I love asparagus.  I love it plain, roasted with just a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice.  I love it blanched and incorporated into salads.  

And I love, love it with cheese.  Good, creamy, piping hot cheese.  I could eat this for lunch.  I could eat it and call it dinner.  I might be able to eat it for breakfast.  Mm, no probably not.  But it's delicious.

It's full of that crisp green flavor.  It's crunchety in places where the broiling happened just right and it's got smooth, creamy cheese running through it.  You can't go wrong.

Spring Asparagus Gratin
Taken and adapted from Pinch My Salt, reprinted with permission from Cook’s Country
Serves 8

For even cooking, buy asparagus spears between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in diameter.

2 pounds thin asparagus
2 1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Line broiler-safe baking dish with paper towels. Trim 1 1/2 inches from stem end of asparagus and reserve ends. Bring water to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus ends and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove asparagus ends and discard. Add asparagus stalks to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to paper-lined baking dish. Pour asparagus water into liquid measuring cup; reserve 1 cup.

2. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in reserved asparagus water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan and Gruyere until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Remove paper towels from baking dish. Drizzle sauce over center of asparagus and top with remaining Parmesan. Broil until cheese is golden and asparagus is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve.

Hummus is one of the few proteins that Canaan will eat by the spoonful.  Of course his mouth and stomach are still little so if we left all the hummus eating up to him, we'd end up throwing out old hummus.  
So I like to change up the hummus-making routine with new flavors, like the addition of some jalapeno or sun-dried tomato. 





A Mexican-inspired hummus sounded right up my alley.  Cilantro and lime have me sold almost any day of the week.  It's a nice, bright flavor profile that still works well with sturdy, mellow pita chips.  It would be great to take as a party food, assured that you won't be doubling up if someone else brings a more classic hummus. 

Cilantro Lime Hummus
Taken from How Sweet It Is
makes about 1 cup

1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed  *I used dried beans since canned cannellini don't seem to be available here

1 clove of garlic, minced (more or less, depending on your tastes)

1/4 cup cilantro

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/3 cup olive oil (+ more to reach desired consistency)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine beans, cilantro, lime zest, juice and garlic in the food processor and blend until mixed. With the processor on, stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. I blended mine for a good 3-4 minutes to make it super creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips!

I was delighted to find some fresh sweet corn at the store and knew I needed to take full advantage of it by keeping it fresh and not overdoing it.  Some was boiled and eaten off of the cob, some was cut off the cob and frozen because even though fresh corn is best, fresh frozen corn is about 100 times better than canned corn.  

And some was turned into this salad.  I loved that this recipe highlighted the corn in its raw, crunchy capacity. I also just love beautifully colorful salads.

With the addition of a new door behind our kitchen that lets in extra streams of sunlight and this corn and pasta salad I felt like I was experiencing a little bit of real summer in our house.

Corn and Pasta Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

From Food Network

• 4 ounces gemelli pasta
• 1 small garlic clove
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 small ears fresh corn
• 8 ounces grape tomatoes, preferably mixed heirloom, halved
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 cups baby arugula *I had no arugula at the time.  Instead I shredded some brussels sprouts and tossed them in raw
• 2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp in the microwave, and crumbled

Hasselback potatoes only happen about once in a blue moon at my house.  I find it painstakingly, mind-numbingly boring to thin slice potatoes while being ever so careful to not cut all the way through.  And then inevitably I do somewhere along the way and my potato is chopped in half.

That being said, I love how all the little edges get uber-crunchy as they expand and soak up the melting butter.  The addition of this pesto had me pulling at my knife and preparing for the tedium in order to make these happen.  

Thankfully we weren't disappointed.  The pesto was just the right amount of garlicky and helped with some of the dryness that sometimes happens near the bottom of the potato where the crunch is missing.  And they were quite gorgeous with their bright green billows on top.

(And this just might be your first view of my new kitchen counters that you will probably be seeing for years to come.  Marble and brilliant for rolling out a pie dough.)

Hasselback Potatoes with Spinach Cashew Pesto

Taken from Joy the Baker

For the Potatoes:

4 russet potatoes

4 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

coarse sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Thinly slice garlic cloves.  Set aside.

Rinse and scrub potatoes well.  We’re keeping the skin on so it’s gotta be clean.

Slice a thin layer off of the bottom of the potatoes.  This will give them a solid base to rest on to get sliced.  Slice into the potatoes but not completely through them.  Slice potatoes, creating very thin rounds connected at a base.  Slide garlic slices in between potato slices.  You might  actually need to shove them in… the potato might be pretty tight.  Just be careful not to tear the bottom.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet.  Generously sprinkle potatoes with salt.  Top each potato with one tablespoon of butter.  Drizzle with oil.  Bake for 1 hour or until tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.  Remove the pan about every 15 minutes to baste potatoes in the oil and butter on the pan.  This will make the skin crispy and delicious and the potato extra buttery.

