Immortal Beloved, Michael Bond, CBE, Asparagus.

Thanks to Birgit  at BB Creations I have just discovered a wonderful movie. Immortal Beloved. It is about Ludwig van Beethoven. He left a letter addressed to his Immortal Beloved which was found when he died. The rest of the story is about how his friend, Schindler. tried to find out to whom the letter was really addressed in order to carry out a longstanding debt and to pass on the estate which Beethoven had left. All the way through the movie the music is Beethoven's and it is absolutely gorgeous. The film made me appreciate his music so much more for some reason - in particular his Ode to Joy which is part of the 9th Symphony. How anyone, who was stone deaf, can have written such fantastic and beautiful music is beyond me. We have the complete works of Beethoven, I don't know why we don't play his music more often. I rented the movie from iTunes but am seriously contemplating buying it so Matt can see it too. It was such a beautiful movie.

Today I had some wonderful news. Michael Bond, author of the Paddington Bear series, has been

awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's birthday honours list for services to children's literature. The family are obviously thrilled to bits and Michael Bond is quoted as saying he is so pleased for Paddington. I'ts an amazing story really, he was a TV cameraman for the BBC and one Christmas saw a bear in a store window which he thought looked rather lonely I gather. He bought it and this bear became Paddington. He and his first wife have custody rights over the bear. Have you seen the Paddington Bear film. It's funny and good. I really enjoyed it and ended up buying the DVD. I am thrilled to know the family of a CBE honoree even if I never actually met Michael Bond himself. Funny about British children's authors, we have three bears, Winnie the Pooh, Paddington and Rupert Bear. The latter was a cartoon strip in the Daily Express I believe and they issued a book every Christmas which I received in my stocking. I looked forward to it I remember.

Just learnt something about my favourite food, asparagus, it is part of the lily family. I have been munching this stuff for ever and didn't know that before. Barrie's Asparagus sell a soap which they call Lily Pure Naturals. It carries an exfoliant which is made out of asparagus. Scientists are now saying the bits of plastic (plastic microbeads) in most exfoliants are polluting the lakes. You know those big ones right by me. Think I've mentioned it before but do you know their names spell HOMES? Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. Matt's dad taught me that years ago.

One of the people for whom I buy asparagus told me she was going to freeze some, or had already done so.  I tried that last year and it wasn't terribly successful. Maybe I will try again. It occurred to me that anyone who has canning equipment could pickle their own asparagus. I don't I'm afraid. Only time I did any canning, I borrowed equipment and that was in NC. I am sure there are lots of recipes but this one I got from Tim Barrie's mom. They actually sell spicy pickled asparagus at the store. It's good. Not cheap but good.

Pickled Asparagus

5 lbs of Ontario asparagus
For each jar
1/2 clove Garlic
1 tsp Dill seed
1 tsp Mustard Seed
6 Peppercorns
Brine
8 Cups water
2½ cups White vinegar
3 Tbs Pickling salt
½ cup sugar

1. Using 5 lbs of Ontario asparagus, wash well and soak in ice water while you are preparing the 6 pint jars. Place 1/2 clove of garlic, 1 tsp dill seed, 1 tsp mustard seed, and 6 peppercorns in the bottom of each jar. Place asparagus, tips up in jar. Bring 8 cups water, 2-1/2 cups white vinegar, 3 tbsp pickling salt, 1/2 cup white sugar to a boil and pour over asparagus. Process in hot bath for 5 to 6 minutes.

Source: Tim Barrie's Mom

Don't waste tender ends. Can them also for bite size treats


Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

In line with my asparagus theme, this one is from Closet Cooking and looks absolutely delicious.

Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

Servings: 4

Roasted asparagus and tomatoes covered in melted parmesan and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons basil, sliced

directions

1. Toss the asparagus and tomatoes in the oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle on the parmesan and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes, mixing half way through.
2. Meanwhile, simmer the balsamic vinegar until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
3. Serve the asparagus and tomatoes warm drizzled with the balsamic vinegar and garnished with the fresh basil.


