Springtime Asparagus Soup.

 

 I have lovely asparagus coming up in my garden nowand I'm thinking up all sorts of asparagus-based recipes.  This creamy asparagus soup with sautéed mushrooms and Parmesan crispsmakes for a perfect spring lunch.

First I made the Parmesan rounds.

Grate small mounds (heaping tablespoon)  of Parmesan cheese onto parchment paper.

Gently press flat - 1/8 - 1/4 inch thickness.

Give each round a few grinds of pepper.

Bake in a 300° oven for about 15 minutes.

Golden perfection.

Let cool.

Now, on to the soup.

Rosie’s Asparagus Soup

1 TB unsalted butter

8 oz. asparagus (about 12 spears), chopped

3-4 mushrooms, sliced

½ onion, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)

1 TB unsalted butter

2 TB flour

2 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup heavy cream

2 TB chopped parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Frozen peas (optional)

Scallion, sliced

Lemon zest

More chopped parsley

In a medium pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Add chopped asparagus, sliced mushrooms, and chopped onion.  Sauté 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent.  Remove mushrooms and just the asparagus tips and set aside for later.

Add in second tablespoon of butter and sprinkle in flour, stirring for a minute to cook the flour.  Slowly pour in vegetable broth, stirring to thicken.  (You can substitute chicken stock if that’s what you have on hand.)  Reduce heat and cook at bare simmer, about 5 minutes, until asparagus is tender.  Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

To purée the soup, I use an immersion blender as opposed to a countertop blender.  There’s no easier way to get that creamy, luxurious texture than by immersion blending.  The bladed wand goes directly into the pot with the soup mixture and you don’t have to ladle out the liquid contents into a blender jar and splash hot liquid all over the place or have steam blow the lid off.  Another plus for immersion blending is that it saves on cleanup too – you don’t have another container to wash, just detach the wand and give it a quick clean up.   Simply insert your immersion blender in the pot and blend away, moving the blender up and down and keeping it submerged until your mixture is smooth and consistent.

Stir in the cream, then taste-test, adding kosher salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.  If you like, add in a half cup or so of frozen (not canned) peas and let heat through before serving.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with reserved asparagus tips and sliced mushrooms, along with sliced scallions, chopped parsley, and a grating of lemon zest for a bright tang.  Welcome accompaniments include crunchy croutons or crisp Parmesan rounds.

 

Enjoy!

Nameless Hawthorne's Birthday Dinner.

 August is the Birthday Month for the Hawthornes.
Three out of five Hawthornes have birthdays this month.

 The Birthday Person always gets to pick

what Birthday Meal he or she wants.

I didn't have to ask.

I know.

It's his favorite.

 Spinach and sun-dried tomato risotto,

with a Parmesan crisp, topped with seared scallops,

pesto, and caramelized onions.

First, I had to make some pesto.

I went out to the garden and picked a bunch of basil.

When I make pesto, I make A LOT!

I freeze it in ice cube trays and small freezer bags,

so I can have pesto throughout winter.

I prefer using pecans instead of pine nuts.
I prefer pecan flavor.

And I use Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil.

I don't want an olive oil that overpowers.

Rosie's Pesto

4 quarts lightly packed basil leaves

10 garlic cloves

6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, grated

5-6 cups pecans

4 cups Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil

kosher salt to taste

Process everything.

Spoon into ice trays and/or freezer bags for individual servings.

You can divide this to make smaller quantities.

Taste test as you go along.

Now for the Parmesan crisps...

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

I use about 2 TB grated Parmesan for each round.

Press rounds to flatten.
Use a flat bottom of a glass.

Bake at 425°, turning pan once,

 until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.

Let cool.

These Parmesan crisps make terrific snacks.

For the caramelized onions,

I sautéed sliced onions in a little unsalted butter and olive oil.

Medium high heat.

I like to sprinkle a little sugar over the onions

to aid in caramelization.

When onions are browned, throw in a splash of white wine.

Let it cook away, then cover and remove from heat.

On to the risotto.

Risotto is more a technique than a dish.

Once you understand the process -

toasting the rice, adding in warm broth a ladle at a time -

you can vary the dish with other combinations of flavors and textures -

mushrooms and sausage,

asparagus, lemon, and Parmesan,

peas and mint,

tomatoes and basil,

you name it!

