The Purloined Recipe

From www.101cookbooks.com

These little open-faced tartines took less than ten minutes to pull together, and ended up being the epitome of spring.

Serves 2-4

Prep time: 5 min – Cook time: 5 min

4 toasted slabs of whole grain bread, rubbed with olive oil and a bit of garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 lb of asparagus stalks, trimmed roughly the length of your bread

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 avocado, pitted and smashed

a couple handfuls of arugula, tossed in a bit of olive oil

a handful of toasted pepitas, or almonds, or sunflower seeds

A few minutes before you want to eat heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the asparagus, and a pinch of salt and cook for about thirty seconds. Add the garlic and caraway, and cook another thirty seconds, or until the spears are a vibrant green. Remove from heat, and assemble the tartines.

Give each piece of bread a generous slather of mashed avocado. Top that with a bit of arugula, a few asparagus spears, and a generous sprinkling of pepitas or seeds.

appetizers, arugula, asparagus, garlic, sandwiches, side dishes

Serves 4

1 1/4 lbs. fresh asparagus, trimmed, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 cup diced raw, peeled potato (1/4-inch)
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. Steam the asparagus in a vegetable steamer until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks. Immediately plunge the asparagus into a bowl of ice water.
2. When cool, drain and set aside, reserving 8 asparagus tips for garnish.
3. Melt the butter in a large pot over low-medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 minutes.
5. Add the chicken stock and raise the heat to high.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the potato is very tender, about 20 minutes.
7. Add the asparagus (except for the reserved tips) and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
8. Puree the soup.
9. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. If the soup has cooled, reheat gently until hot.
10. Garnish each serving with 2 reserved asparagus tips.

asparagus, leeks, potatoes, Recipes By Ingredient, soups, The Recipes