Have a great weekend

 

Cane, Bees, Stupid Question, Baseball.

I don't, thank goodness, have to use my cane much any more but I wanted to nip into Costco the other day for just 2 things (yes I know, unheard of) and didn't want to mess with a cart so I grabbed my cane instead. It reminded me, I think canes are made of invisible fairy dust or something because people take no damned notice of them whatsoever. People push their carts at me and expect me to get out of their way, or others without carts just carry on walking towards you and again, expect the one with the cane to move. Hello people, I have it because I need assistance walking, not for the fun of toting it around the store. Maybe I should attach a beeper to it or flashing lights. What is it? Inconsiderateness, obliviousness, what? Tees me off I'll tell you.

I have now come across another annoyance. Someone posted an add on Facebook about buying T

shirts which said Bee Aware on the front and other bee stuff on the back. These shirts were limited in supply and were about $30 each. However, nowhere did I see that other than what the shirt said, did it do anything for bees. In other words someone was cashing in on their plight and, apparently, (or do I mean allegedly) not putting any of the proceeds toward the fight for the preservation of bees. I could be wrong and misread it, but I certainly couldn't see anything which suggested this was helping bees in any way but making people aware of the situation. This really, really, tees me off.

Thursday mail, I received a letter from the Pension people in the UK asking me to certify I am still alive and kicking. No problem, they do that now and again. However, on the form the ask for my address and phone number. For the phone number they wish me to include the international dialing code. How the hell would I know, I don't dial myself internationally. I have just messaged a sinlaw for the information, but how absolutely ridiculous, I wonder what bright clerk thought that up?

Forgot to tell you a funny story, I thought anyway. The TV was on at the bowling alley and there was

some baseball about which I know nothing and sorry, couldn't care less about. However, Matt and I couldn't understand that the pitcher pitched 3 times and the batter didn't even attempt to hit it. Another woman said it was because the pitcher had thrown three balls, hunh??? Isn't that what they are supposed to do, throw a ball for the batter to hit!!!!!! She explained it to me and then tried to explain more but I assured her I didn't want to know. Mentioned it to the younger of the two owners at the alley. Thursday, he commented, maybe there would be some more baseball on TV so I could continue my lessons. Yeah, right! Maybe he was getting his own back because he asked us to come in later on Thursday as they had 99 kids bowling. He said if we came in about 1:15 the riff raff would have cleared out, I immediately replied "But you'll still be here won't you?" he threatened not to let me in after that one. It's stuff like that that makes us like bowling in this particular alley. They are fun people and at the same run an excellent bowling alley. At the moment it is Father and Son but grandson is aiming to join the business after college. Oh, and please don't try to explain any baseball to me, thank you very much.

This is a soup we enjoy. I don't always bother about the toasted almonds, I should, it makes a difference. I haven't made any this year because I have run out of storage pots. Sounds silly I know, Matt is always telling me I have to many pots, but at this time of the year, they are all being used.

Asparagus and Almond Soup

1 lb asparagus (if store bought you will need more because you cannot use the ends)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup ground almonds.
Toasted almonds for garnish

1. Wash the asparagus and chop into pieces. Put in a pan with the chicken broth and the onion. Cook til tender. Blend. Add the ground almonds. and cook a few minutes longer.

2. To serve ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with a few toasted almonds.

3. To make toasted almonds, put them in a dry nonstick pan and sauté until they begin to colour slightly.

Have a great day
 

Popcorn, Rhino News, Bowling, This and That.

My apologies to those of you who ended up with Popcorn as an 'ear worm' yesterday. I was reminded the song was performed by Hot Butter. I had forgotten that.

