May Eat Your Greens Round Up

I have four fabulous Eat Your Greens recipes to share with you this month.  

The first Eat Your Greens  recipe comes from Johanna who blogs over at The Green Gourmet Giraffe. Johanna shared with us some Twice Baked Potatoes filled with herbs such as parsley, chives and thyme.  Pop on over not just for the recipe, but also to read about her trip to a Spud Festival. 

The second Eat Your Greens contribution came from Lisa's Kitchen with Asparagus with Spiced Tomatoes and Crumbled Paneer.  This is very interesting combination, something that Lisa admits to writing 'asparagus is not a vegetable that commonly features in Indian dishes, but when you pair it with creamy paneer and Indian spicing' you would think it was part of Indian cuisine.  

My co-host the Veg Hog who has been very busy has still managed to share with us a lush Leek, Kale and Potato Soup, served in a lovely mug!  This healthy green soup is bulked up further with green lentils.  

Finally, my own contribution was a versatile Fennel Relish that was stirred through cooked pasta for a substantial meal, but on its own it could have been served simply as Fennel Salsa with crackers or tortilla style crisps.

Thank you especially to Johanna and Lisa for joining in #EatYourGreens this month. We hope you will join in with us again in June when The Veg Hog hosts #EatYourGreens challenge.  Please Follow this link on how to join in.  

Spicy Tomato Pasta Bake with Vegan Chorizo

I have mentioned before that one of the most popular recipes on my blog is the vegan Chorizo sausages made with vital wheat gluten thanks to Terry Hope Romero.  

Since vital wheat gluten is a lot more accessible now and stocked by many health food stores across the UK,including most cities in Wales.  I have been making it every year, but this is not to say that we indulge in faux meat all the time or that our meals have to be 'seitan faux 'meat' and two veg', its is actually not as I still find the texture of faux meat, especially seitan 'meat' unusual.  

For a veggie Sunday Roast, I would still always favour a nutroast in place of a 'Seitan' Roast with Stuffing.  However, saying all that I do like to experiment and those of you who know me now through blogging, will know that I do enjoy experimenting in the kitchen with new ingredients, but always with fruit and vegetables.  After all, I am sure if you do your research, my humble blog would have been the first in the UK  showing the versatility of fruit and vegetables, for example putting vegetables, other than carrots, parsnips and pumpkins into desserts, but lets ignore that.    

Oriental Mustard Greens and Asparagus Potato Salad

I made this Oriental Mustard Greens Potato Salad a couple of weeks ago when I harvested some Mustard Greens from the greenhouse.

The Oriental Mustard Salad green leaves were hot and spicy.  I do enjoy growing my own salad greens as I rarely find anything as tasty from the supermarkets, the closest to good salad leaves have been from farmers markets.

Wye Valley Asparagus, Broad Beans and Mint Quiche

Lighter and brighter evenings call for light and easy to eat food.  

Over the next few days, various quiches, tarts and salads will be appearing on our plate. One of the first is this Wye Valley Asparagus, Caerphilly Broad Beans and homegrown mint. 

D is totally enjoying these leggy green spears whilst they are in season and taking advantage of when he sees it on offer, bringing some home by the bundle for me to work my culinary magic on and bring to the table.  But truth is there is not an awful lot you can do to asparagus.  I mean I don't want to mess with it too much, turning it into a soup or an asparagus hummus. 

Because of the asparagus short season, I really do think the best way to enjoy it is to simply blanch it and tuck in: dipping it into soft boiled eggs; stirred into a pasta dish or as a simple tart topping, maybe even in a risotto.  

Back to this home-made Asparagus, Broad Beans and Mint Quiche.  All the flavours were there.  The green grassy flavour of the asparagus, the burst of the fresh broad beans still in its skin and the mint was just right, not overpowering at all. The oozy eggy creamy cheesy filling was just right too, it had a little wobble which I liked; and more to my surprise this aspect remained - even on reheating.  

