The Garden Apartment

The anti-muse {and asparagus fennel soup}

Don't get me wrong. Usually my husband is my first consideration when I am cooking meals at home. 

But sometimes, John is my anti-muse.

You see, there are two ingredients in particular that he despises: mushrooms and asparagus. The first has become a true point of contention which is not allowed to be discussed. He does not like mushrooms- period. He doesn't appreciate having them inconspicuously sneaked into dishes or the discussion of potential preparations that may convert him to loving fungus. In fact, this written paragraph may get me into some trouble.

Asparagus, on the other hand, is something of an open ingredient. He's willing to explore it a bit, but usually with little success.

With all this in mind, these are usually the first two ingredients I choose when I am not cooking for my husband. Thus, John is the anti-muse.

This asparagus soup falls into the anti-muse category.

I love this recipe because the ingredients are simple, the preparation is quick, and the finished bowl can be fussed over to look as if the degree of difficulty was much higher. Best of all, I tried it out on John, and he is willing to tolerate one bowl. Well, sometimes.

I made this dish for my recent cooking class at Whole Foods, keeping in mind that asparagus will be coming into season soon. This simple soup can be brightened up with a drizzle of olive oil, some lemon zest, and chopped fennel fronds.

Asparagus Fennel Soup {serves 6}         Printer Friendly Version

Adapted from BonApetit

Ingredients:

• 4 TB butter or olive oil
• 1/2 large fennel bulb, roughly sliced
• 4 large shallots, roughly sliced
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 pounds of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• vegetable or chicken stock, to cover (about 3-4 cups)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fennel fronds, finely chopped (optional)

Procedure:

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the fennel, shallots, and a dash of salt. Sauté until soft and beginning to caramelize; about five minutes. Add the fresh asparagus and coriander and sauté for one additional minute. Cover with the vegetable stock and simmer for five minutes, until asparagus pieces are tender.

Blend thoroughly in batches, until soup is smooth and creamy. Return to stockpot and add lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or dollop of creme fraiche, and optional chopped fennel fronds.

The Garden Apartment Cooks at Whole Foods

The Garden Apartment's Wild Mushroom Tart will be on the menu this Sunday

Come join me this Sunday, March 28th at 6 PM for a cooking class at the Whole Foods in Vienna, Virginia. I will be featuring a late winter (early spring) vegetarian lunch menu:

• Wild Mushroom Tart with Arugula Salad
• Asparagus and Fennel Soup

You can witness the magic of cooking, as I whip up this entire meal in one hour (various stages of tart dough will aid me in this miracle). 

To participate, please RSVP to [email protected], then join us at 6 PM in the cafe area of the Vienna Whole Foods:

143 Maple Ave East; Vienna, Virginia 22180

You can see an entire listing of the Vienna Whole Foods Cooking Classes here. I hope to see you on Sunday!

Food memories, a lack thereof {and a recipe for mixed green salad with broiled goat cheese}

"Do you remember that salad we ate when we arrived in Paris?"

A blank stare was the first response.

I prodded further, "Literally, the very first thing we ate when we got off the plane."

Still, a blank stare.

"You know, it had tomatoes, goat cheese and this wonderful herbed vinaigrette."

Finally, an answer emerged: "No, I have no memory of it."

Sometimes it's frustrating to be married to someone whose love of food does not quite level up to my very acute memory and sense of flavors. In fairness to dear husband, the salad was consumed on one occasion a full two and a half years ago while we were both exhausted from overnight traveling. 

Yet I distinctly remember the view from our outdoor table in the Latin Quarter and another patron feeding pigeons from the bread basket at her table (or is that just a Parisian stereotype?). Mostly, I remember relishing every bite of a very fresh salad with remarkable flavors. In particular, the sun-dried tomatoes were bursting with ripe sweet tomato flavor.

With spring just arriving, I am really craving fresh green things. With a little inspiration, I recreated this salad for dinner last night. The salad mixture is a blend of watercress, finely chopped Belgian endive, and some baby greens. If endive is too bitter for you, or you want to keep things simple, a spring mix would work fine. The greens are dressed in a simple vinaigrette, topped off with marinated artichokes, slow roasted tomatoes and broiled goat cheese. The tomatoes and artichokes need some time, but you could easily make them the night before and then quickly assemble this for dinner the next day.

Mixed Greens with slow roasted tomatoes, marinated artichokes, and broiled goat cheese

Serves 2 as a main course, or 4 as a first course

* Note: Roast the tomatoes and marinate the artichokes ahead of time. They will store will in the fridge for a few days, making for a quick assembly when you serve the salad.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 2 TB EVOO
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 15 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 teaspoon of herbs de provence
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• a few turns of black pepper
• 1/4 Cup EVOO
• 1 Belgian Endive
• 1 bunch of watercress, cleaned with stems removed
• 2 Cups of baby lettuce, or spring mix
• Roasted and salted sunflower seeds, to top
• 4 ounces of fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 Cup panko 

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 medium garlic clove, finely minced
• a few dashes of dried oregano
• a pinch of sugar
• 1 TB EVOO
• salt and pepper, to taste

Roast the tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 275F. Toss the tomatoes with 2 TB of olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet with a fresh sprig of rosemary. Slowly roast for 2-3 hours, until the skins are withered and beginning to blacken. Remove and set aside.

Marinate the artichokes

In the meantime, combine the artichokes with 1/4 Cup olive oil, the herbs de provence, red pepper flakes, and some black pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to two days, before serving.

Assemble the salad

Preheat the broiler to High. Divide the goat cheese into four equal rounds (about 1 inch thick each). Lightly brush each round with olive oil, then coat with panko breadcrumbs. Place on an oiled piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and store in the freezer for a few minutes while assembling the other ingredients.

In a large bowl combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until well combined. Toss with the spring mix, endive and watercress until lightly coated. Divide the lettuce between two serving bowls, then top with marinated artichokes, roasted tomatoes, and sunflower seeds.

Remove the goat cheese rounds from the freezer and place into the broiler. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Watch carefully, as they will brown quickly.

Place two rounds atop each salad and serve immediately.

A Fresh Start

Well friends, it has certainly been awhile since I spoke with you. The past month has been a whirlwind of traveling and assisting both of our families through surgery recoveries. 

Not to mention that sometimes there is myself to think of too. With that in mind, last week culminated with a big decision, a step in a new direction, and for those closest to me- a sigh of relief. 

I was pleased and amused that my fresh start coincided with several days of beautiful spring weather, as if my life's events were planned out by some playwright in the sky, perfectly coordinating the scene and background with the plot. 

Our yard is seeing some new beginnings as well, and not just in the flowers and buds popping up everywhere.

In keeping with our New Year's resolutions, we began initial work on our vegetable garden. We finally agreed on the best place to put our plot, and found some old timbers in the back of our yard which we were able to put to good use.

It will be a small garden this first year, about 13' x 8' (according to somebody's very specific measurements, which you can see taking place above). 

I plan to put this week to good use researching vegetable varieties, plant spacing, and other important steps in garden planning. 

As for our compost pile which has been under the frozen tundra for several months. . . check this out:

This is the far left bin, or the newest material. When we turned it on Saturday, we found it full of happily gorging worms, whom we were mutually delighted to provide nourishment. The finished deep black compost from the far right bin, will be incorporated into our garden soil later this week.

Oh the excitement!

If you have any suggestions on best vegetable varieties or garden centers in northern Virginia I would love to hear from you. In particular, I'm interested in selecting some unique heirloom varieties. I'd like to grow things that I won't necessarily find at the store or farmer's market.