Great news from the World Wildlife Fund that rhinos in Nepal are on the increase and they have had zero poaching in the last year. Although this doesn't happen every year, it is becoming a more frequent occurrence. There is an interesting article if you click on this link. I blush to admit I didn't even know there were rhinos in Nepal, but I am delighted they are doing well. This chart gives you some idea of how serious

their population numbers got at one point. Mostly because of poaching. Governments in Asian countries are trying to convince their peoples that rhino horn has no medical benefits whatsoever (after all it's just compressed hair) but I am not sure they have got very far. One park in South Africa has a rhino who's horn was stolen and she has been bandaged. At the moment she seems to be doing OK. The report said she was camera shy, bearing in mind what happened I would have thought she was people shy. I hate to tell you what Matt says he would do to the people who do this kind of thing.

Well, of course, Wednesday is Summer League bowling and for once I bowled really well - I seem to save it for non league play, but not this week. Wish I could say the same for Matt, but he had a very bad day. I think my average went up about 5 points so I am pretty chuffed about that. Thursday we have been asked to go in later as they have half a million kids bowling over the lunch hour apparently - OK I'm exaggerating, quarter of a million!  We also took a vote and the League have mostly opted to play on July 1 which is Canada Day. Matt and I are delighted as we don't do anything special ourselves. No family after all. Plus we would miss our bowling and our exercise by doing the bowling. I'm pretty sure there will be no in house exercise class that day either. I introduced another bowling friend to farm fresh asparagus today, I will be interested to know what she thinks of it. One friend said she was freezing some. I tried that last year but was not very successful. The problem is that we cannot flash freeze in home kitchens so it doesn't work as well. I might have over cooked them whilst blanching too. When I ate them later, they came out awfully limp.

This is an interesting sounding recipe from Hellman's. Obviously you can use any mayonnaise you wish, but I have always found Hellman's the closest thing to homemade. I used to always make my own mayonnaise at one time, then I discovered Hellman's and haven't made any since. And no, I am not paid to advertise for them. I wish.  I love using Leeks too. I make a lot of Leek and Potato soup or I braise them as a vegetable for supper.

Leek and Asparagus Tart

Add Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise to this tasty tart filling for super moist, egg-y goodness. Brunch is served.

• Recipe serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (23cm) frozen unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 leek, (white part only), sliced
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® Real Mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Partially thaw pie shell (about 10 minutes). Pierce pastry bottom with fork and bake 10 minutes.
2. In skillet, cook asparagus and leek in oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Place on bottom of baked pie shell. Top evenly with cheese.
3. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, Hellmann's® Real Mayonnaise, mustard and seasonings. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour over cheese in pie shell and bake 35 minutes, on lower rack, or until set and lightly browned.

Have a great day
 

Good News for Bees, Music from Yesteryear,

Great news from the David Suzuki Foundation today This afternoon the Ontario government formally posted North America’s first regulations to reduce bee-killing neonic pesticides! The new restrictions take effect on July 1, 2015. It's not the total answer but a very good beginning. Science clearly shows that neonics kill honeybees and are wreaking havoc with wild bees, butterflies, birds and worms. We’ll continue to push for bans of toxic pesticides, like neonics, that poison our water, contaminate our fields and harm countless species that pollinate our food and gardens.But for now, let’s savour an early victory for the bees.

Many years ago we were cruising the Mediterranean with my parents, on their yacht (they lived on board). We were mostly spending time off the coast of Southern France and would frequently anchor off shore. We could hear this song drifting across the water to us. Called Popcorn, it was everywhere that year. The other day I happened to mention it to one of my friends at exercise class. She had never heard of it. Then on Monday I heard it on the radio, I have never heard them play it before. I have a recording of course, it was so popular at the time I bought the 45. A small record for those of you too young to remember. Something of a coincidence.




As you may remember, Giada de Laurentis is one of my favourite TV chefs, this is one of her recipes.

Grilled Asparagus and Melon Salad

2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 small melon (about 12 ounces), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 oz fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted* see Cook's Note

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Chop the prosciutto into 1/4-inch pieces.

3. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. In a medium bowl, toss together the asparagus and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes each side until crisp-tender.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the melon and mozzarella cheese and toss until all ingredients are combined.

