W H AT’S COOK ING
SPRING IS IN THE AIR
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t’s too soon to pull fresh veggies and herbs from our gardens or find them in abundance at the farmers’ market. But it’s not too soon to plan and dream for spring and summer meals filled with fresh, local foods. Just the hint of spring is all we need to begin digging in the dirt or making mental notes to look for the first crop of local asparagus, peas, lettuces and herbs. Until then, let’s make do with what we have. On a sunny March day, brighten your kitchen with a fresh springtime dish that will bring a little sunshine indoors. This soup is inspired by the wonderful cream of asparagus soup served at Little Venice in Sand Springs. Owner Walter Munaretto’s northern Italian menu has many wonderful dishes, including this standout seasonal soup. It’s so good that we attempted to recreate it at home. This is a good substitute for the Little Venice version.
CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP Serves 4 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed 1 tablespoon butter 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine 2 1/4 cups chicken broth (not low sodium) 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream Juice of half a lemon Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cut asparagus into half-inch pieces. Set aside. In a medium-size soup pot, melt butter. Cook onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until tender. Add asparagus, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until asparagus is softened. Puree soup until smooth using an immersion blender. Stir in cream and lemon juice until soup has a creamy consistency. Add a little more cream if needed or desired. Season with salt and pepper. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. These super simple crisps are so good with the asparagus soup. They also make great salad toppers.
MICHELLE POLLARD; VELVET TACOS: COURTESY
PARMESAN CHEESE CRISPS
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Pour tablespoons of cheese a few inches apart on baking sheet. Spread slightly so that cheese is about 2 inches around. Add black pepper on top of each. Bake 4-6 minutes or until crisp and held together. Cool completely before removing from pan. TP TulsaPeople.com
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