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The Review - FOOD & DRINK - Cooking with CLARE
Published: 10 May 2007

The joy of spring and the humble asparagus

Clare Latimer prepares a Sping feast of English asparagus

THIS year English asparagus is unbelievably early partly, because a great deal is grown under plastic in the fields, but also due to the very mild and sunny weather we have been having.
In fact this Spring English produce will be something to be really proud of and in the next few weeks you will have me bleating on about it!
There is nothing better than fresh English asparagus lightly boiled in salted water and then served with melted butter and crunchy salt but if you want to be a bit more elaborate then here are a few other ideas.

Warm Asparagus Salad
What a lovely spring dish oozing with health and freshness. I would serve it with chunks of Granary bread or crisp bread if you are watching your waistline.

Ingredients
Serves 2
250g English asparagus
100g rocket leaves, washed;
One small punnet cherry tomatoes, halved;
One beetroot, home cooked, peeled and cut into small cubes;
Small handful pine nuts,
Dash of vinegar;
Four quail eggs;
One small teasp whole grain mustard;
One small teasp runny honey;
Two desp Olive oil;
Juice of half lemon;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus and bring back to the boil. Simmer for three to five minutes depending on thickness of stalks and then refresh in cold water and leave to drain.
Arrange the rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, beetroot and pine nuts on two plates. Break the quail eggs into a cup.
Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add a dash of vinegar and then pour in the quail eggs and leave for about half a minute. Gently remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and put into cold water.
To make the dressing put all the rest of the ingredients into a cup and mix well. Test the flavour.
Arrange the asparagus and eggs on the salad plates and pour over some dressing.

Asparagus Soup
This soup could be served hot or cold and has a lovely delicate flavour. If you wanted to serve a smart dinner first course you could serve some chilled soup in a little coffee cup along with a cherry tomato salad (three tomatoes per person, sliced) and perhaps a small portion of smoked salmon with a slice of lemon. All this would be served on a main course plate.

Ingredients
Serves 4
Six Spring onions;
One stick celery;
One tbsp olive oil;
500g asparagus, woody stems removed;
500ml vegetable stock;
Three large tbsp Crème Fraiche;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Garnish: Extra Crème Fraiche;
Little fresh chives.

Method
Remove the roots and outer skin from the spring onions and then chop up with the celery stick. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and then add the onion and celery.
Cook gently for five minutes. Cook the asparagus in boiled salted water for five minutes and drain.
When cool cut up. Put some of the stock into a blender with the onion mix and asparagus and then whiz until smooth.
Add the crème fraiche and whiz again and check flavour adding seasoning if necessary. Put back into a saucepan along with the rest of the stock and stir well. Reheat and then pour into soup bowls.
Garnish with a teaspoon of crème fraiche in the middle of each bowl and sprinkle over some chopped chives.

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