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Walnut Creek Magazine

What's In Season: Asparagus

ASPARAGUS CITRUS SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE
By CCCFM, Downtown Farmers’ Market

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch pea shoots, sliced thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 Meyer lemon
1 orange
3 stalks of thinly sliced spring onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Sauté asparagus and onions in 2 tablespoons of oil for 3-4 minutes until bright green. Cool vegetables to room temperature and toss in a salad bowl with pea shoots. Grate peel from lemon and orange into a salad bowl. Remove remaining peel then slice the orange into the bowl. Squeeze juice of half of a lemon into the salad. Mix in a tablespoon of olive oil and rice vinegar. Toss and garnish with crumbled goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SOUR CREAM LEMON SAUCE
BY Chef Debbie Shavar, Buttercup Diner

Ingredients:

3 lbs. asparagus, tough ends removed and discarded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
Fresh herbs for garnish

Directions: Cut or break off tough ends of asparagus spears. Slice top inch off asparagus tips, then slice diagonally into thin slivers. Reserve. Cut remaining stalks into 1-inch pieces. Heat olive oil in a pot, add onion. Cook until translucent. Add cut asparagus stalks and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender. Cool soup for 15 minutes, then process in a blender. Transfer to a pot and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. (If soup is too thick, add broth to thin.) Add asparagus tips to the pot and simmer for 3-5 minutes until warm. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with lemon sour cream sauce.

Sour Cream Lemon Sauce: Mix sour cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and thin with 1- 2 tablespoons of water.

ASPARAGUS AND GOAT CHEESE QUESADILLA
By chefalsionnegrin.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 oz. fresh asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
½ teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
4 oz. herbed goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, add asparagus, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add chopped garlic, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Spread one side of each tortilla with 1/2 of goat cheese. Place 1/2 asparagus and 1/2 green onions on each tortilla, and fold in half to form quesadillas. Brush outsides with remaining oil. Place quesadillas in a skillet over medium-low heat, and cook until lightly browned. Cut in half to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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