Now is the time to take advantage of local and fresh asparagus, ramps and spring onions from your garden or the farmers’ markets. Delicious, but fleeting, don’t miss them!
RHUBARB
This harbinger of spring is one of the first things to poke its head out in the spring. Its zippy flavour and astonishing brightness is a tonic. Eat the stalks only, and don’t put the leaves in the compost.
Poached Rhubarb
| 450 g | rhubarb, cut into chunks |
| 175 g | sugar |
| 2 T | water |
Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with the sugar and water, bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the rhubarb cook until soft. At this point you can cook it down completely or stop once the rhubarb is tender depending on what you are using it for. Example: completely broken down for a rhubarb fool; just tender for poached rhubarb with meringues and cream or a yogurt cup.
Poached Rhubarb Three Ways
Chef Kaelin Whittaker of Awn Kitchen gives us three ways to enjoy poached rhubarb.
Yogurt and Granola with Poached Rhubarb
good quality yogurt
poached rhubarb
granola (see below)
Fill small jam jars (something with a lid) two-thirds full with a good quality yogurt (Vital Greens double cream or regular yogurt), top with a generous spoonful of poached rhubarb and a handful of granola. If you are leaving them sit for any length of time, leave the granola on the side to avoid sogginess.
Granola
Fill small jam jars (something with a lid) two-thirds full with a good quality yogurt (Vital Greens double cream or regular yogurt), top with a generous spoonful of poached rhubarb and a handful of granola. If you are leaving them sit for any length of time, leave the granola on the side to avoid sogginess.
| 3 c | rolled oats |
| 1 c | pumpkin seeds |
| 1 c | sunflowers seeds |
| 1 c | unsweetened coconut |
| 1½ c | pecans, chopped (or whatever nut you fancy) |
| 1/3 c | maple syrup |
| ½ c | canola oil |
| ¼ c | packed brown sugar |
| flaked sea salt | |
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment. Set aside. Place the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, maple syrup, canola oil, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of flaked sea salt in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Spread mixture in an even layer on prepared baking tray. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes until the granola is toasted and very crisp, 45-50 minutes. Remove granola from the oven, sprinkle with a bit more salt. Let cool completely, store in an airtight jar.
Rhubarb Fool
| 1-2 c | poached rhubarb |
| 300 ml | softly whipped cream |
Fold whipped cream into cool poached rhubarb for an easy dessert.
Serve cold.
Meringue with Rhubarb
| 110g | sugar |
| 2 | egg whites |
Preheat over to 275ºF.
Line a baking tray with parchment.
Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy, then add sugar tablespoon by tablespoon, whisking continuously until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Dollop, in whichever shape and size you like, onto the baking tray. Bake for one hour.
To serve: place the meringue disks on plates with poached rhubarb and whipped or heavy cream.
Rhubarb Gluten-free Coffee Cake
An easy snacking cake.
| 2 c | gluten free flour |
| ¼ t | salt |
| 1 t | baking soda |
| ½ c | butter |
| 1½ c | packed brown sugar |
| 1 | egg |
| 1½ t | vanilla extract |
| 1 c | buttermilk |
| 1½ c | rhubarb, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (or a mix of rhubarb and strawberries) |
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Oil a 9×13-inch pan.
Whisk together GF flour, salt and baking soda. Reserve.
Cream the butter and brown sugar until light, then add the egg and vanilla. Stir the flour mixture and the creamed butter together with the buttermilk until well blended. Fold in rhubarb. Pour the cake batter into pan and smooth the top with an offset knife or spatula.
Topping
| ½ c | sugar |
| 2 t | ground cinnamon |
| ¾ c | chopped walnuts |
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and toss over the top of the cake batter.
Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out of the cake cleanly. If the walnuts are getting too dark, cover the top of the cake loosely with aluminum foil.
Remove to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Serves 6-8.
