What's In Season: Asparagus

By CCCFM, Downtown Farmers’ Market
Ingredients:
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.

BY Chef Debbie Shavar, Buttercup Diner
Ingredients:
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.
By chefalsionnegrin.com
Ingredients:
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.