5. Arrange the asparagus on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the melon and burrata cheese on top of the asparagus. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette over the top. Sprinkle the prosciutto and pine nuts on top and serve.

Servings: 4

Author: Giada De Laurentiis

Author Notes
To toast pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Have a great day
 

Encouraging Thunder, Toilet Roll, Storm.

Today I was amongst several recipients of the Encouraging Thunder award from Eva at My Miracle Life. This is the kind of award I like because you don't have to do a lot with it. Thank you so much Eva.

What you can do with Encouraging Thunder award?
– Post it on your blog
– Grant other bloggers with the award

What you can’t do with Encouraging Thunder award?
– Abuse or misuse the logo
– Claim that it’s your own handmade logo

What you should do after receiving Encouraging Thunder award:

– Enjoy the award

– Thank via comments or mention the blogger who gave you the award 

I haven't yet thought about passing it on - not had time, so will talk about it later in the week. I have an idea for one person at least, but a lot of Eva's friends are the same as mine. 

Matt thinks I am nuts, but I reached the end of a toilet roll today and this is what came off at the final pull.

I don't know if you can see how jagged this is, but I have never seen anything like it before, I thought it was very odd. Another comment along the same lines, Matt went out on our balcony this morning and discovered a pile of sh*t on one of our chairs. Bearing in mind that we are on the 5th floor, we couldn't figure where it had come from. Only thing I can put it down to is a squirrel although I didn't think they could climb brickwork so high.

We have certainly had our fill of rain in the last 24 hours. I think the drought is over. Apparently we had one hell of a thunderstorm last night with big boomers and lots of lightning - I never heard or saw a thing. We have had lots of rain during the day today (Monday) though and everywhere is looking very green but Matt put my little pot of basil outside and it got beaten to death. I guess we will have to buy some more. Later I was feeling a tad restless so decided to make tomato soup in which I use a lot of basil, I used more than normal but the plant isn't being wasted.

This is a pretty simple recipe using asparagus. It came from a magazine Matt gets called the Quarter Century Club, to do with his job.

Angel Hair Pasta with Asparagus

8 oz angel hair pasta

1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package directions

2. Heat olive oil in non stick skillet. Sauté asparagus in the pan over med. heat for about 3 mins with garlic. Add broth and mushrooms, cook 3 minutes more.

3. Drain pasta and tranfer to a serving dish. Gently toss pasta with asparagus mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan, parsley and crushed pepper

Servings: 4

Source: QCC

Have a great day
 

Google Doodle, American Pharoah, Triple Crown,

Beach Head in Normandy

How odd, Google commemorates all kinds of obscure anniversaries in their Google Doodles. But Saturday, which was June 6 and D Day or the Normandy Landings they ignored completely. I wonder why. I personally don't remember much of D Day but Matt remembers the build up of tanks and planes which were shrouded in camouflage so the Germans would not know what was happening. He live in Kent, which is in the south east of England where most of the build up occurred.
It all happened 71 years ago which in one sense seems like forever ago, in another like yesterday. Time seems to condense as one gets older, I guess one's memory becomes selective and things which mean something to you seem closer than things which are unimportant or you just forget that they happened. For those of you who weren't even born then, the film, The Longest Day, represents the occasion very well. Absolutely everyone was in it I think. The cast list sounds like a who's who of the movie world.

I was thrilled that American Pharoah won the Triple Crown on Saturday. I think it's very exciting that

American Pharoah

it's the first time that has happened in 37 years. What a magnificent horse. Pretty good on the rider's part too. It's not all one or the other but an excellent partnership. I once used to bet on the geegees but haven't done for many years now. We have a couple of famous races in Britain, the Grand National and the Derby (we pronounce it Darby) and one year, Matt, who doesn't gamble on horses, wrote down the winners of the Grand National - no he didn't bet, just wrote them down - and showed them to me after the race. I could have killed him, he would have cleaned up, he had all three of them. They were talking, Saturday morning, about the value of the horse at the moment, now the value must have soared to the heavens. Funny really the horse's name is misspelled which nobody noticed until it was too late to change it, and his tail has been bitten off. I wish I had had a bet on him.