Asparagus, Tomato and Mozzarella Easy Tart

Over the past week, we have had this Asparagus, Tomato and Mozzarella Tart three times, honest three times  in one week. 

When we know we are going to have a busy week ahead of us, I tend to cook big pots over the weekend that will last us three days at least, but if I am working weekend then this is not always possible,  So we sometimes pick up stand by ingredients that would be easy to put together for a light and quick evening meal.  In the fridge we have had fresh British grown baby Roma cherry tomatoes, seasonal asparagus spears and balls of fresh mozzarella, as well as ready rolled puff pastry, so an easy to cook and eat tart has been on the menu.  

I wold have varied the topping, but D loved the first tart so much, that he requested it again and again. The tomatoes were proper red and bursting with flavour, the asparagus retained their bite and the mozzarella made this tart feel like a healthy pizza. 

Asparagus and Black Garlic Pastry Loaf

I know all sliced up this vegetable loaf looks like its holding garden peas, but I assure you these green polka spots are sliced asparagus baked in a pastry loaf.  It is based on my Vegetable Pasta Loaf recipe.  I decided to replace the pasta this time with seasonal asparagus.  I also remembered having some black garlic showcased on my blog a couple of months back for Celia's In My Kitchen Series, so decided to include a few sweet, chewy balsamic flavoured black cloves too.  

It turned out pretty okay.  The asparagus still had some crunch, slight saltiness came from the feta cheese and the black garlic, surprised us with each bite.  D likes this kind of food and doesn't understand why I don't make it often, but then he loves the leggy asparagus.

A slice of this Asparagus and Black Garlic Loaf is perfect for today with the weather being quite Mediterranean 25 degrees Celsius in some parts of the U.K, The kind of weather when you would sit out in your garden and dine with some lovely light salads.  I actually do feel like doing that, except for the fact that I have a bunged up nose, I think I may nibble on some black garlic something about it just makes me feel better!   I am sharing this post with Simple and in Season: April hosted by Fuss Free Flavours and Ren Behan. 

Easy Peasy Asparagus and Courgette Pesto Tart

I made the most of what i had in my fridge a few days back.

The result an Asparagus, courgette and pesto Tart.

The asparagus was lightly steamed, then drained and put into a large bowl with sliced courgettes and a couple of tablespoons of green pesto.  Then the coated vegetables were carefully placed upon the uncooked puff pasty.  Just before being placed in the oven to be baked, you have the option of scattering over some grated cheese.

After 20 - 25 minutes, dinner was made.  This simple tart was served with some sauteed new potatoes. 

Rustic Asparagus and Purple Sprouting Broccoli Quiche

The asparagus season is so short, so for those of you who like them with a passion, you better get some soon.

Well my husband did not hesitate and picked up some at a reduced price at a supermarket and gave me a big hint to make a cheesy Quiche with them.  Who said 'real men don't eat Quiche?!1 Because I would strongly disagree.  It got me thinking when it was the last time I made Quiche at home, and I really couldn't remember.  So a quick blog search revealed that the last one I shared on my blog was  Summertime last year and it was a Caramelised Red Onion Brie Quiche made with home-grown strawberries. 

So his request albeit through a hint was accommodated.

Not only does this Quiche have asparagus, I also added in some blanched Purple Sprouting Broccoli. showcased In My Kitchen blog post.  

I couldn't be bothered to trim off the excess cooked pastry and in some places it had shrunk a bit, so I left it and decided to call it rustic - works, don't you think.  

Not only did this make for a good meal, there is plenty left over for him to take into work tomorrow.

Seasonal May Recipes from A2K

Today you will have to forgive me for what is a bit of a cheats entry, but I want to showcase some seasonal dishes that I have made in the past that I think deserve to have the limelight put on them once again, especially for those of you who may be new to my blog and may have missed out on them originally.  

As well as the many Wild Garlic recipes, such as these Wild Garlic Oatcakes.  Here are some others that I made in the month of May years gone.   

If you can't find wild garlic in your area, you will undoubtedly find wild stinging nettle.  Nettle is growing everywhere at the moment, one of my favourite rice dishes was this  Stinging Nettle Risotto. 

