Asparagus Martini

 

 My dad was a martini man. His recipe was simple — a 5:1 ratio of gin to vermouth. This became my “go to,” and it never fails.  As you know from the book review that I posted on Sunday, April 28^th, I recently read Death in le Jardinby Ian Moore. When main characters Richard Ainsworth and Valérie d’Orçay are served an asparagus martini, it gave them pause. In all honesty, it would me too. I mean, I like martinis, and I like asparagus, but I don’t know that I would like a combination of the two. Naturally, I had to look into this, and it’s actually a thing. I found a number of recipes, and because Richard and Valérie found that they not only began to tolerate it as the book progressed, but began to actually like it, I figured that I should give it a try as well. I am a new convert. Refreshing, complex, and satisfying, this will make many appearances come summer. Asparagus martinis for all!

Asparagus Martini

 2½ oz. gin

½ oz. dry vermouth

2 stalks fresh asparagus, cut into thirds

Few drops of fresh lemon juice

You’re going to need to plan ahead for this, because the ingredients have to infuse. So the night before you plan to serve it, chill your martini glass in the fridge, combine the gin, vermouth, and broken stalks of asparagus in a cocktail shaker, or jar with a lid*, and refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to serve your asparagus martini, remove the asparagus, set aside, place ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice cubes, and shake. Pour into your chilled martini glass, and place the top end of one of your asparagus spears into the glass. Add a few drops of fresh lemon juice, and serve.

 * I placed my ingredients into a ball jar, and vacuum sealed it before I refrigerated it to make the infusion more intense. I used this vacuum sealer that I absolutely love!

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Lemon Blueberry Loaf

 

I was craving blueberries, so when I found them on sale at the local market, I had to pick up a pint. I wasn’t paying very close attention at the time, so just grabbed one at random. When I got them home I found that they were the smallest blueberries that I think I have ever seen. In addition, they were pretty tart. Suffice to say that everything I had planned on doing with the blueberries suddenly screeched to a halt and I had to come up with a contingency plan. Because I had been craving lemon as well as blueberries, this Lemon Blueberry Loaf was like the answer to a prayer.Lemon Blueberry Loaf

 Loaf:

1½ c. flour, plus 1 tablespoon extra

1 t. baking powder

½ t. kosher salt

⅓ c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 large eggs

2 t. fresh lemon zest

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ c. whole milk

1 c. fresh blueberries

Lemon glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with Baker’s Joy.

 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

 In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the lemon zest and lemon juice until well combined.

 Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and ending with the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

 Reserve about a dozen blueberries and toss the remaining in 1 tablespoon of flour thereby preventing them from dropping to the bottom of loaf during baking step. Gently fold in the coated blueberries.

 Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and scatter the reserved blueberries over the top, pressing down lightly.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.

 Lemon glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth and glossy.

 Drizzle the glaze over the cooled Lemon Blueberry Loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides.

 Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

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Curried Chicken Salad

 

I like chicken salad, but let’s face it, chicken, on its own, particularly the breast, is rather insipid. I generally like to season it within an inch of its life with Montreal Chicken Seasoning to ensure the chicken salad is flavorful, but I also like to add lots of other ingredients to give it various textures, interest, and crunch. I like to not only add crunch, but also, savory, sweet, and tart. All of these tastes can be found in this toothsome Curried Chicken Salad.Curried Chicken Salad

 ½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice

2½ t. curry powder

½ t. kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

3 c. cubed cooked chicken*

½ c. diced celery

½ c. diced, peeled Granny Smith apple

½ c. golden raisins

2 scallions, chopped

½ c. cashews

Paprika, to garnish

 In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lime juice, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Fold in chicken, celery, apple, raisins, and scallions until well coated. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

 Just before serving, fold in cashews and sprinkle with paprika (if desired). Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

 This is wonderful when served on romaine lettuce leaves, but it also makes a nice filling for lettuce cups, and no carbs!

 *It has to be cubed. That is the only way you’re going to get the proper chicken to celery to scallion to apple to cashew ratio.

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Fettuccine with Asparagus Cream

 

Springtime means fresh asparagus. Don’t you just love those tender, young stalks? If you’re anything like me, you want to make the absolute most of fresh asparagus while the season lasts. This means that you are going to want to incorporate it into your meals from morning to night. You can start your day with asparagus quiche or frittata, enjoy it pickled with a sandwich for lunch, or have it in a salad or soup as a starter for dinner. Failing that, you can try this unique and beautiful pasta dish that works equally well as a side dish or entrée.

 It is quick and easy to make, pretty on the plate, and company worthy.

Fettuccine with Asparagus Cream

 1 bunch asparagus

⅔ c. heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, peeled, but left whole

Copious gratings of fresh nutmeg

1/8 t. white pepper

⅓ c. grated Parmesan

Kosher salt, to taste

8 oz. fettuccine

Snap off woody ends of each asparagus spear and discard. Cut off tips; set aside. Cut remaining stems into thirds. Keep the tips and stalks separate.

In a small saucepan bring the cream and garlic to a boil. Remove from heat, remove the garlic, and stir in nutmeg, white pepper, Parmesan, and salt to taste; set aside.

 Cook the reserved stalks in boiling salted water for about 4-5 minutes until tender; drain. Add to cream mixture. Blend with an immersion blender, or with a mini food processor, until smooth and creamy.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before the end of cooking time add reserved asparagus tips.