Rhubarb Strawberry Tart
Strawberries and rhubarb together make the most excellent pie. This is a good one for those who don’t have great pastry skills, as you have only a bottom crust to worry about. Tip: place a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch runaway filling. Adapted from Martha Stewart Pies & Tarts.
Crust
| 1 lg | egg yolk |
| 2 to 4 T | ice water |
| 1¼ c | flour, plus more for dusting |
| 2 T | sugar |
| 1 t | coarse salt |
| 1 stick | cold butter, cut into pieces |
| vegetable-oil cooking spray | |
Lightly beat yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water in a small bowl until combined.
Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 seconds. With the machine running, add the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream. Pulse until mixture holds together. If the dough is still too dry, add additional ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 375ºF with racks in middle and bottom. Coat bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Let dough stand until pliable. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough slightly thicker than ⅛-inch. Cut out an 11-inch round. Fit into bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Freeze 15 minutes.
Filling
| 3 c | rhubarb, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces |
| 1¼ c | strawberries, hulled and cut into ½-inch pieces |
| ¾ c | sugar |
| 1 T + 2 t | cornstarch |
| ¾ t | kosher salt |
| 1 T | fresh-squeezed lemon juice |
Stir rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour into the tart shell.
Bake until bubbling in center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent with foil during last 15 minutes.) Remove from oven. Release sides of pan immediately. Cool on the pan base on a wire rack before cutting into wedges.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8.
ASPARAGUS
Why wait to enjoy asparagus until the farmers’ markets are full of local asparagus? Freshness! Nothing beats asparagus from a field only a few hours away. So fresh, it can be eaten raw or prepped with a quick blanch.
Jane’s Asparagus Salad
A friend brought asparagus in a honey vinaigrette with toasted walnuts to Easter brunch. It’s easy and delicious, served warm or cold. If you don’t have walnuts, use toasted hazelnuts or almonds instead.
Asparagus
| 1 bunch | asparagus, tough ends snapped off if necessary. |
| ½ c | walnut halves |
Make an ice bath with lots of ice and a little water.
Boil water in a small pan. Place the asparagus in the water for a few minutes until it is bright green. Take out and plunge immediately into the ice bath. This shocks the asparagus and stops the cooking instantly, preserving crunch and the bright green colour. Set aside.
Place walnut halves in a skillet large enough to contain them in one layer. Toss over medium heat until the walnuts start to brown and smell amazing, about 3-5 minutes.
They do need constant supervision as they will go from golden to burnt in a few seconds. Take off the heat and reserve.
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
| 6 T | extra virgin olive oil |
| 3 T | fresh lemon juice |
| ½-1 T | good honey |
| sea salt | |
| fresh cracked black pepper | |
Whisk the oil, lemon juice and honey together until emulsified. Season to taste. Reserve.
To serve: place the asparagus spears on a platter, then drizzle with the dressing. Scatter nuts over.
Serves 4-6.
Shaved Asparagus and Feta Salad
Fresh asparagus shaved into a salad with a simple vinaigrette with mint and feta cheese? Hello spring! Don’t like feta? Use chunks of goat cheese or Parmigiano instead.
| 1 bunch | asparagus, woody ends trimmed |
| ¼ c | feta cheese, in larger chunks |
| ¼ c | fresh mint leaves |
| juice of ½ lemon | |
| 2 T | extra-virgin olive oil |
| ¼ t | kosher salt |
| ⅛ t | fresh cracked black pepper/td> |
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Reserve.
Shave the asparagus spears into a bowl, reserving the tips of the spears. Toss the shaved asparagus with the dressing and gently fold in the tips until coated.
To serve: Place on four plates, then dollop cheese and scatter mint leaves over. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Meuwly’s Pea and Asparagus Risotto with Guanciale
Chef Peter Keith
| 1 c | arborio rice |
| 4 c | chicken or vegetable stock |
| ½ c | dry white wine |
| ½ c | parmesan, grated |
| 1 sm | onion, finely chopped |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 c | fresh or frozen peas |
| 1 c | asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 100 g | guanciale, diced (or pancetta or bacon) |
| 2 T | unsalted butter |
| salt and pepper to taste | |
| olive oil | |
Heat the stock over medium heat until it simmers. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
In a separate large skillet or pot, heat a scant drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add guanciale and cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove the guanciale from the skillet and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve.
