THE KITCHEN GARDEN
quiches, or tossed with olive oil, garlic and pasta along with fresh spring herbs such as a little rosemary, oregano parsley and thyme. Extra asparagus freezes well.
Gary Priest and Neighbors’ Roasted Asparagus “There’s all kinds of fancy recipes, but this is an easy way,” he says. “Take a glass Pyrex dish. Put a piece of aluminum foil in it. Lay up to two pounds of spears in it. Drizzle olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and roast about five minutes at 350 for crunchy, ten minutes for tender spears. “I can eat it twice a day.”
Lemon-Yogurt Asparagus Soup
“Tyler” Labrador Retriever Graphite on Canson Paper
Pamela Powers January FINE
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Ingredients: 1 pound fresh asparagus 3/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup vegetable broth 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt, pinch ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup soy milk 1/2 cup yogurt 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth. Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired. From Allrecipes.com PS Jan Leitschuh is an avid kitchen gardener, a Moore County Master Gardener volunteer and co-organizer of the new Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative. Anyone interested in local produce can check it out at www.SandhillsFarm2Table.com
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills