Recipes From a
Spring Garden

Wonderful signs of spring are everywhere and today I caught my first glimpse of lilac blooms. The ones on my property aren’t quite there yet, but asparagus and many of my garden herbs, such as chives and lovage, are out and healthy.

A member of the lily family, asparagus is related to onions, leeks and garlic, although they taste nothing like others in the Allium family. The word “asparagus” is Greek in origin and means “stalk” or “shoot,” which if you’ve ever seen them go to seed, with their ferny leaves grown on tall stalks, you understand completely. The larger stalks are the first to arrive and the thinner ones are the second or third harvests as the roots lose their first push of energy. Asparagus makes for an unusual vegetable in crudités, is wonderful in salads or pasta dishes, and delicious raw or steamed with lemon juice.

Lovage is a perennial herb. It smells and tastes like celery, and you can replace it with celery should you not have lovage available. It’s not a very well-known herb, however, it was common in Middle Age kitchens and medicinal gardens. It grows tall with large stalks by the middle of summer. The stalks can also be braised.

Tomato and Lovage Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup diced onions
2 Tbsp. (3-4 cloves) minced garlic
1 cup minced lovage or diced celery
4 cups diced tomatoes or two 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper1
 tsp. salt
Sour cream or crème fraîche for garnish

Directions:
Heat a medium stockpot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sauté the onions, garlic,  and lovage or celery and until the onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and puree. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche. Serves 6-8.

Pine Nut, Red Onion and Tomato Spinach Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pine nuts
8 oz. baby spinach
1/4 cup finely sliced red onion
1/2 cup diced fresh tomato4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil1/2 tsp. saltFreshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often for about 5 minutes or until the pine nuts are golden brown.

Toss the spinach in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Arrange the rest of the ingredients on top. Serves 4.

Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna

Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup chicken stock
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pesto (recipe below)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. asparagus or 2 bunches, tips cut off and reserved, and the spears cut into 1" pieces
2 tsp. minced garlic or 1 large clove
15 lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 cups grated Fontina cheese

Pesto:
1 packed cup fresh basil, stems removed
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Clean the basil leaves in water and drain well. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor until well mixed. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the flour and 1/2 cup of milk in a medium sauce pan with a whisk. Whisk in the rest of the milk and chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking often. Reduce heat to simmer, add nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add pesto and Parmesan cheese. Whisk until fully incorporated. Meanwhile, in a medium sized skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus bottoms, but not the very tips. When asparagus is tender, add garlic and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds.

Butter a 9x13" pan. Layer ingredients in 3 layers starting with 1/4 of the sauce, 5 noodles, 1/3 of the cooked asparagus, another 1/4 of the sauce and 1/3 of the Fontina cheese. Repeat with noodles, asparagus, sauce and Fontina, ending the third layer with sauce, Fontina and the reserved asparagus tips. Bake covered for 50 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

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Written by Anne Mahle
Printed March 2008
Web March 2008