In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the arborio rice to the skillet and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it becomes slightly translucent around the edges.
Pour in the white wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the warm broth to the rice mixture, one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Allow the rice to absorb the stock before adding more. Keep stirring. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and cooked al dente, about 18-20 minutes.
In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the peas and asparagus pieces. Cook until the vegetables are tender but still vibrantly green, about 3-5 minutes.
Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the cheese and butter until melted and well combined. Finish with a grind of fresh black pepper.
Serve the risotto hot, topped with the crispy guanciale. Garnish with additional grated cheese and chopped parsley if desired.
Serves 2-5.
ONIONS & RAMPS
Spring sees the return of ramps, bright green shoots of new onions and chives.
Ramps are a wild onion with a delicious, fiery flavour; rare in these parts but they can be found. If you come across a patch, don’t dig up the root; ramps take seven years to go from seed to leafy green. Best eaten the day you find them—sauté with scrambled eggs, grill with a steak, or make pesto.
Spring Onions; the first green onions of the season are bursting with flavour and vibrancy. They are a great substitute in recipes that call for green onion or scallion, or when you want the onion flavour to shine through.
Ramp Butter
Compound butters are a great invention. Use ramps to make a lively butter that is a wonderful, tastes-like-spring addition to roast meats or vegetables.
| 1 bunch | ramps, leaves only, rinsed well |
| 1 c | (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| 1 t | kosher salt |
Blanch the ramps; bring salted water to a boil over high heat and prep a large bowl of ice water. Add the ramps to the boiling water, stir to submerge. Cook until dark green and wilted, about 1 minute. Immediately transfer to the ice water with tongs and swirl around until completely cooled. Squeeze out excess moisture and pat dry.
Roughly chop the ramps and transfer to a food processor (or chop by hand). Pulse until they are finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Add the butter, lemon zest and salt. Process, scraping down the sides halfway through, until the butter is dark green and everything is well combined, about 2 minutes. There might be little flecks of green, this is good.
Chill slightly, then transfer to a piece of wax paper. Roll into a log about an inch in diameter. Cut into two or three if you like. Wrap securely in more wax paper and an outer layer of plastic wrap. Can freeze for up to three months.
Grilled Ramps with Sherry-Ramp Vinaigrette
This is a terrific accompaniment to grilled meats, roast chicken or with steamed new potatoes.
| 1 bunch | ramps |
| 2 | ramp bulbs, finely chopped (or garlic cloves) |
| 1 T | sherry vinegar |
| ½ t | Dijon mustard |
| ½ t | honey |
| 4 T | extra virgin olive oil, divided |
| kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper | |
Whisk together ramp bulbs or garlic, sherry vinegar, mustard, and honey. Whisk in 2 T of the oil and season to taste.
Prepare grill for medium-high heat. (Alternatively, ramps can be dry roasted in a heavy pan on the stove top. Roast until the ramps are limp and starting to brown in places.)
Toss ramps (including greens) with remaining 2 T olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, tossing often, until leaves and bulbs are lightly charred, about 1 minute. Place on a platter and drizzle with the dressing.
Serves 4.
Savoury Scallion Dutch Baby Pancake
Serve with smoked salmon and a parsley salad. Or bacon.
| 1 lb | baby spinach |
| 4 lg | eggs |
| 1 c | milk |
| 1 c | flour |
| salt and fresh cracked pepper | |
| pinch | nutmeg (freshly grated if possible) |
| 4 T | butter |
| 4 lg | scallions, thickly sliced |
| 2 T | parmesan, freshly grated |
Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Toss in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain and let cool, then squeeze the spinach dry. Chop coarsely.
