Last week I was fortunate enough to find a killer deal on organic asparagus at the store! I envisioned days of asparagus creations…everything from tarts to salad crossed through my mind. In my head, we were having asparagus every night of the week. Unfortunately, life got away from me and between the garage that flooded and the never ending list of errands that we had this week it just didn’t pan out. Does that happen to anyone else? I have good intentions, really I DO!!
I like to think that I am a younger/cooler/edgier version of Martha Stewart…you know, if Martha had tattoos and listened to vinyl. In a perfect world I would have a clean house all of the time, pressed clothes, artistic tattoos for days, well mannered children and 100 different go-to asparagus dishes. This is the real world though people and my house is clean enough for me, my clothes are slightly wrinkled, my kids are well mannered about 75% of the time, I only have a few tattoos, and for the whole weeks’ worth of asparagus ideas I only have 1 kick butt recipe to show for it. Oh well, I am OK with that, enjoy your 4th of July B & B friends.
Simple Asparagus Salad
1 lb asparagus, ends removed and cut in half or thirds
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup red onion, sliced very thin
Feta cheese, optional
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Prepare an ice bath in a large mixing bowl, set aside. Bring a large stock pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop asparagus into hot water and cook for 1-2 minutes until bright green. Drop the cooked asparagus immediately into the ice bath. Drain and place the spears in a large bowl, toss with pine nuts, red onion and dressing. Start with half of the prepared dressing then add more if desired. Toss to coat then top with feta cheese.
Dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, I used basil, parsley, & a little thyme
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing except olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well mixed and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
So pretty! Feta + fresh veggies = win. I’m not always a huge asparagus lover, but this looks delicious.
Thanks Jenni!!
Help! I can’t find your felafel recipe! Help!
No problem Paula: http://www.beardandbonnet.com/?p=1291
Thanks Meg!!! How interesting that your recipe and only a SMALL percentage of falafel recipes I found on line do not require fully cooked beans. I will have to ask at a restaurant about their process.
I do not deep fry but hope to buy an aebelskiver pan and use it to make deep fried items. (I ordered the pan at a kitchen shop but somehow they lost the info and did not get it for me yet.) This pan is from Holland or Norway or a country in that area. It looks like a muffin pan with rounded bottoms, made of cast iron with a handle like a skillet to use on the stove top. It was made for some kind of filled pancake but I found a recipe for samosas (I think) that uses it.
(I hope you noticed that the links for your falafels did not go to the recipe.)
I do also intend to make the asparagus salad, probably tomorrow as I have all the ingredients except pine nuts. I have noticed that macadamia nuts have a similar texture, so I will probably substitute them, chopped.
I have a vintage aebelskiver pan and I LOVE it! I am sure that the falafel would work well for you in them. I have found that the texture of falafel isn’t right if the beans are cooked fully. From my research it seems to be the traditional way to make falafel. Using precooked or canned is just a quick variation.Thanks for letting me know that the links do not work correctly. I will look into that right now.:)