SPRING SIDES; ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKES......

Spring Sides: Asparagus, Artichokes …

          April invariably comes associated with Asparagus as the preferred vegetable of the season. If you live in Maine and are fortunate to have an asparagus patch in your garden, it will be another month before you see those first green spikes pushing up through the ground and plan your week’s menus. For now, we can only appreciate those perky green bunches in the grocery and mentally pair them in a variety of side dishes.

          The classic way to serve asparagus is with Hollandaise sauce, but unless you are a purist and don’t need to watch your calories, here are a few other options. To ensure you have the tender part only, snap the bottom of each spear where it breaks easily, wash the spears thoroughly and if cooking in salt water, do not boil longer than 3 minutes, unless you want soggy spears or are making soup and will puree the vegetable.

                                      Asparagus-Prosciutto Spears

          This can be served as an appetizer or a side dish with lunch or dinner. Simply wrap each generous sized spear of asparagus in the center with a thin slice of Prosciutto, arrange lengthwise on a plate. Garnish with a yellow pansy or lemon slices.

                                      Pan Roasted Asparagus  

          Melt 1 tblsp. butter and 2 tblsp. olive oil in a large pan. When hot (not smoking) add several sprigs of fresh thyme and the trimmed slender asparagus in a single layer and turn with tongs to coat. Cook for about 8 minutes turning often until browning in spot. Sprinkle with tarragon vinaigrette: 2 tblsp. soy sauce, 1 tblsp. lemon juice, 1 tblsp. rice vinegar, ½ tsp. tarragon.

                                      Asparagus with Egg Sauce

          The ingredients for this are similar to Hollandaise sauce, but the texture is quite different. Melt 4 tblsp. butter in a small sauce pan and stir in ¼ cup soft bread crumbs. Continue to stir on medium heat until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 hard cooked egg yolks, finely crumbled, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 tblsp. minced parsley and some white pepper. Arrange cooked asparagus on a plate and pour sauce over the middle of the spears.

          Unlike asparagus, artichokes do not grow easily in Maine. The globe artichoke is a member of the thistle family originally from the Mediterranean and its bud contains an edible base, leafy bracts and an inedible choke that needs to be removed. The trick is harvesting the bud early in development, since as it matures it becomes stringy and tough and no amount of cooking will make it edible. Fresh artichokes should be tight in bud and very firm. For best fresh artichokes travel to Italy or California to savor fresh baby artichokes. Fortunately we have easy access to canned and frozen artichoke hearts of this unusual vegetable.

                                      Artichoke-Parmesan Appetizer

          Mix together 1 cup cream, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Add ½ to 1 cup of chopped jalapeno pepper according to taste and stir in 1 drained 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees and serve with crackers or thin slice of baguette.

          Easter ham is a tradition in many homes, usually accompanied with fresh asparagus and roast potatoes. Some years ago, it occurred to me that an artichoke bread pudding could make an interesting side dish for this celebratory meal. This recipe has evolved through the years and is still a favorite at our house.

                                     Provençal Artichoke Bread Pudding

          Start with 3 cups of bread cubes from stale baguette or French bread. In a bowl beat 6 eggs with: 1 tblsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tblsp. herbes de Provençe, 1 tblsp. thyme, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and 1 ½ cups chicken broth. Toss the egg mixture with the bread and pour in an 8x8x2 baking dish that has been sprayed with a buttery baking spray. Press down bread to be submerged in the liquid. Drain well a 14 oz can of quartered artichokes and shred 4 oz. of Gruyere cheese. In a skillet heat 2 tblsp. olive oil and sauté 1 large thinly slice onion for 5 minutes until golden, stir in 2 minced garlic cloves and the drained artichokes. Cook for another 5 minutes until the artichokes start to brown. Remove from heat, toss with 2 tblsp. lemon juice and  ¾ of the shredded Gruyere and spread over the bread mix, pressing down all ingredients. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ Gruyere and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm as a side dish for meats or a luncheon accompanied with a salad.

          Come May we can look forward to fiddleheads, our own special Maine vegetable side dish.           

