asparagus – Blue Kitchen

Whatever spring is dishing out weatherwise, one of these seven recipes should stand up to it nicely.

Monday, it was 86 degrees in Chicago. For much of the rest of this week, it’s going to be in the 40s and 50s. Such is spring in the Midwest. In searching through the Blue Kitchen archives, I see posts over the years have reflected the season’s mood swings. So this week, I thought I would share some recipes from the archives that take advantage of seasonal ingredients and offer options for all kinds of seasonal—and unseasonal—weather.

Fettuccine with Peas and Prosciutto

Pictured above, this quick, simple recipe takes delicious advantage of fresh English peas, which are at their seasonal best now, but you can also use frozen peas. Parmesan, cream and minced garlic balance the peas’ sweetness. Continue reading “Seven recipes for spring (whatever that is)” →

Chicken teams up with green garlic and asparagus from the farmers market and ginger, lemongrass and other ingredients gathered from the fridge and pantry to make a quick, delicious stir-fry. Recipe below.

A friend of ours refuses to eat leftovers. She calls them “used food.” Marion and I, on the other hand, feel wonderfully satisfied and even a little smug when every last morsel of something is consumed. Whether it’s a leftover that becomes a lunch or gets repurposed as part of another dinner, or it’s a last lonely shallot that livens up a salad dressing, not wasting food—or at least trying not to waste it—is just part of our working class childhood DNA. That instinct led to the creation of this lovely dish Marion recently cooked. I’ll let her tell you about it.

One of the great joys of late spring is when local farmers markets get back into action, with their ever-changing bounty. That’s also one of the pitfalls of this time of year. Armed with good culinary intentions and eyes bigger than your stomach, it’s easy to get carried away. The other day, our neighborhood farmer’s market opened for the season and we came home all flushed and excited, toting plenty—especially, green garlic and asparagus. Continue reading “Farmers market improvisation: Stir-Fried Chicken, Asparagus, Green Garlic and Tomatoes” →