For those of you blessed to have your own home grown asparagus, well my husband will envy you very much.  I like many people will have to wait for it to appear on the grocery shelf and then hope to make this beautiful Asparagus Flecked Tart.

If your not that keen on cabbage, I encourage you to try this recipe.  It truly converted me.  It has become one of my favourite meals:  Stir Fried Cabbage with Chilli and Ginger. 

This simple Asparagus and Radish Pasta Salad will make you and your loved one swoon. 

Rhubarb and Ginger Muffins in some of my treasured and cherished teacups and saucers.

Rhubarb, Rose Petals and White Chocolate Flapjacks cut out in a heart shape.  A bit fiddly, but worth it for presentation.

Rhubarb and Rosemary Cookies - a culinary experiment that worked delightfully.  These days I make a cake with both ingredients, I will share that Rosemary and Rhubarb cake with you in the very near future - it also happens to be vegan, the cake that is - not these cookies.

Pink Rhubarb Sorbet - one of the very first Rhubarb recipes to feature on my blog.

And finally, many of you will have recently seen my mini vegan Parsnip, Raisin and Walnut cakes, but well before I started making them I had made a little known and wonderful tart called Rosemary, Lemon and Parsnip Tart.  Its a sweet tart.  I plan on remaking it and introducing it to some unsuspecting diners.  I hope they like it as much as the Parsnip, Raisin and Walnut cakes.  

Asparagus and Radish Pasta Salad

Ah the British asparagus season has begun in earnest and we've enjoyed a couple of bundles so far. 

Although I've cooked with asparagus many times, for some reason it still doesn't inspire me much in the kitchen.  It does get me to use our asparagus steaming pot, though I wonder why I bother with it when the asparagus falls out from the sides of the metal basket.  I do think the best way to enjoy asparagus is steamed and simply drizzled in some flavoured oil or served with a thick sauce such as hollandaise.

This reminds me that the most and only expensive meal I've ever had was for my belated honeymoon in Paris.  For starter, we had White Asparagus that served with an excellent zesty sauce. Was it worth every euro? Well let's say I'll never forget it.

Well no fat fancy white asparagus here, only the long traditional spear headed green ones.  I made a simple Asparagus pasta salad, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and then drizzled with equal quantity of good olive oil and white wine vinegar.  It looked a little insipid, so I minced some flat leaf parsley and added some raw blushing peppery radishes to it.  And because I wanted to show my husband that I do love and appreciate him at this trying time in our lives, I cut some of the radishes into heart shapes.   He just smiled, knowing deep down they were there for me too.

This is my entry for this month's No Croutons Required (NCR) which encourages bloggers to create either a vegetarian soup or salad incorporating a specified ingredient, in this case its Asparagus. NCR is alternately hosted between the Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen, who is this months host.

I hope you enjoy the simplicity of this seasonal Asparagus and Radish Pasta salad. 

Asparagus Flecked tart

T'is the asparagus season. Need I say more?!

What I really like about this savoury asparagus tart is the filling. Most egg based fillings are rather plain looking, this one is flecked and flavoured with the asparagus. It is also a surprisingly light dish. This would make a lovely picnic dish too. Next time I may just make it in individual tartlet tins.

Asparagus flecked Tart
See below for link to wholemeal shortcrust pastry recipe. Or make your own.
Filling
300g asparagus spears, snapped already of their tough ends
3 egg yolks
150g soured cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the spears for 5 minutes or just until tender. Drain. Cut the asparagus in half, bearing in mind the top tips has to fit neatly into the tin (see photographs above) and set the tips aside.
Chop the remaining asparagus bottoms and put into a food processor. Add the egg yolks, soured cream, seasoning and process until a smooth puree forms. Pour into the pastry case, arrange the reserved tips on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and let cook. When cool, remove from the tin, cut into slices and serve. Adapted from New Kitchen Garden Adam Caplin and Celia Brooks Brown.