Gently reheat the cream, drain pasta and asparagus tips, and toss with cream.

 Divide into two bowls. Top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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Ticket to Ride: The Official Cookbook by Alan R. Moon, Reviewed

 

 Years ago on PBS there was a program hosted by delightful Englishman, Graham Kerr, called “Dinner on the Diner.” Each week he and a number of fortunate guests would board a luxury train and explore one part of the world or other. Celebrity chefs were invited to cook along with the train chefs while touring, doing local food shopping, all the while seeing exciting points of interest along the way. I was a big fan of that show, and ever since then, have been very interested in taking a train trip, not only to see beautiful scenery, but also to stop in quaint towns, and be served marvelous meals, prepared by awarded chefs, and served by handsome young men in tuxedos.

 Sigh. Where was I? Oh, yes…

Because this doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me, I have to live vicariously in other ways, and have done just that by way of the recently published (April 2024), Ticket to Ride: The Official Cookbook by Alan R. Moon based upon his iconic board game of the same name. Prior to being introduced to this cookbook, I had heard of neither Moon nor the game, but having investigated, I must say that the game looks pretty darned cute. If only, she sighed heavily, I had someone to play with, but I digress.Those familiar with the game will find this cookbook easy to navigate as the recipes are organized by the destination tickets awarded in the game. These feature dining car menus inspired by the cities visited during your railway adventure.  Those unfamiliar with the game may be interested in knowing that it was first published in 2004, and later that year won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres Board Game of the Year award. Whether you are familiar with the game or not, this cookbook is a real winner. Visually it is most attractive. There are some truly wonderful pictures inside, the layout is inviting, and I love that there are specially designed menus for each destination, including a cocktail.The recipes look absolutely delicious, each of which is accompanied by a photo. I like that in a cookbook, in fact, I have come to demand it. In order for a cookbook to engage me, it has to be visually appealing first and foremost, and this one most definitely is. The recipes in the book, in nearly all cases, are easily doable, and utilize ingredients that you generally have at home. My mouth watered as I paged through. At the back of the book there is a comprehensive index of all of the recipes, handy conversion charts, and a map showing all of the train routes. There is a code in the back that you can scan in order to get the game so that you can play it yourself.Game fan, or not, train fan, or not, this is a delightful culinary tour of North America featuring recipes for delicious regional foods, accompanied by beautiful photography. Seasoned veteran or novice cook, gamer or otherwise, this is a must have for your culinary library.

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 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

 

Tangerine Refresher

 

I always find citrus to be very refreshing. Whether it’s a squeeze of lime juice in a bowl of guacamole, slices of lemon on top of broiled chicken or fish, or the juice of tangerines in cocktails or other beverages. This summer, when the heat is on, you are going to want a tasty cool down, and this is your answer. Be sure to lay in a big supply of Melissa’s Ojai Pixie Tangerines so that you can turn a good majority of them into ice cubes. Tangerine juice ice cubes are used in this beverage, of course, but they are also delicious when placed into a tall glass of lemonade, iced tea, or cola. 

Tangerine Refresher

 The flesh of 1 Ojai Pixie Tangerine

1 c. milk

½ t. vanilla extract

1½ T. sugar

5-10 tangerine juice ice cubes*

 Place all ingredients into a mini high-speed blender, and blend for 30 seconds.

 *5 regular ice cubes, 10 mini ice cubes

 This is the ice cube tray that I use the most, and I love it! It makes both large and small ice cubes, but I far prefer the small because they are so darned cute. This set also comes with a handy scoop and ice tongs. It makes a great gift, so keep it in mind come Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

Photo: Amazon

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Simple, Serene Summer Tablescape

  How does the song go? “Summertiiiiime, and the living is easy.” That’s going to be my plan for the entire summer of 2024. Easy living, peace, serenity. No complicated food or plans, just relaxing and enjoying. That’s what I had in mind when I created this table — simple and serene.

Even though this is a low maintenance and serene table, that does not mean that it isn’t attractive. I started with the tablecloth that I found in a closet recently and had completely forgot buying. I loved not just the pattern, but the quiet colors. That’s not to say that I don’t like bold colors, but there’s something about entering the summer season, that I like to do quietly.

Rustic chargers are on top of Woven Placemats giving it a simple farmhouse look.

 

The dinnerware is one of my absolute favorites. It is by Portmeirion, and a part of their 'Garden Roses' collection. The salad plate on top has the same pattern as the plate below.

The cup and saucer are also from Portmeirion, from the 'Garden Harmony' collection and complement the plates quite well.The hammered flatware by Mikasa in the 'Opulent' pattern reflects light in various angles as it bounces off each facet. The napkins, from Amazon, in deep green, pair nicely. 

The glazed pitcher in the center, I found here, is filled with a spray of simple grasses.

 

It is flanked on either side by etched crystal, antique candlesticks that the Late Mr. O-P bought me for our first Christmas together. I had thought about using white candles here, but I gave the green a try and I really liked it. I think the green candles keep the table from being washed out. 

The glassware is from La Rocher. These glasses work equally well for water as they do wine, shrimp cocktail, or a dessert mousse. I find them very versatile.I hope that you plan to relax and make the living easy for your family this summer. Enjoy each day.

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 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday