Recipe: Asparagus & Arugula

Pesto is one of our summer standbys, and anyone who had been to the cottage with us will know that we always like to keep some authentic italian pesto on hand for a quick and easy lunch. Ha!

I normally grow enough basil to make our basil pesto once a week, but what to do in the spring when things are starting to grow but the basil isn't quite in pesto quantities yet?

My good friend Shana inspired me to use my evesthrough arugula for something besides salads. 

Inspired by her arugula pesto recipe posted over on folks gotta eat along with what is in season in my garden and at the farmers market, I combined our favourite pesto recipe with Shana's and made this amazingly peppery pesto that stays perfectly green even after a few days in the fridge. 

Here I am with the clingy toddler picking garlic and arugula for dinner.

4 cups of washed arugula

4 young garlic shoots and scapes

4 cloves of garlic

1 cup of pine nuts

½ cup parmesan cheese 

½ cup of olive oil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon of salt

Whizz it all up in the food processor or blender.  I do nuts and cheese first followed by greens and oil and then the salt and pepper. We also threw in some chives because we have them in the garden and they're perfect right now. 

Like arugula, this is pesto is perfect on a tomato sandwich. We served this batch up on some ravioli with the last of this year's fiddleheads and some fabulous Organic Asparagus from Nightingale Farms.  Nightingale is quite the operation, with 1500 acres in Norfolk County which is where Ryan is from. 

Deliciously Green!

Check out this great video from OMFRA and Foodland Ontario on how Asparagus is harvested.  Its sort of mind blowing.

Recipe: Fantastic Fennel and Fiddleheads!

Here's one of our favourite recipes, a grilled summertime salad especially for new mothers, cottage trips & vegans.  It's excellent to bring over when visiting new babies as its delicious and easy to eat with one hand as well as fennel being a great galactagogue that also seems to help with a colicy or refluxy baby.

This is inspired by Molly Katzen‘s Asparagus and Fennel Salad from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special, which is such a great book.

It has been tweeked by Laura and Catherine who have made it an awful lot.

Prepare your Ingredients

Roasted vegetables:

1 fresh fennel bulb - cored and thinly sliced

1 pound asparagus – stemmed

1 cup stemmed & blanched fiddleheads

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Additions:

8 ounces penne 

 Dressing:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 large cloves minced or pressed roasted garlic

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, chives blossom and all, garlic scapes, whatever is growing in the garden)

Heat your grill to 400. Place the fennel, blanched fiddleheads, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and garlic in the grill basket, drizzle with the

olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to evenly coat. Grill for about 30

minutes, stirring about every 7 minutes. The vegetables should still be brightly coloured and slightly crisp. 

 

While the vegetables are roasting, whisk all of the dressing ingredients (except the garlic which is still roasting) and then cook your pasta al dente.

Drain your pasta and combine with your roasted veggies, add it to the

bowl, pour on the dressing (which now has the garlic added), and toss well.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Some great optional additions:

Pitted Kalamata olives

Sundried tomatoes

Feta cheese