When cooked through and crispy, remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes.  Top with spinach pesto and serve.

For the Pesto:

2 loosely packed cups of spinach

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cups roasted cashews

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

Place garlic cloves, spinach, nuts, lemon juice, zest and Parmesan cheese in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until spinach is broken down and, whiles still blending, slowly pour in the olive oil.  Turn off food processor, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.   Serve over potatoes!

This isn't the first time we've smashed potatoes and then fried them.  And it definitely won't be the last.  I justified my repeat decadent smashing-and-frying saying, "These have lemon in them and I've never tried them with lemon."  It was enough.

And it was enough.  Enough of a good thing to have Nate and I lingering at the table, slowly eating just one more potato until the plate was bare save for crumbs.  And then, and then! Nate had the audacity to try to steal a crispety-crunchety burnt edge from MY plate.  He didn't win that one.

Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemon

Originally from Food Network, courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

Potatoes
2 pounds baby or fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved


Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

It's absolutely disgusting that I haven't shared these rolls with you til now.  Just disgusting.  Because they are utterly and totally my kind of delicious.

Here's the background.  Last November, as in over three months ago, Canaan and I took a somewhat impromptu trip out to Idaho to visit my parents, sister and her son, JoJo.  As I always do at my parents', after unpacking my bags and settling Canaan in for a nap I pulled out all of the cooking magazines my mom has received since my last trip out.  I nestled into the red chair and put the whole stack on my stomach to peruse while keeping one eye on Food Network channel.  And lo and behold I almost immediately saw these rolls.  A two page spread detailing for me how to accomplish this light, buttery, yeasty goodness.  I knew I wanted them immediately and viciously.

Good thing my mom was busy with school and said offhandedly, "If you wanted you could make some kind of bread for dinner."  Knowing full well that in my mom's mind she was suggesting a whole wheat, oat bran, fiber-rich variety, I took advantage anyway and immediately set to work on my very own Parker House Rolls.  This wasn't difficult to do as my sister said, "Bread?  You're making bread for tonight?  I just saw this recipe in my newest Food Network magazine that I really want to try ..."  Say no more sistah, we are of the same blood.  So we set out in our new kitchen rhythmn which includes a tag-team approach depending on whose baby is awake, asleep, hungry, needy or playing nicely.

Using a precious day's worth of nap time to accomplish these rolls was not in vain.  Though my mom wrinkled her nose in caloric protest, my dad, sister and I were not above calling dibs (and then splitting evenly) my mom's apportioned leftovers.  Because they are good.  Really, really good.  Silken dough between my fingers as I worked.  Airy and delicate, slightly sweetened, and lathered with sweet, sweet butter at the end, their texture is reminiscent of cotton candy as it lands on your tongue and melts.

Parker House Rolls

Taken from Food Network, provided courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli for Food Network Magazine

Yield: 24 rolls

1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Bloom the yeast.

Measure out 1/2 cup warm water and check the temperature: It should be between 110 degrees F and 120 degrees F (comfortable bathwater temperature). Sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl, add the warm water and whisk in the sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside near the stove while you prepare the dough.

Make the dough.

Mix the melted butter and milk in a mixer with the hook attachment on low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape in the yeast mixture and mix until incorporated. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon salt; mix until the dough forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.

Let it rise.

Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. The dough should double in volume.

Shape the dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (don't use a rolling pin).

Cut the dough.

With the short side in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips.

Shape the dough.

One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.)

Bake the rolls.

Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees F, then 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.) Remove from the oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Zucchini can be bad, just bad.  I've had bad before and I've made bad before.  One thing I've learned is to always salt my zucchini and let it sit for ten minutes releasing water before blotting it with a paper towel.  Less water = tastier zucchini and better texture.  Another thing I've learned is that I don't think this vegetable needs much cooking time at all.  I steer away from any recipes that have you roast for long periods, opting for barely cooked options that highlight the grill or a quick saute.  Oh and lastly I've learned that zucchini and lemon are like husband and wife.  Never should they be separated (in my kitchen).

So now that I've told you my zucchini recipe criteria you can pretty much guess that I liked this zucchini salad.  Short cooking time?  Check.  Lemon?  Check.  Added salting and blotting step?  Check.  Extra almond crunch?  Mmmh.  And this recipe is so durn quick that I've only thrown it together oh about 4 times in the last month.  And anything that appears even once a month in my kitchen can be considered a staple.

Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Almonds and Parmesan

Taken from Love and Olive Oil

Makes 4 side servings

1 medium lemon

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 lbs small zucchini, cut into lengthwise slices

1/2 cup sliced (or chopped) almonds, toasted

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Zest the lemon and set aside the zest. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a small bowl. Add oil, pepper, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat until hot. Oil the grilling surface and grill zucchini slices, turning once, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange the zucchini on a platter and drizzle with the reserved lemon dressing. Serve sprinkled with almonds, cheese, and lemon zest.