          (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

CATFISH AND PEARLS

Catfish and Pearls

          “Catfish and Pearls” is not an April Fool’s joke. It was a fine and interesting restaurant in St. Louis, MO some years ago and came up recently in a conversation about food presentation.  We were discussing the fancy ‘de rigeur’ artistic plates contrived by fashionable restaurants to present their latest ‘hot’ food item, demonstrating the role ‘eye appeal’ plays in food.

          Which reminded me of “Catfish and Pearls” as a wonderful example of how the ambience of dining can influence even the simplest of meals. A number of years ago I found myself in St. Louis at a week-long biochemistry conference and a friend suggested we try some regional cuisine for dinner. Perusing the Yellow Pages (yes, it was that long ago), I came upon a restaurant with this intriguing name and we went.

          The door was opened by a liveried doorman and we entered a large high- ceilinged room with crystal chandeliers spreading soft light over white tablecloth covered tables, set for a formal dinner with silvery cutlery and a discrete flower arrangement warmed by candle glow. A waiter in white gloves pulled out my chair and presented us with large menus. We just had to order the catfish, which came on an elegant plate with lemon halves, hush puppies and a porcelain small dish of ketchup. It was delicious with a glass of chardonnay and I was glad to have worn my pearls.

          Dinner at home may be at a kitchen table, but a simply set table with napkins and even a few flowers in a bud vase are bound to perk up the ambience. This time of the year a pair of small primrose pots in a baking dish makes a decorative centerpiece that will last for several weeks and can subsequently be planted in the garden.

          Simple food itself can be ‘dressed-up’ with delicious results and often little effort. Chicken is a staple on most home menus. Before the summer grilling season starts, an easy way to enhance the flavor is with a quick sauce made with white wine.

                             Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes and Feta

          Quarter a medium sized chicken breast (skin on), rub with salt and pepper and dredge lightly with flour. Heat 2 tblsp. olive oil in a medium sized pan with lid and fry uncovered 4 minutes to a side. Set the chicken aside and keep warm. In the same pan melt 1 tblsp. butter and sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms with ½ cup chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Stir in ½ cup dry white wine, 5 sundried tomatoes cut in thin strips, ½ tsp. dried oregano and ½ cup chicken broth. Bring to boil, return the chicken to the pan and, baste thoroughly. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover the pan and cook for additional 5 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in ¾ cups crumbled feta, heat through and serve with rice or pasta.

          Creamed beef on toast used to be a simple dish served commonly at breakfast or lunch, but seems to have disappeared from most menus. It is an easy meal, quickly prepared and can be made tastier by tweaking the basic white sauce with  a couple of additional ingredients to perk up the visual and taste appeal.

                             Chipped Beef in Mornay Sauce

          For this you will need 6 oz. dried of chipped beef. It is also possible to make it with slightly air dried thinly sliced black pastrami. Melt 3 tblsp. butter in a medium saucepan and stir in 3 tblsp. flour. Stir the roux on low heat for about 3 minutes, but do not allow to brown. Gradually add 1 ½ cups milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps until you have a thickened sauce. Season with salt, pepper and a couple of shakes of nutmeg. Stir in ½ cup shredded Gruyêre cheese and 2 tsp. sundried tomato paste. When sauce is smooth, stir in shredded chipped beef, stir thoroughly and when heated trough, serve in toasted bread.

                                      Fruit Ambrosia

      

 Even a simple fruit cup can be given a flavorful lift with a bit of shredded sweetened coconut. For lunch fruit portion divide in two small bowls: cut up slices of 1 orange, 1 cup sliced grapes and 1 sliced banana. Toss the fruit in each bowl with 1 tblsp. shredded coconut and enjoy.

          To finish with ‘true-confessions’ – I once did cook a catfish. We were camping in Pennsylvania many years ago and my sons and I were fishing one morning, when against all odds I managed to catch a 2 ft. catfish. It looked so fierce, the boys needed to take it off my hook. But in the best of locavore tradition I cooked it dipped in some pancake mix (not having white cornmeal on a camping trip) in a pan with melted butter. I did not wear pearls.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: The Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)