Sole is not easily found, if you wish you could use flounder for this recipe.


SOLE WITH ASPARAGUS

1 lb Asparagus
1 lb Sole fillets (4 pieces approximately the same size)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Grated lemon or lime peel
4 Tbs Lemon or lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 tsp Black pepper
1 Tbs Chives, finely chopped
1 tsp Your favorite mildly flavored mustard

1. Cut asparagus into 3 inch lengths. Cook in 2-quart saucepan in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, drain. Set aside.

2. Season the skin side of the sole fillets with salt and lemon or lime peel.

3. Place asparagus spears at one end of each fillet.

4. Roll up fillets with asparagus spears inside and secure with plain round toothpicks.

5. Place in a 2-quart oven-save casserole dish liberally sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

6. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour over fish.

7. Bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

8. Baste fish every 7 minutes.

Servings: 4


Source: Produce for Better Health

Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

Saturday we always like to have a slightly better meal than during the week and enjoy a bottle of wine with it. We no longer drink wine during the week. I sometimes have problems thinking about what to cook. After all there are only so many ways you can cook a fillet steak or make a roast or something. So, last weekend I kind of invented a dish - not totally original but it made a nice meal. Matt had a baked potato with it and I also did some coleslaw. Of course being the doofus I am, I forgot to take a picture. This is kind of what it looked like. I don't think there is any asparagus in the sauce though. For those of you who don't like one of my favourite foods, you can, of course leave it out.


Pork Chops, Mushrooms, Asparagus and Mushroom Sauce
Jo's Version

2 pork chops
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
6 or more asparagus spears chopped in 1 inch pieces
1/2 small can mushroom soup

Set oven temp to 350°F. Place the pork chops in an oven proof baking dish and season slightly. The soup will contain seasoning. Scatter the sliced onions and mushrooms on top and around the chops then sprinkle with the asparagus. Pour over the half can of mushroom soup and place in the oven. Check after 45 minutes to make sure the soup is not drying out, if it is, add a little more. Be careful though, I ended up with a lot of soup on the bottom of the oven, but then I used the whole can. Cook for a total of an hour or until the chops are tender.

Have a great weekend

Shot Black Bear, Death by Lion, Bowling.

Bit of a hoo ha going on at the moment because police in Newmarket, quite a bit north of here, shot a black bear which people say wasn't necessary as the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) was on their way. The bear had been hanging around the area all weekend but couldn't be tranquilised untill it was stationary. It was up in a tree and then started to descend so the police shot it. Many people think more should have been done to relocate the animal. I read that 70% of similar occurrences end with the bear being shot. I wonder why they don't give the police tranquilisers in an area like that where bears are likely to be found in towns. If you are interested, there is video here. This was the bear 4 days ago. There are all kinds of protests taking place in Ontario right now.

A bowling friend told me about the bear first, I told her about the woman who was killed in a Safari

park in Africa because she was filming lions with the windows open, a lioness jumped through the window.. How incredibly stupid people are. Reminds me of the guy who got out of his car and approached a pride of lions to take pictures. Guess what, another lion jumped him from behind and his family had the delightful experience of watching him being mauled to death. I cannot believe these people are so stupid. It's not the animal's fault. The tour guide, who was driving, tried to save the woman and was badly mauled. She was an American tourist. This links to the Daily Mail report.

Of course we were bowling on Wednesday and Thursday -not terribly well, our averages went down by 2 points. Have to see if we can get them back up again.

Looking at this recipe, I wonder how many of us keep blocks of parmesan in our kitchens. We tried doing so but found we didn't use it often enough and it ended up being dry and mouldy. If you don't use a lot of parmesan, I recommend you get a good quality ground version and keep it in your freezer. Doesn't look as pretty as shaved parmesan, but..... I could never get really good shavings anyway LOL. Whilst writing this, it reminds me of a pet peeve. The word parmesan has an s in the middle not a g. If you must pronounce this the Italian way you should spell it Parmigiano. Why use the Italian word when the English word is perfectly good.


