Tag: asparagus

Do-ahead · Vegetable-related

Asparagus Bread Pudding

Belinda

This is also from a fellow blogger and again, combines my favorite “bread pudding” with lots of asparagus and cheese!
Serves 4

1/2 loaf of rustic, preferably day old Ciabatta or other dense Italian loaf of bread, crusts removed cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 3 – 4 cups
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 lb asparagus, tough stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 to 3/4 cup Gruyere, Fontina or Emmenthaler cheese, grated
1/2 to 3/4 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs,  thyme, oregano, chives and flat leaf parsley

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the milk over.
Set aside for about 35 minutes in order for the milk to thoroughly soak into the bread
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a square baking dish and set aside.
Combine the cream, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. and whisk together. Set the custard aside.
Drop the asparagus into a small saucepan of boiling water and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
Rinse under cold running water and drain. Toss together with the garlic, shallots and herbs.
In a small bowl combine the Fontina and Parmesan cheeses.
To the bowl with the soaked bread cubes, add the asparagus/herb mixture.
Mix lightly to combine.
Place half of the bread in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture.
Top with the remaining bread mixture and top with the remaining cheese.
Pour the custard over the top.
Bake until golden, about 1 hour.
Check for doneness with a skewer or pairing knife.
The custard should be set and the tester should come out clean.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Sauted asparagus with melted gorgonzola and toasted pine nuts

Belinda

Divine!!
Makes 4 servings.

1lb  fresh asparagus, thin spears are preferred but if you use thicker ones, peel the stalk ends.
1 tbsp olive oil, or more if you want
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 – 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts (toast them in a high temperature skillet or oven)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. You may not need too much salt due to the gorgonzola cheese being salty.

Snap off a piece of asparagus to see where to cut off the tough ends, then trim all the asparagus to that length and cut into 2inches long
. Cutting on a diagonal looks prettier!

Put the olive oil into a large frying pan, turn the heat to medium, add garlic and saute about 1 minute or until you start to smell garlic and the cloves are barely starting to get some color.
Don’t let the garlic brown or it will make your oil taste bitter rather than delightfully garlicky.
Take the pan off the heat and remove the garlic and discard.

Put the pan back on the heat, add the asparagus and saute for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until the asparagus is barely starting to soften and brown slightly.
Timing will depend completely on how hot your stove burner is, but I cooked mine exactly 5 mins and it was perfect.

While the asparagus cooks, toast the pine nuts. When the asparagus is done, turn off the heat and sprinkle the crumbled Gorgonzola over the asparagus in the pan.
Let it sit for a minute until about half the cheese is starting to melt and the rest is still in firm pieces.
Plate the asparagus and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

Season with salt and pepper. (I didn’t need any salt) and serve immediately!

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Gluten Free · Vegetable-related

Asparagus spears with Cambozola sauce

Belinda

This is simple and really tasty. Thanks to Michael Chiarello

1 1/2 lbs asparagus, ends trimmed and peeled
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb Cambozola cheese, broken into pieces
1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves

Fill a deep frying pan halfway full with water and bring to the boil. Add asparagus to the boiling water and add salt and olive oil. Boil for 6 mins. Shock the asparagus in iced water to stop the cooking process then lay on a sheet pan or plate to cool and place in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Chop into 2 – 3″ pieces ready for dipping.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the cream and simmer until it’s reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the cheese bit by bit, whisking as you go.
As one piece melts add another until no cheese remains. Now add the thyme and stir to combine.
Serve with the asparagus pieces.
It’s wonderful! I serve it in a dish that keeps warm so it doesn’t solidify, so I use ramekin dishes that sit over a tea light flame.