More from “Keeping the Feast” by Paula Butturini”:

“Some mornings, beginning in March, I wake up hungering for green asparagus.  It is a grown-up hunger, for I don’t remember asparagus cravings before I was twelve or thirteen, when my father learned to braise them in butter under three or four leaves of dripping wet lettuce.  The lettuce, lightly salted, would wilt, then give up a mild sweet juice, in which the asparagus would steam.  When they were done my father lifted the lid, a cloud of vegetable essence would fill the entire kitchen.  My mother would sigh in delight at the smell of it, and even my brother, five or six at the time and still finicky in his appetites, would devour them.  On those days, our hunger for asparagus was boundless.”

Asparagus wrapped in phyllo pictured here with goat cheese toasts.

The asparagus imported to Manitoba this spring is gorgeous and I have been devising all kinds of reasons to consume it.  Last weekend at the cottage, I made an omelet of asparagus and goat cheese.  And last night we had asparagus wrapped in phyllo as an appetizer.

This recipe is so simple and so delicious.  Melt some butter.  Then roll up asparagus in individual phyllo sheets.  Brush with butter and bake at 375 degrees.  Check after about 10 minutes and if crispy, then flip and continue baking until crispy on the next.  That’s it!  You can change them up by topping them with grated Parmesan or sesame seeds as Sister #2 likes to.  I was thinking that lemon rind and cracked black pepper would be good too.

Kath’s quote: “Pray how does your asparagus perform?”-John Adams, in a letter to his wife Abigail

There are times when for the sake of variety, I change up a favourite dish.  Other times, when I run out of a certain ingredient that I do so.  On this day it was for both reasons.  Besides, being an “inventive cook” means switching things up every once in a while.  There are recipes that my family will not tolerate my messing with (my chicken enchiladas for example), but everyone seemed pleased with this new twist on a classic.

I took these and a dish of “regular” scalloped potatoes (with cheese and onion) to a Easter dinner this spring.  Looks gorgeous to have one scoop of each on a dinner plate alongside a classically baked ham.

2 garlic cloves minced

2 1/2 c half & half cream

6 potatoes

2 T flour

3 c grated Gruyere

S & P to taste

Stir garlic into cream and set aside.  Slice potatoes into paper-thin rounds and toss with flour.  I leave the peel on for nutritional purposes and an extra bit of colour.  Arrange them in a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese and pour 1/2 of the cream mixture over top.  Sprinkle with S & P.  Repeat layers.  Cover and bake at 325 degrees for one hour.  Remove cover and continue baking for 1/2 hour or until potatoes are tender. 

Kath’s quote:  “People have been cooking and eating for thousands of years, so if you are the very first to have thought of adding fresh lime juice to scalloped potatoes try to understand that there must be a reason for this.”-Fran Lebowitz

We took possession of our precious little cabin on Lake Winnipeg (and I mean little-500 sq feet) on May long weekend, about a dozen years ago.  Every May long since then I get butterflies of excitement, knowing that cottage season is about to begin for another year.  As my husband tells me: being at the lake, completes me.  It enhances who I am by rejuvenating and relaxing me so that I can be the best I can be.

I also get excited about planning our family brunches on the deck, barbeques and campfire meals.  This weekend I was at a family barbeque that was the “day after” wedding gift opening party on the other side of the lake and this handy meal was demonstrated for me by my cousin.  She got the idea from attending pow wows around the province.

Ingredients:

individual bags of taco chips like Doritos

seasoned taco meat-cooked according to directions on the package

shredded or chopped lettuce

sour cream

cheddar cheese, grated

salsa

Optional:

Niblet corn

black beans

jalapeno peppers

cilantro, chopped

avocados, cubed

anything else you might add to a taco salad

Directions:

Open a bag of tacos,  Add a spoonful of all the ingredients listed above to your liking.  Close the bag up and shake well.  Consume and when you are done-toss out the bag and your clean up is done!

Kath’s quote:  Prepared and fast foods have given is the time and freedom to see cooking as an art form-a form of creative expression.”  Jeff Smith

Thanks Tan.  Love you.

Ceviche is simply seafood marinated in lime juice.  The acidity in the lime actually “cooks” the fish and so the fish does not have to be put over heat.  The results are that your taste buds really get to explore the sutleties of the seafood rather than the batter and sauces that we are inclined to prepare them in.  

To bring back memories of our time on Isla Mujeres, I have previously posted my ceviche recipe here.  But I have adapted it more recently to feed a larger number of guests.  The result is half ceviche and half salsa and would be a  refreshing and healthy appetizer this May long weekend.

When I know that the dish will be sitting out for guests for an extended period of time, I actually par-boil the shrimp to ensure that the shrimp is safe for the evening.  Remove them and rinse in cold water just as they start to turn pink.

If you are using larger shrimp, I divide each into 3 pieces, illustrated here.

a generous pound of peeled shrimp

marinated in the juice of 2 limes

another lime

1/2 a medium white (or purple) onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 c chopped cilantro

1 c diced cucumber or jicama (or 1/2 c of each)

3 ripe tomatoes chopped

chopped jalepenos to taste

salt & pepper to taste

Marinate the shrimp for at least 3 hours.  Drain in a colander and then place in a glass bowl and add the rest of the chopped ingredients. Depending upon the residual liminess from the shrimp, add more lime as desired.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with a sturdy tortilla chip.  I use multi-grain and black corn.

Kath’s quote: “Don’t be too daring in the kitchen. For example, don’t suddenly get involved with shallots. Later, when you are no longer a Lonely Guy, you can do shallots. Not now. If you know cilantro, stay with cilantro and don’t fool around. Even with cilantro you’re on thin ice, but at least you’ve got a shot, because it’s familiar. Stay with safe things, like pepper.”-Bruce Jay Friedman

Have I mentioned that I’m crazy about potatoes-jk?  I know that I talk about how much I love my carbs all the time.  Because I indulge in consuming my starchy friends so often, I am conscious about enjoying them as simply prepared as possible because we all know that it is not the poor potato’s fault but all the butter, sour cream and even cream cheese that we like to slab on them.  The following recipe is a low fat option and even better-the fat is olive oil; said to be a “good” fat. 

Boil smallish potatoes in plenty of salted water until you can pierce them almost all the way through with a fork.  Drain (you may want to retain the potato water for soup stock).  Liberally dollop olive oil onto a baking sheet and arrange potatoes without the edges touching. 

Take a potato masher and gently press down on each potato so that they are squashed but still in tact.

Drizzle with more olive oil and your favourite herb (we loved rosemary on spuds).  Sprinkle with course salt and freshly ground pepper.  Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

and voila!

Kath’s quote:  “Pray for peace and grace and spiritual food,
For wisdom and guidance, for all these are good,
but don’t forget the potatoes.”-John Tyler Pettee