Asparagus with butter, balsamic and Capers

* 1 bunch asparagus about 250g, woody stems removed
* butter
* 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
* 1 tbsp capers
* 4 slices sourdough bread , toasted
* a few shavings parmesan

1. Steam the asparagus until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. toss with a knob of butter, the balsamic and capers and season well.

2. Pile onto sourdough toast and scatter with a few parmesan shavings.

Source: Olive Magazine

Have a great day
 

Asparagus Fail, Strawberries. Windows 10, Ontario Farms.

Well, here's a dish that didn't work for me, Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. It's easy enough, just choose fairly thick stems,
wrap prosciutto around and then roast in the oven for 5-7 mins. I did not enjoy it at all. The prosciutto turned out to be way too salt for my taste, it was almost painful to eat it. I eat a lot of prosciutto but have never cooked it like this before. Funnily enough, if one uses it to make Saltimbocca, it turns out fine, but this way, not for
me. However, an alternative is to use regular bacon and that might work although I don't think I will be trying it. Asparagus was fine
of course and I did eat the prosciutto, too expensive to just chuck away. Very disappointing. Luckily our supper ended up with fresh, local strawberries. Better than I thought they were going to be, a tad early yet. We eat them with yoghurt which makes a nice dessert.

I hate writing my blog direct to blogger. I have tried several times to get the berries pic where I wanted it, with no luck at all. Grrrr. By the way, this is recorded as being post No. 2222.

I, like many of you I'm sure, have a notification on my computers offering a free upload of Windows 10. I was thinking it may be a hoax or spam or something, however, I am assured that it is a genuine offer. However, I don't think I want to upgrade on my laptop as I have some old programmes running which are somewhat reluctant to work for Windows 7, heaven knows what would happen if I upgraded. That's one of these problems if one upgrades. There are many programmes which just fall by the wayside because they are no longer supported by their original maker. Trouble is when they are full of data, you don't want to lose them, or I don't.

On Tuesday I discovered there are 74 farmers in Ontario growing asparagus on 3,000 acres. I don't think even I could make a dent in that much asparagus. I'd have a good try of course. That is one hell of a lot of asparagus isn't it? There is a video at this link which includes footage of Tim Barrie, our local farmer.

I received a link to an asparagus omelette recipe in the comments yesterday, it made me think  of this recipe.


Asparagus and Cheese Omelette Wrap

2 eggs

1 Tbs water
1 tsp chipotle purée (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs chopped fresh chives or green onions
1/2 cup grated smoked cheddar or smoked mozzarella
3 spears asparagus, trimmed, cooked and diced
1 10 inch whole wheat flour tortilla

1. Beat eggs lightly with water, salt and chipotles.

2. Heat oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet and add eggs. When eggs start to set, swish them around so that the unset top rotates to the bottom. Sprinkle with chives, cheese and asparagus. Cook a minute longer, just until cheese starts to melt.

3. Meanwhile, warm and soften torilla in a skillet (about 1 minute) or microwave about 10 seconds, or wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Slide the omelette onto the tortilla and roll up. Cut in half on the diagonal for a sandwich or in slices for appetizers.

Servings: 1

Author Notes
These are great for a breakfast or brunch sandwich. You can make them ahead and wrap in foil and reheat in the oven, or you can slice them for little appetizers and serve hot or cold. Asparagus is a good low calorie source of folate and vitamin C; six spears contain 100 migrograms of folate, 25% of your recommended dietary allowance, as well as 20 milligrams of vitamin C - all for only 25 calories. Asparagus also contains fibre, important antioxidants and is a useful source of B6 and potassium

