THE FLAVORS OF SPRING

Spring is a time of renewal, not only for our sight and senses, but for our palates. With memories of winter fading, we can turn our thoughts to the wonderful array of springtime produce. Firm asparagus and sweet green peas are at their peak. Celebrate the awakening of the warming soil with these time tested recipes.

ASPARAGUS

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Excellent source of Vitamin A, C, and folate.

LOOK FOR: Firm smooth stalks and thin or fat shoots with tight buds at the top.

STORAGE: Cut the ends of the stems and place in water as you would flowers. Store in refrigerator for just a few days.

USES: Roasted, steamed. Drizzle with olive or nut oils.

LAYERED ASPARAGUS GRATIN

2 lb. trimmed asparagus
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish that is just big enough to hold the asparagus. Divide asparagus into three bunches. Layer one bunch at a time with the tips all pointed in the same direction. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Repeat layers, finishing with the cheese. Dot the top with the butter and place in oven. Bake about 20 minutes or until asparagus is cooked through and the cheese is golden in color.
Serves 4 to 6

SPRING GREEN PEAS

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Excellent source of vitamin C. Good source of vitamin A, fiber and folate.

LOOK FOR: Bright green pods filled but not bulging. If to large they are old and starchy.

STORAGE: Keep in refrigerator. Use within 2 days.
 
BEST USES: Peas like keeping company with carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions. For a lively zip add fresh dill or mint.
 
SPRING PEA RISOTTO

Plump, freshly shelled green peas in my humble opinion, are a must have in your
kitchen after a long drab winter.
I learned the fine art of cooking risotto many moons ago from a wonderful lady in her home in Grandfather Golf & Country Club. Though I was intimidated by it at first, it did not take me long to get past that initial bout of nerves. Now I absolutely love making risotto and you need not be intimidated by it either. It just takes some time, but trust me when I say that the finished product is well worth it.

1 lb. unshelled English peas (which should yield at least 1 cup shelled)
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup Arborio rice (best rice to use for risotto)
1/2 cup dry white wine
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh mint (optional)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of peas and cook for 2 minutes, just until they turn bright green. Plunge into ice water to cool, drain well.
Bring chicken broth to a boil in the same pan you cooked the peas in.
Heat the olive oil in your largest heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent but do not allow it to brown. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it has turned nearly white. Add the wine, stirring until the wine evaporates. Now add the broth, 1 soup ladle at a time, allowing for almost all of the broth to be absorbed before adding the next ladle full. Continue adding and stirring, you may stop stirring long enough to pour yourself a glass of the wine, until all of the broth has been used. This is going to take approximately 18 to 20 minutes. It will have a creamy appearance.
Add remaining ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover for a few minutes, allowing for it to steam, then serve immediately. Never allow your risotto to loaf. Pass a bowl of extra grated Parmesan cheese. Serve remaining wine with the meal.
Serves 4 to 6

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose, I would always greet it in a garden."~Ruth Stout

SUPER SIDE DISHES FOR THE TROUT ON YOUR SUMMER TABLE

SUPER SIDE DISHES FOR THE TROUT ON YOUR SUMMER TABLE
By: Adele Forbes

"Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high
Your Daddy's rich and your Mama is good lookin'
So, hush, little baby don't you cry"~Renee Olstead

When I think of summertime, I think about my favorite fishing hole which was located on the Toe River behind my grandparents house where I was raised in Newland N.C. Sugar Mountain Nursery now occupies the old home place where precious memories were made on said riverbank. We did not have fancy fishing contraptions like the streamlined poles of today, but used what was native to the land around us which consisted of sturdy tree limbs tied with strong white string to which a safetry pin was attached. A can of whole kernal corn or a wiggleing worm was our bait of choice. Our sweet little grandmother, "Mama Joe", would happily 'fry up' whatever we happened to catch, which was mostly trout, and serve along side of it bowls of homemade coleslaw, oven-roasted potatoes, and small balls of deep-fried cornbread that would make all takers sigh with pure pleasure. Come along with me now and relive the special sides that always graced the fish on her dining room table.

SWEET & SOUR COLESLAW

The dressing for this slaw is actually a boiled marinade that gets poured hot over the cabbage and veggies. It is exactly what it claims to be...

1 large head of cabbage, shredded to your liking
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ground mustard

Combine cabbage, green pepper and onion in a large bowl, add sugar, mixing well. Place remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour over cabbage, cover and refrigerate overnight. Toss well before serving. Serves 8

OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES

Crispy and golden on the outside, fluffy and tasty on the inside.

Wash and peel 8 to 10 medium sized white potatoes. Fresh out of the garden would be the best choice. Cut each one in half and boil in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a baking dish. Top with melted butter, salt and pepper to taste, then bake in 400 degree oven until beautifully roasted. Sprinkle with some chopped rosemary if you like, prior to baking. I like. Serves 8 to 10

HOT WATER CORNBREAD

I actually saw a couple on 'Divorce Court' on television who were divorcing because the wife refused to make her husbands beloved Hot Water Cornbread anymore. Does that not speak volumes?

1 cup plain white cornmeal
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons warm water

Combine cornmeals and salt in a bowl, add shortening.
Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil; stir in to cornmeal mixture, mixing well. Allow to cool 20 minutes. Combine baking powder and 2 tablespoons warm water. Add to cornmeal mixture; stir. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press each ball in between two fingers to make a slight indention on two sides.
Heat cooking oil to 375 degrees in deep pan. Carefully drop in dough, cooking only a few at a time. Fry for a few minutes, just until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen.

Adele's E-mail: cookingwithadele@gmail.com Recipe Blog: inmamajoesshadow.blogspot.com

Be sure to check out ( blank blank's) trout story and recipes on page ?? The above side dishes should make for complimentory accompaniments.