Whisk or blend the eggs, milk, flour, ½-teaspoon salt, ⅛-teaspoon pepper and nutmeg until smooth.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or heavy, oven-proof pan. Cook the scallions over moderate heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season. Increase the heat to high and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Pour in the batter, sprinkle with the cheese and transfer the skillet to the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
To serve: Cut into wedges and serve hot or warm. The Dutch baby can be baked up to 4 hours ahead; reheat in the skillet in a 425°F oven for 5 minutes.
Serves 6-8.
Scallion Cheddar Biscuits
How delicious will these be with eggs for breakfast or soup at lunch. Adapted from a vintage Joy of Cooking. The method is simple, fool-proof, and makes a fluffy biscuit, but if you have your own tried and true biscuit technique use it. The crispy cheese on the bottom (like frico) is a tasty addition.
| 2 c | flour plus more for dusting |
| 2 t | baking powder |
| ¾ t | baking soda |
| ¾ t | black pepper |
| ½ t | kosher salt |
| ½ c | cold butter, cubed |
| ½ c | thinly-sliced scallions |
| 1 c | grated sharp cheddar cheese |
| 1 c | buttermilk, divided |
| 1 T | unsalted butter, melted |
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work cold butter into flour mixture until butter is in small, flattened pieces and mixture is crumbly. Stir in the scallions and ½ cup of cheese. Add ¾ cup buttermilk, and stir just until dough comes together, adding up to 1/4 cup additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. (Dough should be neither sticky nor crumbly.)
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 3 to 4 times just to bring dough together. Pat dough into an 8 x 6-inch rectangle; fold 1 short side a third of the way over toward center. Fold opposite short side over folded end. Rotate the dough clockwise 90 degrees; pat out dough into an 8 x 6-inch rectangle and repeat the folding procedure. Pat dough out into an 8 x 6-inch rectangle, ¾- to 1-inch thick and cut the dough into 8 rectangular biscuits.
Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese into 8 mounds about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet, scattering the cheese so some cheese will stick out from under biscuits. Place each biscuit rectangle on a mound of cheese. Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Serve warm.
Carrot Soup with Scallion and Poppy Seed
The surprising affinity of green onions for poppy seeds plays well in this soup. Make it the day before; reheat gently before serving.
| 2 T | unsalted butter |
| 3 T | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 lg | onion, coarsely chopped |
| 4 c | vegetable or chicken stock |
| 4 c | water |
| 2 lbs | carrots, sliced 1/3-inch thick (about 6 cups) |
| 6 lg | scallions, thinly sliced crosswise |
| 2 t | poppy seeds |
| ½ c | heavy cream |
| ½ c | milk |
| kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper | |
Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, water and carrots and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the scallions and poppy seeds and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the scallions are softened, about 1 minute. Reserve.
Puree the carrot soup (in batches) in a blender until smooth. Pour into a clean pot, stir in the cream and milk, then simmer over moderate heat, stirring. Do not let it boil. Season. Garnish with the scallions and poppy seeds and serve.
Serves 12 as a first course, six for lunch.
Ginger Scallion Sauce
A handy sauce to keep in the fridge. It wakes up chicken and rice, adds zing to vegetable soups or slather on grilled pork. Adapted from a recipe by chef Francis Lam.
| 1 3″ piece | ginger, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks |
| 1 lg bunch | green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths |
| 2 t + more | salt to taste |
| 1 c | peanut oil |
Place the ginger in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely minced but not mushy. Scrape it into a large heatproof bowl. Add the scallions to the processor and mince until they are the same size as the ginger. Scrape them into the bowl with the ginger.
Salt the scallion and ginger mix until it tastes a little too salty.
Heat the oil in a pan until it begins to smoke, then pour it over the ginger and scallions. Stand back while it sizzles. Stir lightly. Let cool to room temperature and put into a jar.
Keeps 2-3 weeks covered and refrigerated.