I just realized that I haven’t been very good about adding the recipes to the blog. I’m sorry! Here are the recipes for May 28th and June 4th.
Recipe for May 28, 2008: Cream of Asparagus Soup
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Here is an easy recipe for a cream of asparagus soup; it’s also a good ‘base’ recipe for vegetable cream soups of all sorts, since you can simply substitute other veggies (broccoli, peas, squash, etc.). Serves four.
Ingredients:
About 24 stalks of asparagus, washed and with woody ends removed
1 shallot or ½ of a sweet onion
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 or 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream or yoghurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs as desired
Process:
Cut the asparagus into 1 inch lengths, and save 8 tips for garnish. Simmer the asparagus and the shallot (or onion) in the stock for 20-25 minutes, and blend (either with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender) until smooth. Place back into the soup stockpot and place on low heat to warm.
Steam the 8 asparagus tips (keep them crunchy!) and save them for garnish.
Using a fork, mash the flour and butter together until blended (as you would if making pastry) and add to the soup in small chunks, whisking between each addition in order to blend thoroughly. Allow the soup to thicken on low heat, whisking occasionally to eliminate lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste.
This soup can be served hot or cold; place in four bowls, swirl the cream or yoghurt into each bowl, and garnish with the asparagus spears.
The soup recipe is a very simple one and can be adapted for other vegetables easily. You can also add herbs to this soup – experiment with flavors, and see what you like. You won’t want to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the asparagus with strong herbs, but a touch of fresh tarragon or basil might be a delightful touch. You could also garnish with chives and chive flowers and/or freshly grated nutmeg. Experiment! Have fun!
Recipe for June 4, 2008: Spring Omelet of Greens
This recipe section is designed to be a guideline for using the vast array of vegetables and food products that come into the market any given week. Because of this, sometimes I like to give you rather loose guidelines for dealing with the bounty rather than concrete recipes that promise specific results. This week is an example of that – we’ll stroll the market and come home with the makings of a really tasty and healthy dinner. For tonight that will be an omelet made with spring greens, a salad, bread and rhubarb-strawberry crisp. All of these ingredients are available this week at the Oakmont Farmers Market.
If you are searching for recipes, do see what was provided last year. Those recipes are available on the Oakmont Farmers Market webpage under the recipe section: https://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/recipes.php and even more are available archived on the Blog: https://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/blog/
First, we’ll start with dessert. Last week a gentleman at the market asked for recipes for rhubarb; we chatted about a strawberry-rhubarb recipe. Fortunately, HTFM Association member Jennifer Sanders provided exactly that recipe last week: https://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/blog/
If you really love rhubarb, you can also try out this recipe, provided by the folks at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco: http://www.cuesa.org/seasonality/recipes/desserts/dess_sp9.php
OK, so backing up and starting with our main courses, here are some loose recipes for making a quick dinner.
Greens Omelet
Last week I noticed that Blueberry Hill Farm and Wimer’s Organics had beautiful greens – this week North Star Orchard will bring us even more. We really don’t eat enough dark green leafy vegetables, in part, I think, because we think they are hard to use. Not true! Here is an easy way to prepare and store a variety of mixed greens so you’ll have them available for soups, sautés, and even – yes – omelets.
Walk along the market and buy a number of bundles of difference greens. Kale, spinach, chard, boc choy, broccoli di rapa, even lettuce; it doesn’t matter as long as it’s green and leafy. When you get them home, wash them very carefully (a submersion lettuce spinner is ideal) and then blanch them in a huge tub of boiling water for about a minute. Scoop the greens out and drain in the sink in a colander. You may wish to blanch in several bunches if you have a lot of greens.
When they are drained and cool enough to touch, gently squeeze out the water and chop into large pieces – a one to two inch size is perfect. You will find that your huge pile of greens has collapsed quite a bit and you have a much smaller pile; determine the amount you want to use for tonight’s supper and freeze the rest in baggies. I generally put about a cup of greens in each bag and then I always have some on hand for a quick meal.
For the omelet, figure on about 2-3 eggs per person; beat them very thoroughly just before you put them in the pan. You’ll need eggs (Lindenhof Farm) cheese (Hillacres Pride) and spring onions and herbs (Blueberry Hill, Wimer’s Organics). Grate the cheese and wash and chop the fresh herbs.
The greens can either be used as blanched or sautéed in olive oil or butter before they are put in the omelet. I’d also recommend adding some spring onions to the sauté and at the very last minute, a handful of fresh herbs (parsley, marjoram, etc.) from the market.
Prepare your omelet pan; start it on high heat, add a bit of oil, and add the beaten eggs. Turn the heat down to medium and let the omelet firm up a bit. When it is solid enough to turn, flip it over and, to one side of the egg mix, add some greens, more fresh herbs (if you are so inclined) and some grated cheese. Gently fold the omelet over and cook on low heat until the ingredients are heated through, the cheese is melted, and each side is browned a bit (you’ll flip it once). Scatter some of the cut herbs on top and serve.
For the salad: This is pretty basic; you’ll stroll through the market and buy everything you might want in a salad. In addition to the beautiful spring lettuces and spinach, there are radishes, cucumbers, sugar snap peas (which are also available from Fruitwood Farm), snow peas, small tomatoes, etc. A small handful of each on the salad adds many different high-nutrient vegetables to your dinner. For a salad dressing recipe, check out the August 1, 2007 recipe from last year’s market: https://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/recipes.php.
Serve the omelets and salads with a nice fresh hunk of bread from Great Harvest and your dinner is complete. Bon appetit!
Janet Chrzan, HTFMA