Risotto

2 TB unsalted butter

1 TB olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

32 ounces chicken broth, heated

1/2 bag fresh spinach (4 ounces), chopped

handful of sundried tomatoes

1/4 cup cream

kosher salt, to taste

extra unsalted butter

Place the tomatoes in a small bowl,

pour in boiling water, cover, and set aside.

When ready to add to risotto, drain and chop.

 Heat skillet over medium heat.

Add oil and butter.

When butter melts, stir in onions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add rice, stirring to coat, and cook for about 2 minutes, 

or until the rice takes on a pale, gold color.

Stir in a ladle (1/4 cup) of warm broth

and stir until broth is absorbed.

Continue adding a ladle at a time,

stirring until absorbed.

Don't rush this part.

The gradual addition of the warm liquid

is the key to getting the rice to release its starch,

thus creating its own velvety sauce.

You want just enough liquid to cook the rice.

This will take maybe 20-25 minutes.

Start taste-testing about 15 minutes in.

You want the rice al dente and the dish almost porridge-like.

When you run a spatula through the risotto,

it should slowly flow back to fill in the space.

Add in the spinach and tomatoes.

When spinach is wilted,

pour in the cream and stir in the butter for enrichment.

Risotto should be served immediately.

If left standing, the starches will set

and you lose the creamy silkiness.

Scallops!

To prepare scallops,

first remove the little side muscle where it attaches to the shell,

rinse with cold water, and thoroughly pat dry.

In a hot iron skillet, melt 2 TB butter and 1 TB oil.

Place scallops in at 350°.

Do not crowd the pan and don't let the scallops touch.

Sear about 90 seconds each side.

To plate, pour a base of risotto.

Add a Parmesan crisp and scallops.

Top with caramelized onions and pesto.

A most excellent meal.

Birthday Boy-approved!

Rosie Makes Youngest Hawthorne's Favorite Meal.

 

Youngest Hawthorne and Junior were home

last week for spring(?) break 

and I'm making his all-time favorite meal.

It's seared scallops atop a Parmesan crisp

 on a bed of spinach and sundried tomato risotto

topped with caramelized onions and pesto.

For the Parmesan crisps,

simply grate Parmesan cheese 

and scoop out about 1/4 cup for each round.

Bake in a 400° oven until bubbly and lightly browned,

about 8 minutes.

Please watch carefully, so you don't burn them.

Let drain on paper towels.

On to the risotto ...

You'll need:

1/2 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4-5 sun-dried tomato pieces

1/2 bag fresh spinach

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

Cover the sun-dried tomatoes

in boiling water and let soften 15 minutes.

Heat one tablespoon each

olive oil and unsalted butter.

Add in 1/2 cup of arborio rice.

Cook and stir for a minute or so.

You want the rice to release a nutty aroma

but not to turn brown.

Have your chicken broth heated

and add in 1/4 cup hot broth at a time to the rice, 

stirring, over low heat,

and let the rice fully absorb the liquid.

Continue adding ladlefuls of hot stock,

stirring until the liquid gets absorbed.

You'll notice as the rice cooks, 

it will take on a creamy consistency

as it begins to release its natural starches.

In the meantime, I started on my caramelized onions.

Thinly slice an onion

and sauté in unsalted butter.

I like to add in a sprinkling of sugar to 

aid in the caramelization.

Give it a pinch of salt.

Cook over medium low heat until onions begin to brown.

Keep warm.

Now, back to the risotto.

Taste test.

You want tender grains, but still firm to the bite.

Takes about 30 minutes.

If you run out of stock,

simply add water, a ladleful at a time, 

stirring until absorbed.

A properly cooked risotto should form

a soft, creamy mound on your plate.

It shouldn't run or be stiff or gluey.

Add in the sun-dried tomatoes.

Coarse chop the spinach and ...

... add to the risotto. 

Let the spinach wilt.

Stir in the cream and ...

... the Parmesan.
Set aside and keep warm.

Now, for the scallops.

Rinse scallops and pat completely dry.

I season with freshly cracked pepper.

Doesn't need salt.

Heat a heavy skillet

and add about 2 TB each unsalted butter and oil.

Sear the scallops over medium high heat.

When you put the scallops in the pan,

leave them alone.

Don't try to push them around.

You'll tear them.

Wait until they naturally release themselves from the pan

to turn them over.

About 2 minutes each side.

I like to add in a splash of white wine at the end,

for de-glazing and extra flavor.

To serve,

mound risotto on your plate,

top with a Parmesan crisp,

and add scallops, caramelized onions, and pesto.

It doesn't get much better than this.