The wholemeal shortcrust pastry recipe that I used can be found here.

Tamari asparagus spears

I hate to admit it, but today at work I’ve snacked on a lot of junk, for breakfast: hash browns and baked beans. For lunch: a cup of soup with a bag of crisp, and then later as a snack: latte with a brownie. All that grub is really unusual even for me. So this evenings relatively light meal, was welcomed and it made me feel positively virtuous about myself.

This is the last of the British seasonal asparagus that we will be eating.
Tamari asparagus spears
Serves 2
Recipe
350g asparagus
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoon of tamari (or soy sauce)

Lime wedges to serve

Method
Toss the asparagus in oil, then put on to a hot griddle pan and wait until the asparagus is charred on all sides.

Add the garlic slices only when the asparagus is nearly ready. Stir n the sesame seeds and toss, then add in tamari (or soy sauce) just before removing from the heat.

Serve hot, straight from the griddle pan.

Recipe adapted from Nadine Abensurs The Cranks Bible

Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus is in its final days, so I will be making the most of it in the next couple of days. I have just enjoyed a plate of simple 'asparagus risotto' drizzled with olive oil.
Right now I am also listening to the BBC national news in relation to climate change and how it is affecting the U.K, particularly Devon in England. Apparently we will be seeing more of banana and olive trees growing in peoples gardens, this may sound really lovely and even appealing, all that warm weather, but it is not good. This also means that there will be a decline of some of the traditional British crops and an increase in extreme weather conditions causing landslides and flooding. It sounds all rather depressing really.

Roasted asparagus and Jersey royals

Some lily pads at the RSPB Nature reserve in Lochwinnoch, Scotland

I know it’s not the right thing to do, especially to some of Britain’s finest seasonal vegetables, which should really be eaten ‘simply steamed’ with a little seasoning. But these Jersey Royal potatoes were lacking taste and were a little on the dry side, so to perk them up a bit, I decided to roast them in the oven.

Roasting them in olive oil completely transformed the taste. This simple salad dish was really nice for a warm evening, when all you want is a light meal.

Roasted asparagus and Jersey royals
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g Jersey royal potatoes or small new potatoes, cut in half or left whole if small enough
300g asparagus spears, chopped into three pieces
Olive oil for roasting
Salt and pepper to taste

40g Parmesan, Pecorino or other hard cheese shavings (optional)

Dressing
Zest from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
100ml of olive oil

Put the new potatoes in olive oil and season wit salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Put aside.

After 30 minutes, remove the new potatoes from the oven and mix in the asparagus, return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Put the asparagus and potatoes into a large bowl and pour over the dressing and mix thoroughly and allow to cool, before serving between four plates topped with cheese shavings.

Zesty Asparagus with pine nuts

We are about three weeks into the asparagus season and I have yet not indulged in our seasonal and British grown asparagus until today. Today I bought 1kg of asparagus, enough to last us the next few days. That is of course if D doesn’t eat them as soldier dips with boiled eggs for his breakfast tomorrow.

This is a simple light dish. It is adapted from Catherine Masons book Vegetable Heaven. It is one of my favourite and most used cook books, simple food bursting with flavour. I have changed the quantities of some of the ingredients; otherwise it is pretty close to the original recipe.
On serving it looks like it would be a dry dish needing a splash of olive oil, but upon tasting you are hit by the lemon flavours absorbed by the asparagus upon slow cooking in the oven.
Asparagus with pine nuts
Serves 2
Ingredients
400g asparagus, tips removed and the ends peeled with a potato peeler. This is to remove any stalkiness.
25g butter
Zest and juice from 1 unwaxed lemon
A pinch of Maldon salt or sea salt
25g pine nuts

Preheat oven to gas mark 6

In a large tray, add butter along with lemon zest and juice, put in oven for a few minutes until the butter has melted.

Remove from oven and add asparagus, roll asparagus in lemony butter. Then cover with foil and cook, after 25 minutes remove from oven and add the pine nuts and bake without foil for a further 5 minutes.