup.

Ingredients

- 2 pounds asparagus

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 8 spring onions, finely chopped

- 5 cloves garlic

- 1 3/4 pints vegetable stock

- 1 Tbsp butter

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper

Clean and prepare asparagus by cutting and discarding the woody stems.  Chop the rest of the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch lengths.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the spring onions and garlic until soft but not browned.  Stir in the asparagus, cover the pot, and let it sweat for 10 minutes.  

Add the stock, butter, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally.  Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, partially uncovered.

In a blender, food processor, or using a hand-held immersion blender, blend the soup in batches until smooth.

Enjoy!

Jane

Perfectly Roasted Asparagus

Spring = asparagus! Almost. And I recently discovered this easy way to make perfectly roasted asparagus spears. Why oh why did I ever saute them? This is so much better!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep asparagus by washing it and breaking off the ends. Do you know the fancy trick to break off exactly the tough part? Hold onto the very bottom of the asparagus spear with one hand, and bend the spear towards itself with the other. It will snap at the place where the spear stops being tough and starts being tender. Lay the spears on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Turn the spears a few times to make sure they are well coated.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. When they come out, squeeze a little lemon juice on top, and sprinkle with (smoky) salt. *They are pictured below with bacon wrapped scallops, aka extravagant stay-cation eating indulgence that maybe will become my fave thing to eat ever.

The Illustrious Egg Bake

I recently decided that if I were to live on only one food source for the rest of my life, it would be eggs. I mean, maybe there are other foods that would provide better nutrition or protein or fat, but would I want to eat them day after day? Probably not. Maybe coconuts. But really, I am all about the egg.

I recently got to try duck eggs for the first time - pretty fresh from the back yard. The yolks take up almost the entire egg! And they were this brilliant yellow-orange. My Charming Companion and I actually made some kick ass hollandaise sauce to go with said duck eggs, which I hopefully will get around to posting soon.

Anyway, tonight I decided to make egg bake for dinner. I actually most love making egg bake for brunch when people are coming over because 1) it tastes super good and 2) is exceptionally easy and can be prepped in advance (you could even make the whole think in advance and just reheat it). I am relatively new to the egg bake phenomenon...always having gone for quiche before. But jeez - who needs crust with eggs this good? Well, eggs and butter and cream this good. It seems that a good egg bake just takes the butter (and cream?) that would have gone into the crust, and mixes it directly with the eggs. I will note here that one does not need to put butter and cream in their egg bake...it is a very forgiving concoction, and really you could just go straight up egg if you wanted. But going for the full fat option is quite festive and filling and also sort of brunch like. And it will help everyone be able to have more coffee without getting that crazy feeling.

The recipe below is modified from several egg-bake options. I have found that this basic recipe lends to any variety of fillings. Tonight it is asparagus and bacon from the farmer's market, and arugula from my garden! This is the recipe for a large rectangular baking dish; it can easily be halved and made in a square cake pan, round casserole dish, or cast iron.

Serves 8-ish
12 eggs
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. cream (whipping cream or half and half)
2 t. dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 t. each)
2 c. cheese (try a mix of anything: cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, asiago)
2-3 c. filling
fresh herbs

Filling ideas:
frozen spinach and sauteed mushrooms
bacon (cooked and chopped), asparagus (lightly sauteed), and arugula*
zucchini, garlic and onion (sauteed first) with parsley, basil and marjoram
*If adding fresh greens like arugula, steam them first and squeeze out any extra water

Coat your pan with oil or butter, and preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk eggs, then add softened butter, cream, mustard, salt and pepper (whisk that too). Spread filling in the bottom of your buttered dish, including any fresh herbs. Pour egg mixture over the top, and top with cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes, during which time you can prepare yourself or others to experience some melt in your mouth goodness.

Spring Salad with Asparagus

I am feeling so appreciative of eating fresh food from the garden after such a long winter!! This week I got to have freshly picked asparagus that was about the fattest I have ever seen. It was a little sweeter than the skinny stuff at the store, and totally delicious.

I have not yet made the commitment to grow asparagus (it takes three years for the crown to get established -which sometimes sounds like a long time for precious garden space)!

My Charming Companion has abundant garden space though, with a long standing asparagus patch. And a rule that only asparagus thicker than one's little finger can be cut and eaten (so as not to deplete the plant for next year's crop). Hence the fatty asparagus.

My very tasty dinner salad consisted of, from the garden: steamed asparagus, chives, horseradish leaves, sorrel (lemon-y, sour taste), green onion; and from the store: lettuce, tomato, almonds, and radish. It was all topped off with drizzled olive oil and some lemon dressing (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon, salt, and pepper).