Pasta with Asparagus

Tags

asparagus, asparagus pasta, kid-friendly pasta, lemon pasta, pasta, vegetarian pasta

We finally have an abundance of Quebec asparagus. I realize it’s summer, but the asparagus crop available to us up until about 3 weeks ago was mainly from our neighbour down south, the USA. Our season for local produce comes a little later than usual because of our colder climate. The farmers’ markets and grocers’ are now inundated with our own local fare. And how beautiful they are! Thin asparagus, thick ones, even wild, wispy asparagus sold right out of the back-end of a truck. We love asparagus in our household. Steamed and served cold as a salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Roasted in the oven with olive oil. And our all-time favourite, marinated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then thrown onto the barbie.

A few weeks ago I came home with 2 large bunches of asparagus. I grilled them all on the barbie, thinking of the left-overs which I would add to some sandwiches, along with some aged cheddar and sliced pears. We were in the country at the time and burgers were on the menu. I was saving my asparagus for last. I managed to pop 2 or 3 spears into my mouth as I left the kitchen. When I returned 20 minutes later for my serving of asparagus, they were gone! I called out to hubby, “Where did you put the asparagus?”.  “I ate them,” he called back. To which I replied, “You ate them ALL? Well, you better make sure to flush when you go to the loo!”.

Pasta with Asparagus

2 bunches of asparagus

2 lemons

1 package (1 lb/450 g) of pasta of your choice, I used Fusili

Extra Virgin olive Oil

Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 cup grated, plus more for serving

Salt

This really is a dish which allows you to adjust the seasonings to your own taste. Begin by removing the tough stem-ends of the asparagus. Chop them into 1 or 1 1/2 inch pieces. Steam them in a double boiler for about 4 minutes. I enjoy a slight crunch to my asparagus. You can also boil them for the same amount of time. Drain and set aside.

Bring some salted water to boil in a large pot and cook the pasta. As it cooks, zest 1 lemon and set aside. Juice the 2 lemons. Grate some Parmigiano Reggiano. I used about 1 cup, but you can adjust the amount to suit your own taste.

When the pasta is done, or al dente, drain and pour into a large bowl. Drizzle the pasta with extra virgin olive oil, about 3 or 4 tablespoons. Add the cooked asparagus, lemon zest, 1/2 of the lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Add the Parmesan cheese and give it a stir. Taste for salt and lemon. If you like it a little more lemony, add the rest of the juice. I usually add about 1/2, and then another little drizzle. I like to add some Parmesan shavings, just because we LOVE it! Serve and enjoy!

Yumminess in a Jar

Tags

creme brûlée, desserts, maple syrup, rhubarb, rhubarb and creme brulee, rhubarb and maple syrup, rhubarb-maple syrup creme brûlée

Rhubarb-Maple Syrup Crème Brûlée

I just love the presentation of individual-sized desserts. You can have so much fun with it. Like using pretty cocktail or wine glasses, as I did with White Chocolate and Passionfruit Mousse. I especially love it when desserts are baked in a variety of different vessels and presented as is. Like my Maple Syrup Cake baked in the maple syrup tin. Or baked goodies in glass jars! How clever is that? Your very own little jar of yumminess to hold in your hand, all to yourself. I think it’s genius that you can see through the various layers. It’s reminiscent of an old-fashioned dessert, some sweet comfort from the deep South. They are practical as heck to transport. They make the most adorable gifts. And they’re just plain ol’ cute!

I thought I’d try making Crème Brûlée in individual sized Mason jars. The wide-mouth jars, to make it easier to scoop your spoon in and out of. And not just any Crème Brûlée either. Quebec Rhubarb is making its appearance at the farmers’ markets, therefore combining it with maple syrup and adding it at the bottom of the jar would make for a pleasant and sweet-tart surprise, no? And infusing it all with a little fresh rosemary? Just picture it. The custard is lightly flavoured with maple syrup and there is just a hint of infused rosemary to it. And when you plunge your spoon all the way down to the bottom of the jar, you come up with that sublime custard and the tarty rhubarb-rosemary-maple syrup flavour combination. Definitely not for the Crème Brûlée purist. Like my brother! He had a taste and declared that when he wants to eat a Crème Brûlée, he doesn’t want anything else in it. He’ll take the classic and, according to him, only version of this sumptuous dessert. I, on the other hand, like to create and diversify. And I sure am glad I came across this recipe at edible Green Mountains. I just love it!

Give it a try and decide for yourself if you’re a Crème Brûlée purist, or if you enjoy a little adventure when plunging into one of these delectable yummies! You can omit the maple syrup if it’s hard to come by and cook the rhubarb with brown sugar or honey instead. Not a rosemary fan? Skip it. Or try it with fresh lavender! Oh, yum!

Rhubarb-Maple Syrup Crème Brûlée

2 cups of diced rhubarb
¼ cup of maple syrup
1 teaspoon finely diced fresh rosemary
1 cup of 35% cream, heavy or double cream
¼ teaspoon of vanilla
2 large rosemary sprigs
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
4 tablespoons of maple sugar
4 four-ounce ramekins, or 4 250 ml Mason/Ball jars

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small pan, add the rhubarb, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and chopped rosemary. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

While the rhubarb cooks, add the cream, vanilla and rosemary sprigs in a small pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream just starts to bubble. Remove from heat. Remove the rosemary sprigs, along with any leaves that may have dislodged from the stem.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg, egg yolk and maple syrup with a whisk. While whisking, slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture. Divide the rhubarb evenly on the the bottom of the ramekins or jars.

Pour the cream over the rhubarb in each jar, filling to the top with the ramekins or just below the top if using jars. They need to bake in a water bath. Therefore, place a casserole dish or a deep oven dish into the oven and transfer the jars to that dish. Pour some hot tap water into the dish until it reaches half way up the sides of the jars. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the custard quivers when shaken but there is no longer any liquid underneath the skin. Cool the custard in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 3 days.