Have a great day
 

Manulife LPGA Classic, Lunch,

It might surprise you to hear that we went to Barrie's Asparagus farm again today. This time I bought nearly 14 lbs. of the stuff - some for me, a lot for other people. Got everyone here turned on to farm fresh asparagus. Anyway, on our way we pass a relatively new golf course called Whistle Bear, they opened the back 9 in 2000 and the front nine in 2001. Never played there as a) it's private and b) they built it just about the time we were quitting for health reasons. It looks a delightful course. Today there were signs all over the place announcing the Manulife LPGA Classic. How exciting. I didn't even realise it was up to LPGA standards. Neither of us could follow a golf game on foot these days, but it is exciting just to know it's happening at a local course. Hunting for a picture I now find it's actually the 4th annual Manulife LPGA Classic. Wonder how come we didn't know that? Maybe it wasn't in asparagus season LOL.

For lunch on Tuesday we joined friends at the Mandarin, a place I may have mentioned once or twice LOL. Today I concentrated on Japanese and opted for sushi. I did have my usual Hot and Sour soup, couldn't go there without having it. I also had a few dumplings just to make sure I wasn't missing any Chinese. I do rather pig out when I go there, just as well I don't go there too often. I am fairly good about dessert though, just have some fresh pineapple and some flan. I love flan but  haven't made it myself in years, so, along with the soup, it is my special treat when I go to the Mandarin.When my parents lived in Spain you could get flan anywhere you went out to eat, even in the dockside cafe. Mind you that cafe had the most wonderful food anyway. Pretty incredible bearing in mind most of its customers were dock workers. I guess they had gourmet palates. We got to know the chef very well, or at least my parents did. We were only there for vacations, they lived in the harbour for a while.

Here’s Mushroom Canada’s recipe of the month, using asparagus of course, which is why I am passing it on right now. I just talked to some of the people about the asparagus I got for them. One of them said "you don't have to throw half of it away" which is so very true. You can use every inch of what you buy.

Mushroom, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart

Yield: 2 Tarts | Servings: 4-8

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 lb (500 g) fresh mixed mushrooms (crimini,
shiitake, oyster)
1 450 g package frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator
2 large eggs
½ tbsp (7 mL) Italian herbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 oz (50-80 g) softened goat cheese
2 tbsp (30 mL) milk
15 asparagus spears, ends trimmed (not if they're fresh from the farm).
1 oz (30 mL) goat cheese, crumbled (for topping)


Method

1. In a large pan add olive oil. Cook mushrooms over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes, or until moisture has been released.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out both pastry sheets. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Fold over edges all around pastry sheet to make a raised crust.
4. In a small bowl whisk together eggs, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, softened goat cheese, and milk. Divide mixture between both pastry crusts.
5. Place asparagus spears across the top of egg mixture. Spoon cooked mushrooms over the asparagus. Crumble remaining goat cheese evenly over entire tart. If desired, brush the crust with egg wash.
6. Bake tart for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set, asparagus is tender, and crust is golden.
7. Serve warm or cooled.

Have a great day
 

Solar Impulse Plane, Age.

Sadly, due to bad weather conditions, the solar impulse plane had to land in Japan so that the Pacific crossing has been aborted. This is another shot of the plane, the wings are absolutely huge.

Matt keeps saying it’s not use and pointing out the drawbacks. He has never been remotely interested in future technology. He would have belittled the Wright brothers too I think. I think it’s a fantastic idea.

I don't care how old one is, it always makes you feel good to be told you don't look your age. I just popped upstairs in our building to give someone a copy of the obituary of a friend of theirs, we got chatting, and she said I was so much younger. When she realised I was only about 3 1/2 years younger than her she was flabbergasted and couldn't understand how I didn't have lots of wrinkles etc. It made me feel really good. It set me up in my self esteem. Now I will be going around with a swollen head for a day or two. Several people find it odd that I am as familiar with a computer as I am which again surprises me. I know others of my age and older who are pretty handy with computers. Come to think of it, I know another woman of more or less the same age as I am who doesn't look wrinkled either. I wonder if it's anything to do with the creams we use or just the luck of the draw. I tend to think the luck of the draw.