Here is the kind of thing I throw together all the time.  Say you are making that Pan-Roasted Chicken with Olives and Lemon.  The oven is already set at 425 and you've got a whole rack open.  You've also got some great fresh herbs on hand from your main dish.  In this case, that would be thyme and sage.  You've got just the opportunity to make a side dish full of comfort and complementary flavors.

The only thing you really need to keep on hand is potatoes and some kind of onion to make this work.  And in my house, there are at least a few of potatoes and an onion lurking in my cupboard.  I got lucky for this demonstration with a more gourmet variety on hand, but I'm never above using a basic yellow potato alone with this methodology.

Mmh.  I can just see my favorite part sitting there waiting to be eaten.  See some of those black, caramelized onion pieces?  I just love those crunchy bites.  Some might call them burnt but I call them perfect.  In fact, it's the only way you'll ever get me to say "Mmh good" to an onion.

Roasted Potato Medley with Sage

Potatoes of any variety.  In this case I used a combination of russet, purple, and sweet potatoes

Onion of any variety.  I prefer a white onion or shallots

Fresh herbs.  Thyme and sage today

Olive oil

Salt

Chile powder

Cayenne pepper

Pepper

Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.  You don't need to peel them as many of the vitamins are found in that outer layer and the skin will be nicely tender by the time these are ready.  Cut onion into several large sections.   Place into a bowl.  Add whole sage leaves and a several sprigs of thyme.  (In terms of proportion, you can't really go wrong.  You know what you like to eat and you go with it.)

Add olive oil and toss to coat.  Next add your spices and salt.  (In this case proportion is important as you don't want it overly salty or spicy.  But still, just eyeball it and use moderation).  Toss to coat again.  Spread into a single layer on a baking sheet and shove it into the oven with your chicken.  (If you are making this with another recipe, don't worry about the oven temp.  I like higher temps because you get those wonderful onion bits I was telling you about and a nice crisp edge on the potato, but most any temp 350 or above will work.  It will just alter the amount of cooking time needed.)  In this case, I would guess my potatoes will take about 25 minutes to cook, give or take.  In this case I would put them in before the chicken goes in.  Either way, take the potatoes out halfway and flip for more crispy edges.  And they'll be done when they are fork tender.

Quick!  Before Fall nudges it's way in, the Farmer's Markets close for the season, and we're left with limp and lifeless berries, peaches, and tomatoes, make sure you get all those bonafide summer recipes accomplished.  I missed this recipe last summer but I wasn't about to make it go another round when I just so happened to have some leftover cream cheese and fresh basil on hand.

The funny thing is, I don't really like fresh tomatoes.  Never have.  But sometimes you look at a recipe and just know it would be delicious ... for other people.  And Nate absolutely loves tomatoes.  Tomatoes and corn, he could live on them.  Scratch that.  Tomatoes, corn, and bacon and sausage, he could live on.  Moving on ...

If you're looking to squeeze the final dregs out of summer cooking, if you're looking for a way to make vegetables sinfully unhealthy but delightedly tasty then try these tomatoes.  I did.  And I don't even like tomatoes.  But I do like cream cheese and I do like "fried."  Two out of three ain't bad.

Country-Style Tomatoes

Originally from Taste of Home June/July 2009

Serves 8

4 large tomatoes

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

Cut each tomato into four thick slices; place on paper towels to drain. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, parsley, basil, garlic and salt until blended. Spread cream cheese mixture over eight tomato slices; top with remaining tomato slices.

Place flour and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. In another bowl, whisk egg and milk. Coat the top and bottom of each sandwich with flour, dip into egg mixture, then coat with crumbs.

In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-hot heat. Fry tomato sandwiches in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

I found this salad to be a refreshing step away from the greens+fruit+nut or the greens+tomatoes+other vegetables combinations. Those ingredients are generally in my fridge so they are the easiest to come up with at 6pm. Lima beans, on the other hand, don't show up at my house too often.

Refreshing, chock full of green and good vitamins, this salad is a wanted addition to a summer brunch.

Baby Greens with Asparagus and Pistachios

Taken from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook

Serves 6

Lemon oil: Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup canola oil

4 sprig fresh lemon thyme or thyme

1 piece (2 inches) fresh lemongrass , crushed

Lemon vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon oil

3/4 teaspoon honey

3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salad:

1 bunch asparagus , trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup fresh fava beans or frozen lima beans , thawed

8 ounces mixed baby greens

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts , coarsely chopped

To make lemon oil:  In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients; heat over medium-low heat until oil is hot and small bubbles begin to appear. Transfer to a bowl; cool to room temperature. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain before using.

To make vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until blended.

To prepare salad: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in colander, rinse with cold water until cool, and then drain again. Repeat with beans, cooking about 1 minute before draining.

In a large bowl, combine greens, pistachios, asparagus and beans. Add vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediately.