Asparagus with Salt & Pepper Whipped Cream
Topped with decadent cream, this simple side dish is just delicious.
Ingredients:
1½-2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 250º. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water, or steam, until just tender. Place the drained asparagus in a shallow serving dish, and keep it warm in the oven.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter with ¼ cup heavy cream over low heat. Stir and pour over the asparagus; return the asparagus to the oven.
3. Beat the remaining ¾ cup cream with the salt and pepper until soft peaks form. Spoon over the hot asparagus. Serve immediately.
Cara Cara & Blood Orange Salad with Mizuna Greens
This citrus-kissed salad is beautifully presented with colorful orange slices and crisp fennel.
Ingredients:
2 Cara Cara oranges
2 blood oranges
6 cups Mizuna greens
1-2 fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced, plus a small handful of the fronds
¼ cup good-quality Parmesan cheese, shaved
Farm & Larder citrus vinaigrette
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Spread the Mizuna out on a large, round serving platter to make a bed.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges. Stand oranges up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice oranges crosswise into thin wheels.
3. Scatter fennel over the greens, then top with the orange slices. Drizzle several tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss lightly to coat. Top salad with fennel fronds, shaved Parmesan cheese and a dash of fresh ground pepper, if desired.
Billy Mills’ Bread & Butter Pickles
This recipe from 1940s-era music conductor Billy Mills is a great introduction to pickling.
Ingredients:
7 cucumbers, sliced
5 white onions, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 sweet red Bullhorn pepper, chopped
¼ cup salt
Crushed ice
Pickling solution:
2½ cups white vinegar
2½ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
¾ teaspoon tumeric
¼ teaspoon cloves
Method:
1. Prepare vegetables and place in a large bowl. Mix in salt and ice, then place in a cool place and let stand for at least 3 hours. Drain.
2. Mix pickling solution, add to drained vegetable in a large pot or kettle. Bring mixture to a boil, remove vegetables to canning jars immediately and cover in the hot liquid; seal.
