Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

For ‘foodies’ – and a lot of vegetable gardeners - one of the most welcome harbingers of warm weather and the growing season is the Asparagus.

This recipe for ‘Asparagus Tart’ comes from the website of the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, and it's as easy as - (actually easier than) - pie!:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/3-ingredient-asparagus-tart/

But I think my favorite, is just Roasted Asparagus (which is also my favorite way with Brussels Sprouts, in a different season). My husband makes this often, with just olive oil, salt and pepper; but I like the addition of the Parmesan Cheese:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-asparagus-recipe

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

Butterfunk is a real restaurant that got a great review in the NYTs. Yuck!

There used to be a restaurant called Yellow Fingers across the street from Bloomingdale’s in the 80s. I always thought that was an awful name.

[leaning conservative]

; ) I laughed at your post because when I tell people they are utterly horrified & can only think of the poison ones! My father was not a dummy, he was careful. But I guess mistakes can be made. Glad it didn’t happen to us!

[leaning conservative]

This I AM making!!!!! Sounds wonderful in an omelet too.

[leaning conservative]

Ha, I read the comments on Butterfunk. My 10 articles were up. I kept thinking what a stupid name for a restaurant. Funk should never be in a restaurant’s name or menu.

I like names that aren’t trendy.....for kids & restaurants.

[miss marmelstein]

The foodies use “funk” now to describe certain cheeses. It’s a turn off word for me - much like “flavor profile.” It’s a flavor, people, not a flavor profile!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This is making me miss my 40’ row of Asparagus that I sold along with my farm, this past summer. :(

Of course, I took some with me to my NEW farm. We should have some this season (old, established roots) and lots more in the near future. Aiming for 30-40’ feet of it, again! :)

[Jamestown1630]

How long into the summer can you harvest it?

[Aliska]

That's what it was, lupine. I looked it up. Bluebonnets are lupine, too, but a different variety, texenses or something like that.

I found a beautiful photo similar to what I saw some time back only the expanse isn't as broad but it's gorgeous nonetheless. I won't embed it because it took so long to load but will provide a link to the photo.

Thank you, I should have thought of that but didn't. BTW if people are looking for wildflower and lupine seeds, American Meadows is a good source. I started some cherry-colored lupines by winter sowing, didn't get to transplanting soon enough and somehow lost them. That color I got from a different vendor, can't remember which one.

And that rare endangered blue butterfly (Karner?) feeds on another kind of lupine. Lupines grow well on sandy soil and set down a deep taproot but they will grow just fine in richer soil, only slower. They are perennials and will come back every year.

https://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/coastweeks/ - Beautiful lupines CA coast

I think they spelled a word wrong but I put in a short description in the link but it works. publiced? published? oh well.

[Jamestown1630]

I just don’t trust my ability to tell good from bad. I know it just takes training, but I’m a scaredy-cat.

I’ve been wanting to try one of those kits, though, that have everything you need to grow mushrooms under your kitchen sink, or on a log in your yard.

[lizma2]

I remember when that cooking-your-fish-in-your-dishwasher craze went on for about a year.

Haven't tried this method yet....but plan on it.

This looks great.

[lizma2]

Ina Garten does a great strawberry cake.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/strawberry-country-cake-recipe

[Aliska]

There is that post of yours, the link to the easy ways to do things. I get carried away and drop the ball sometimes.

I watched all those videos. They were helpful. One wouldn't load, can look for it later.

I thought he wasted too much when he peeled the broccoli. I would get these coins about the size of a 50-cent piece and cook them with carrot coins.

And the carrots. I can peel them faster, essentially the whole way up and down (except there are bumps and stuff which it sometimes takes a quick second pass or two and sometimes cleaning up with a paring knife. I go from the green end with my cheapo (have a couple more expensive ones) veggie peeler, and cut the tops and bottoms off after they've been peeled. Then rinse under cold water or hold in a bowl of cold water.

I never thought of peeling a pepper but sometimes I guess I'd rather not have it roasted and the pieces not have the skin either. So that was a great tip!

Thank you for those.

[lizma2]

Spargelzeit!

White asparagus is the best. (green’s damn good.) Mit holländischer Sauce.

Found these and they look tastey:
https://germanfoods.org/recipes/recipe-collections-asparagus-recipes/

[Liz]

Fab cake for spring.

[Liz]

hat tip NY Post

Giant Panda cub Fu Feng is seen in its enclosure at Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria.

[Jamestown1630]

I peel the portion of the peppers that I leave un-pureed, in Gazpacho; if I don’t, the peppers are often unpleasantly fibrous. in that particular recipe. It’s easy, using a veggie peeler. I’m not worried about nutrition, then, because most of the pepper-skin gets pureed, and goes into the recipe. (I think Gazpacho is an especially ‘healthy’ way to eat veggies, because it’s all raw.)

If I’m using peppers in salads, I just leave the skin on, and do the same in any cooked/baked application.

I’ve read recently that one shouldn’t peel carrots - just scrub them off really well. Apparently, if you peel them, you lose a lot of the nutrition.

(It may have been Liz -?- who told me this about carrots...)

[Jamestown1630]

How do you feel about Artichokes?

[Aliska]

I can't chew raw veggies unless they are chopped tiny fine.

Normally I would leave the skin on peppers; I thought it might be different to peel them and chop for when I get around to making spinach artichoke dip.

Yeah, carrots are better with the skin on but I'd rather have them peeled for most things I use them for. They just look nicer peeled (to me).

[Aliska]

Now that I've been thinking about it, maybe a bit of an exaggeration; the broccoli coins were probably between the size of a quarter and half dollar. Sometimes I cook the broccoli and throw the stems back in the fridge for a few days. They keep well.

And the asparagus is too skinny. I kind of like them a little fatter.

[Liz]

That is something I believe in, JT.....all of the nutrition in vegetables is right under the skin.

Baked potatoes are healthier b/c you eat them w/ the skins on.

Sometimes after scrubbing the potatoes, I oil the outside so that after baking the skin is nice and crispy......and deliciously edible.