I had understood that a Mexican Mole always involved chocolate. Having checked with my favourite Mexican dragon I find that this is not so. That being said, here is a recipe for Asparagus Mole. This recipe did not come with a picture.


Asparagus-Mole

Recipe courtesy of Charles Maes, Owner of Canby Asparagus

Yield:about 1 1/2 cups
 
Ingredients
1 pound cut, trimmed asparagus
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup fresh (or canned) chopped jalapeno chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato


Directions
Cook asparagus in small amount of water until tender. Drain well and shock in ice water. In a food processor, process asparagus and next 5 ingredients until smooth (about 30 seconds). Scrape bowl frequently. Remove from food processor and stir in onion and tomato. Chill thoroughly before serving with tortilla chips, cut vegetables, chicken or seafood.

Have a great day
 

Jeopardy, Rain, Solar Impulse Plane.

I learnt a phrase, which I thought was funny, on Jeopardy last Friday. Restaurant speak “nervous pudding” – Jello. Priceless. I have mentioned this is a programme I rarely, if ever, miss. I tried out for it a couple of times, but then I heard if you do get through, you have to pay for all of the trips to the various qualifying rounds which I would imagine, with hotel fees, etc. would amount to quite a bit of money and then, even if you get to be on the show, you might still only win $1,000 if you are beaten by the others. Not a gamble we could afford to take certainly. Maybe when I was a working girl, but not now.

It’s June. We finally had rain this weekend, I just am not sure we had enough for the farmers, or in fact for all the plants which have been suffering from a lack of water. We have all been feeling sorry for Texas and the dreadful floods, but I heard that they too have been suffering drought conditions in some areas. That to me is almost inconceivable. Some people are suffering weather extremes -  wanting the furnace one day and the air conditioner the next. It seems things are totally screwed up with the weather lately. The rain we got came with full on thunderstorms and loud crashes. Not a lot of lightening though. Saw a couple of flashes maybe. It wasn’t one of those good rains which consistently falls for several hours though, so I am not sure how much good it did. In fact we did have some more on Saturday night and Sunday morning so that will have helped. In the end it rained most of Sunday.

Interesting story on the news about a solar impulse plane which is being flown on trials now. It is presently flying across the Sea of Japan on its way to Hawaii which is the longest leg of it’s journey in an attempt to circumnavigate the world.  The pilot can only take a 20 minute sleep at a time. It has huge wings which carry the solar panels, much bigger than any existing plane, but it weighs less than an SUV. They have to be particularly careful about the weather.

Asparagus and Smoked Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

 New York Times.

• Yield 4 servings

Asparagus takes easily to many kinds of seasonings, so after you’ve tired of having it plain with butter or homemade mayonnaise, try this spicy dressing laced with ginger and chiles. Adding smoked chicken is a nice way to make a more substantial first course or light lunch. You can purchase smoked chicken at better butcher shops or online, but equally good is grilled chicken at room temperature, or cold poached chicken. I sometimes substitute lightly smoked ham or smoked slab bacon, simmered until tender.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 large shallot, finely diced, about 2 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt to taste
• Generous pinch of cayenne
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

For the salad:

• 1 pound asparagus
• Salt and pepper
• 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (optional)
• ½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• ¾ pound smoked chicken, sliced
• 1 large lime, halved
• Basil, mint and cilantro leaves, about 1/2 cup total

Preparation

1. To make the vinaigrette, put shallots in a small bowl. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and cayenne and let steep for 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, then whisk in sesame oil and vegetable oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Snap off the tough end of each asparagus spear, then cut each spear into 2-inch lengths. Cut thicker pieces in half lengthwise as necessary so all cut pieces are approximately the same size. Place asparagus pieces into boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain and cool under running water. Blot dry.
3. To make the salad, put asparagus in a salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add chile, if using, and crushed peanuts. Dress with half the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
4. Arrange dressed asparagus on a platter or on individual plates. Tear chicken slices into strips and scatter over asparagus. Drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the salad and give it a good squeeze of lime. Garnish with basil, mint and cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

Have a great day