Lupins, Bowling, Asparagus.

That’s a new one on me. I have just discovered the seeds of lupins are made into a flour which is used in baking bread and pastry. Not yer every day pastries and breads mind you. I also understand it is a staple in Portugal where they eat it as a snack, the seeds I am guessing. I discovered all this because a friend in the UK has an allergy to it and it took the medics a while to find out what it was she was allergic to. Always thought it a pretty flower, but I had no idea its seeds were used for food in any way.

I thought of a new reason for my lousy bowling lately, I have been losing weight and am too weak to bowl well. Only trouble is everyone laughed when I told them. It seemed like an excellent reason to me. Matt isn’t doing much better so I am presuming its the change of alleys. Not quite sure why. It would appear that our winter league will definitely be at Towne Bowl this year as there is no hope any more of a new bowling alley this winter. I think they are still pursuing a venue, but from scratch, it is going to require one heck of a lot of money. A new bowling alley has been opened quite close to us, but it’s 10 pin unfortunately and we prefer the Canadian game of 5 pin.

I introduced a bowling buddy to fresh asparagus the other day and was interested to know what he thought about it, he is totally sold and wants me to get him some more next time I go. I also gave a spear to the woman who cleans for us once a month, she too was sold and wants me to get some for her. It really is a totally different vegetable from the stuff you buy in the grocery store. Last night we had Asparagus and Endive Salad for supper. We both like it a lot. Especially with the orange taste from the dressing.

Here is another British asparagus recipe. I see it calls for 8 spears of asparagus, seems a bit skimpy to me, I think I would use quite a bit more. For double cream, you can use whipping cream or Double Devon Cream if you can find it.

Asparagus, Pancetta and Parmesan Linguine with Chive Cream

British Asparagus – Marcus Bean.
I really like spaghetti carbonara, so this is the perfect dish to combine two things I love, creamy pancetta, good quality linguine, the crunch of the asparagus all finished with a good grating of parmesan. Great for a quick meal for family and friends!"

Serves: 2

You'll need:

8 stems of asparagus
50g of thick cut pancetta (diced)
50ml of double cream
50ml of vegetable stock
150g linguine
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp grated parmesan
Salt and pepper

What to do:

1
Start by cooking the pasta in a pan of slightly salted boiling water until cooked, make sure the pasta is still slightly al dente, drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to stop from sticking together.
2
Put a medium sized frying pan on the heat add a drizzle of oil, finely slice six stems of asparagus, with the other two stems cut into four pieces. Put them all in the pan and sauté on a medium heat, now add the diced pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the cream, vegetable stock and parmesan, then add the cooked pasta and the chopped chives, cook on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, if the sauce gets a little thick add a touch of water.
3
Once cooked serve with a grating of fresh parmesan and a little seasoning.

Have a great day