When cool, or when you’re ready to serve them, sprinkle the maple sugar over each custard. You can use white sugar instead if you don’t have maple sugar. If you have a little blow torch, go ahead and burn the sugar until it’s nice and dark. No torch? Adjust your oven rack to the highest location in the oven. Turn on the broil. Add the jars or ramekins on the top rack, just under the broiler, for about 5 minutes. Every oven is different so give it a look after 3 minutes. When the sugar had burned, they’re done! Remove from the oven, give them a few minutes for the sugar coating to crystallize and serve. Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Soufflés

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dessert souffles, desserts, lemon desserts, lemon souffle, meyer lemon souffles, meyer lemons, souffles

The first time I bought Meyer Lemons was by mistake. I noticed these cute little handle-bags filled with lemons. I picked one up to make lemon water for Charlotte’s sore throat. Once home, I noticed they were different. Not quite as yellow as regular lemons, the skin on these were much thinner and had a slightly orange tint to them. I sliced one open. The flesh looked oh, so juicy. Upon tasting it, I realized how much sweeter it was than a regular lemon. I looked on the bag and only then did I notice the words Meyer Lemons.

This darling citrus fruit is apparently a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, and grows profusely in California. I could just imagine having a Meyer Lemon tree in my backyard if I was only so lucky to live in California. They are lower in acidity, sweeter and more floral in taste, making them just perfect for lemon desserts and even cocktails. I once made a delicious Lemon Drop Martini with this little sweetie. Once difficult to find here in Montreal, they are now more common in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Unlike the regular lemon though, this little baby has a shorter shelf-life and is seasonal. They can be found from December or January through May, early June if you’re in luck.

I whipped up these gorgeous little Meyer Lemon Soufflés, courtesy of Martha Stewart. Oh, they were the yummiest! And a first for me with soufflés.

Meyer Lemon Soufflés

• 8 large lemons, preferably Meyer
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Trim the tip ends, or bottoms, from the lemons so that the fruit sits level. I suggest you keep these little tip ends, and you’ll see why in a minute. Cut the stem ends, or tops, about a quarter of the way down, maybe a little less, making cuts parallel with the bottom.

Hold a lemon above a sieve set over a bowl, and scoop out the pulp. Repeat with the remaining lemons. If you’re not careful, you might scrape a hole in the bottom, as I did. Not to worry though. That’s why I suggested you hold on to those little tips. Now you can just add the tips on the bottom so the soufflé batter doesn’t ooze out.

Squeeze the juice from the pulp, and reserve. Repeat with all lemons. Place shells on prepared baking sheet.

Combine egg yolks, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of reserved lemon juice, and flour in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until very thick, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and return to mixer. Beat on medium speed until cool, scraping down sides several times, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in clean mixer bowl. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and stir until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Remove bowl from heat and return to mixer. Beat on low speed until frothy. Gradually increase the speed until meringue is shiny and holds soft peaks, 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to over beat. Whisk 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture. Gently fold int the remaining meringue. Carefully fill the prepared lemon shells to just below the rims, or to the very top of the rims as I did!

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until meringue is slightly golden and rises about 1 inch above the shell, about 14 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to serving plates. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired. Serve immediately.

Keep Calm and Eat Gelato

Tags

dessert, gelato, ice cream, ice-cream sundaes, sundaes, vanilla gelato, vanilla ice cream

Funny how food can alter our moods. Well, for me anyway. Back when Charlotte celebrated her birthday, I asked her what birthday cake or cupcakes she wished to have when her friends came over. Her reply was no to either of the two. Instead, she wanted to make their own sundaes. Sundaes? Let me remind you that she turned 13 and for the past 12 years, I have made birthday cakes and cupcakes for her birthday. One cake for each of the family celebrations we had for her. One cake, or cupcakes, for each birthday party she celebrated with her friends. Cupcakes for school where she would offer one to each child in her class plus one for each of her teachers. By my calculations, I’d say that’s roughly 24 birthday cakes and over 300 cupcakes! Not baking cake nor cupcakes for my little girl was a big deal for me. Sundaes? Fine. Sundaes. Oh, but not just any sundae! Home made Madagascar-Bourbon Vanilla Gelato. Home made hot chocolate sauce. And to top it all off, mini peanut-butter cups and chocolate M & M’s.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Gelato                                                                   from Making Artisan Gelato, by Torrance Kopfer

1 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 35%

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

(This style of gelato is closer to a traditional ice cream than actual gelato. The lack of egg yolks allows for the subtle nuances between the two types of vanilla to come through.)

Split the vanilla bean in half with a knife and remove the seeds, dropping them into a median-sized saucepan. Add the milk and sugar, and stir to combine. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers 170 degrees F/77 C on a thermometer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for a 1/2 hour.

Remove the vanilla bean pod, add the cream and vanilla extract, and stir. Pour into a clean container, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready, pour the chilled mixture into your ice-cream maker and proceed as per manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the gelato to a container with a lid and place in the freezer to fully harden before serving.

After the birthday celebration came and went, I had come across a stressful situation and had some decisions to make, which I’m not very good at by the way. One evening as I was sitting quietly, contemplating how to go about things, I went into the kitchen to forage for something that might help me along with my decision-making. Nothing in the pantry. Nada in the fridge. But when I took a peek into the freezer, I found some of this gelato which I had forgotten about. Oh, perfect! Whereas the girlies went all overload with this, I kept my vanilla gelato plain and simple. I don’t know why, but eating that gelato really did sooth my mind and help me make my decisions. Weather they were the right decisions I will never know. But it did help keep me calm that evening and I haven’t looked back since!