Good recipes are fun to share. Today, it’s asparagus. Yes, the season is winding down, but there still is time.
The creator of our first recipe, Robin Hodgkinson learned to cook at his grandmother’s side in her Rhode Island kitchen. She, a French-Canadian, lived much of her adult life among Italian immigrants. While Robin’s earliest comfort foods, French-Canadian pork pie, spaghetti & meatballs, pot roast with gravy & mashed potatoes remain favorites, they now are part of his much longer list.
Often, Robin will research three or four variations of a recipe before he makes it. Frequently, his final version is a composite of the recipes he has tried.
Take a look at Robin’s website for many more of his good recipes:
https://cymbals-lime-b2rf.squarespace.com/home
While this week, it’s cold, cold, cold for Robin’s asparagus soup, this recipe also can be served warm. Keep that in mind for next year when early spring and fresh asparagus bloom again.
Robin notes that both crème fraîche and sour cream will add richness as well as thickness to creamy dishes.
Tarragon croutons and hard-cooked egg make a tasty and clever garnish.
Robin’s Creamy Asparagus Soup
1 ½ pounds asparagus
5-6 cups chicken broth
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dry
1 good size shallot chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
2 tablespoons butter
hard cooked egg bits, as garnish
tarragon croutons, recipe following, as garnish
Cut about an inch off the bottom stems of asparagus. Rinse asparagus spears well and cut them into thirds.
Chop the shallot and tarragon, if it is fresh.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallot; sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tarragon and lemon zest and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and asparagus. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until the asparagus pieces are fork tender. Allow the soup to cool before adding it to the blender.
Working in batches puree the soup until the asparagus is smooth. Pour pureed soup through a sieve into a large bowl. Repeat for each batch of pureed soup. Add the ½ cup crème fraîche to the last batch you puree. Again, sieve this batch, and mix well into the reserved soup in the large bowl.
Serve the soup warm or cold.
Garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg and homemade toasted tarragon croutons, or reserve a few of the blanched asparagus tips to use as a garnish. Serves 6.
Robin’s Tarragon Croutons
1 cup day-old bread, crusts removed, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dry tarragon
¼ - ½ teaspoon salt
Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil; toss or mix to coat the bread with oil.
Add the tarragon and salt and toss/mix again.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on the hot skillet and toast, stirring frequently until the cubes are golden brown and crunchy.
Remove from skillet and cool. Use as a garnish for soups and salads. The croutons will keep in a tightly closed container for several days.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for roasted asparagus is easy and good. Finishing it with fresh dill, also, is good, but if you’re not crazy about dill, I think you can skip this step. If you’ve got baby capers, definitely use them in this recipe. However, the bigger capers work, too.
Yotam’s Roasted Asparagus with Buttered Almonds, Capers, & Dill
1 ½ pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Scant ¼ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons baby capers
¼- ½ cup roughly chopped dill
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment
Arrange prepared asparagus spears, separated, on the parchment. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until asparagus is soft and starting to brown in places, 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove from oven and set asparagus aside in pan.
In a small or medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until foamy. Add almonds and fry, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Pour almonds and butter over asparagus.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Heat over high heat. Once oil is hot, add capers and fry, stirring continuously, until capers have opened up and become crisp, 1-2 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove capers from oil and sprinkle over the asparagus. Add dill. With tongs or two spoons, mix gently to combine. Transfer to large plate and serve warm. Makes 6 side servings.
Suggestions for Recipe Exchange can be emailed to Ellen Clifford McGuire at emcliffordmcguire@hotmail.com, or mailed to Recipe Exchange, P.O. Box 461, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. For more meal ideas, visit masslive.com/cooking
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