The Lavender Apple

A sure sign that spring here, and Easter is near is the price of asparagus. Now that the price is manageable and the Asparagus is in season, take this opportunity to use it in many dishes. I will give you a couple of asperagus recipes I use.

My mom was a fabulous cook. But she like many women of her era over cooked their vegetables. Well Asparagus is no execution. My mom used to boil her Asparagus to death! When the asparagus come out it was mussy and limp. My most favorite way to cook asparagus is to roast it. Roasting retains the color, and enhances the flavor.

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb Asparagus'

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tsp. kosher salt

All the above ingredients are not exact amounts. Preheat oven to 450. Wash Asparagus and trim off hard woody bottoms. Lay asparagus in cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Salt. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. While roasting, shake the pan a few times so asparagus is cooking evenly.

Now you can just munch it down, or I have my all time favorite salad I use asparagus in. It would make a wonderful Easter dinner salad or nice spring salad.

Shrimp And Asparagus Salad with Chive Aioli

serves 6-8

Dressing

2 cups mayo

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

2 Tbs. water

2 garlic cloves, minced

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Make early in the day so flavors can blend.

1 Lb asparagus (roasted)

Lettuce, I like a nice spring mix

1 lb cooked shrimp

cherry tomatoes halfed

A note about lettuce. I like a nice head of leaf lettuce, so I can wash it my self. I really don't like bagged lettuce. I don't think they are washed well or are fresh. Plus it's alot cheaper to wash your own. One Items you need is a Salad spinner. They are inexpensive and wonderful for spinning dry almost anything. Ok back to the recipe...

Place lettuce on plates. Arrange shrimp, tomatoes and asperagus on top of the lettuce. Drizzle on dressing... It will be a hit.

This week I will post a couple of other asparagus recipes. Plus we will see how my own asparagus patch is doing. I also have to show off my French asparagus dish. No not a recipe, but an actual dish used only for serving asparagus. Got to love the French!

Cheers, Peggy

Shhh.....Peggy's secret Pizza sauce

7:11 AM

This weekend I had the pleasure of hanging out with the grandkids, Max and Mimi. Now when you're at grandmas there is always cooking going on. When I have guest or family over I always ask them what would they like for dinner. Well the grandkids are no exception. When I asked them what they wanted for dinner the reply was "we want to make our own Pizza" So we hurried to Maceys, their favorite grocery store and bought the fixings. The cart had mozzarella, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes and basil. You are asking, were is the bottled pizza sauce? Oh, no no no not at the Nelsons we make our own sauce. It's easy, fresh and GOOD! You might think, they are just kids why go through the trouble. Well my grandkids have very sophisticated pallets, they like good food too! for example Mimi, Max and I had a can a sardines and crackers for a snack.

Ok from the picture you can see I have people make their own pizzas in a pie tins. I have a bunch of those cheap Marie Calenders pie tins, At least something good comes out of those pie tins. Heaven know the pies are questionable (my own opinion, I'm a pie maker) So here is what you do. Give every one their own pie tin , have all the fix-ins ready, the sky's the limit. Now have people create their own pizzas. Since you are creating good food. You can have an adult party where you make your own pizzas - which is a lot of fun. People like to be in the kitchen engaged in cooking. Add a good quality salad, some garlic bread and you have a party. So here is the secret pizza sauce and pizza dough recipe. Ok Ok you caught me, I make my own dough too. it's also easy, fresh and good.

Peggy's Pizza Sauce

3 medium tomatoes (about 1 lb)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 clove of minced garlic

1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup white wine

Pour boiling water over tomatoes to loosen skin, peel and finely chop. Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and wine. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid increase heat to med- high. stirring often as sauce begins to thicken. Reduce sauce to about one cup.

I double this sauce for 1 large pizza or 6-8 individual pizzas. A little sauce goes a long way. I also make this sauce a couple of days ahead, or you can freeze for months.

Pizza Dough

3 cups flour

1 pkg. quick-rise yeast

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 tsp. honey

1 Tbs. olive oil

In the bowl of a stand mixer add 2 1/2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Mix into warm water, honey and olive oil. Mix warm water into flour with dough hook. mix until dough is one ball. Adding flour if needed. Knead for 3-5 minutes with dough hook. Turn into greased bowl and let rise until double in bulk.

So here you go. Of course this all can be made into one large deep dish pizza. This dough will make 1 large or 6 individual pizzas.

Cheers, Peggy

SLEEPING WINTER

9:49 PM

Valentine's Dinner

11:20 PM

One More Julia -Samon Fillet

5:29 AM

Where have I been you ask, well I have been busy doing the " SPA" thing (I'll explain later). As promised I will give you one more of my favorite recipes from Julia Child's book. Actually only part of the recipe is from "The Book" and that's the sauce. You know the French, masters of sauces. So the recipe I am giving you is called "Salmon Fillet" in pastry with lavender, served with a " Beurre Blanc" sauce. Don't let the name scare you it's quite easy and delicious! Oh If you need Lavender, drop me a note and I'll send you some free! So in the words of Julia Child's "no fear"!

Salmon Fillet

Serves 5

two - 1 pound salmon filets (wild salmons flavor is superior but pricey)

Stuffing:

1/2 cup coarsely ground walnuts

1/4 cup bread crumbs (freshly made is best)

1/4 cup melted butter

2 TBS. chopped parsley

1/2 tsp. lavender buds

1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1 package of phyllo pastry (thaw in the refrigerator)

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix the stuffing ingredients together, set aside

Fit the two fillets together like you would a sandwich. With the stuffing as the filling. Chill for 30 minutes. The stuffing will harden, and the fillets will be easier to cut. Cut the fillets across to make 5 portions

Preheat the oven to 425. Place a single layer of phyllo dough on a board and brush with melted butter. Repeat this until you have 4 layers. Place the fillet on the dough salt and pepper squeeze some lemon juice on each fillet and if you want sprinkle more lavender. Wrap creatively, making sure the fillet is sealed.

Place each packet on a un-greased cookie sheet . Drizzle with melted butter Bake on the lowest shelf for 20 minutes . serve immediately with a beurre blanc sauce.

Beurre Blanc Sauce:

(makes 1 -1/2 cups)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup white wine

1 TBS finely minced shallot

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. fresh pepper

12 oz best quality chilled butter, (3 sticks cut into 24 pieces)

lemon juice

In a medium sauce pan boil the liquids, shallots and seasonings until reduced to about 1 1/2 TBS.

Remove pan from heat and immediately beat in (with a wire whip)

2 pieces of butter. As the butter softens and creams in the liquid, beat in another piece. Then set the pan over very low heat and. beating constantly, continue adding successive pieces of butter as each previous piece has almost creamed into the sauce. The sauce will be thick and ivory colored, the consistency of a light hollandaise. immediately remove from heat as soon as all butter has been used. season to taste. Spoon over filet which have just been removed from the oven. Serve extra sauce in a barley warmed bowl.

This sauce is wonderful over all fish, asparagus, cauliflower or egg dishes.

Bon Appetit, Peggy

Pages

Easter Dinner

EGGS ON THE GOLDEN ROD

Boiled Alive! -asparagus

Shhh.....Peggy's secret Pizza sauce

SLEEPING WINTER

Valentine's Dinner

One More Julia -Samon Fillet

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