All-Canadian Moose Chili

Canada might not be the first thing that comes to mind when think of chili, but it was a staple when I was growing up. My grandmother, Jean, made an all-day production of it, chopping and simmering away until the smell found its way into every nook and cranny of the rambling house my father built on the shore of Georgian Bay. 

It has been a long, grey winter, and we've been craving chili but haven't quite gotten around to making it. Then the opportunity presented itself. One of the advantages of being friends with your butcher is sometimes something special finds its way to you. George Laganas of Ellas Meat Market fits the bill, and he recently gave us a nice cut from the moose he brought down this hunting season. "Moose Chili," we said, "Why not!"

Our recipe is a blend of my grandmother's low and slow approach and a series of tips and tricks from recipes we've tried over the years, including the Joy of Cooking's Ohio Farmhouse Sausage Chili and America Test Kitchen's Ultimate Vegetarian Chili. Rather than switching meats as we changed recipes, we just kept adding them as well! 

n.b. This is an all-day recipe, start early, around 10am!

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and toast (If you like things hot check out some other options at the Guide to Mexican Chili Peppers):

• 3 whole ancho chili peppers
• 3 whole guajillo chili peppers
• 3 whole pasillo chili peppers

Remove the peppers from the oven to a plate to cool for 10 minutes, remove the stems and seeds, and grind them to powder using a spice mill, mortar and pestle, or Cuisinart.

In an InstantPot on high, cook for 13 minutes and allow 10 minutes before releasing pressure with:

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 6 cups of water

and remove to a bowl. Repeat for 30 minutes and allow 10 minutes before releasing pressure with:

• 3 cups dried black beans
• 6 cups of water

Saute in a saucepan over medium heat 

• 8 thick slices of smoky bacon cut into lardons 

until they have rendered their fat and are crispy. Remove the lardons from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Divide the fat between the saucepan and a large Dutch oven. In the saucepan sear the following in the remaining bacon fat:

• 1.5 pounds of moose meat, cut into small cubes
• 1.5 pounds of mild Italian sausage, uncased and crumbled
• 4 pounds of short ribs, cut into chunks between the bones

and remove to the bowl with the bacon. In the Dutch oven sautee:

• 4 large sweet onions, chopped,
• 3 large green peppers, chopped,

Add:

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed

until cooked and then add:

• Ground chilis
• 3 tablespoons of oregano
• 2 tablespoons of cumin

Until the spices bloom (or the heady scents of southwestern cooking fill our northern kitchen) and add:

• 6 tablespoons of tomato paste

and saute for a couple of minutes more. Puree in the Cuisinart:

• 3 28 oz tins of diced tomatoes 

and add to the Dutch oven then add:

• The cooked meat
• The cooked beans
• 2 12oz cans of dark beer or stout
• 1 litre of beef stock

Bring to a low simmer partially covered for the rest of the day, topping up the liquid with beef stock if it gets too thick for your taste, or remove the lid and let some of the liquid evaporate if it is too soupy. Add:

• Salt and Pepper to taste
• And serve with:
• Sour cream
• Chopped cilantro
• Grated queso

And serve on the side

• Tortilla chips
• Guacamole 
• Salsa

Like all of our recipes this will feed a crowd, or give you plenty to put up in stores as it freezes wonderfully. Enjoy!

A Twain of Tasty Tarts

Suzy was inspired to try something different by a bunch of local asparagus the other day.  Some puff

pastry, Gruyere, asparagus, olive oil, tarragon, salt, and pepper later she produced this delightful little treat for our neighbour's farewell barbeque.  We will miss you Adam and Lucy!

A couple of days later inspiration knocked again. An old roll of puff pastry from my mother's freezer, some Beau's Cheddar, pesto, and four farm fresh eggs became Canada Day brunch for us and friends on our northern adventure.  

The principle is simple, the recipe not much harder... roll out pastry, score, baste with oil or pesto, bake, add cheese and stuff, bake some more, and voila!  However, good instructions make everything simpler. Here they are in a little more detail...



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll out:
1 package of thawed puff pastry
Score the pastry all the way around an inch from the edge. Prick all over inside the lines with a fork and brush with:
Olive Oil.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.  Remove the pastry from the oven. Spread
4 tablespoons of pesto (optional)
inside the lines and sprinkle the pastry with
6 ozs of grated cheese (whatever will grate and suits your fancy)
Top with items of your choice
1.5 lbs of asparagus laid out and brushed with olive oil (20 minutes)
4-6 whole eggs (15 minutes or until the whites are firm but not the yolks)
and sprinkle with fresh or dry herbs.

Share and enjoy!

These are just a couple of examples we have tried.  We would love to see what you make of this recipe!

Roast Provencal Chicken

The roasted chicken was another hit of yesterday's memorial dinner.  Even my cousin Lee, a lifelong vegetarian, was briefly tempted by the aroma.  We roast capons. The bigger bird makes for generous portions.  It also takes longer to cook.  If you flatten it, as I described in this post back in January, you can marinate it more readily and the cooking time is dramatically reduced.  This time round we made two. Nyls and I prepared the marinade, I flattened and marinated the birds, and my father, Nick, manned the barbeque!

Prepare the the marinade several days in advance to allow the herbs and garlic to infuse the oil. Combine:
Zest of 3 lemons
2/3 cup of lemon juice (approximately 3 lemons)
3/8 tsp of pepper
1/2 head of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of dried herbs (Herbs de Provence, rosemary, or the classic parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme)
in a Mason jar. This is enough for one chicken.

On the night before or the morning of:
Flatten a 7 pound chicken
Rub with:
Coarse, kosher, or sea salt.
Place the bird in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over the bird. Marinate for up to 24 hours, turning occasionally. If you start the marinade the night before you should cover and put it in the refrigerator.  If it is the day of you can do it at room temperature.

When you are ready to cook the chicken pre-heat the grill to 400 degrees.  Have one side of the grill on and leave off on the other.  Place the bird on the unheated side and close the lid.  The cooking time is approximately 10 minutes per pound.  Baste the bird with the marinade every fifteen minutes or so.  Do not flip the bird or you will break up the delicious, crispy skin!  Remove, cut into pieces, and serve!

The Perfect Pastry

One of the culinary highlights of yesterday's memorial dinner was Lee's quiche.  The foundation was the fabulous pastry.  Here is Lee's recipe!


Knead together:
1 1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of butter
Until it forms crumbs.  Add:
2 1/2 tbsps of cider vinegar
3 tbsps of water
And knead lightly.  Roll out and form in the pan. If the filling will create a lot of liquid, like peaches or apples you need to bake the crust to prevent it from getting soggy.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prick holes into the crust and line with:
Tinfoil
Fill to the brim with:
Dry rice or beans
and bake for 20 minutes.  The filler keeps the crust from expanding.  Remove the foil and filler and voila!

Quiche is easy, and so Lee made two, one for dinner yesterday, and one for breakfast this morning. Our friend Abby also prepares and freezes prepared crusts so you can whip up a pie whenever you need one.

His Wit is as Thick as Tewkesbury Mustard!

Suzy and I have had the pleasure of visiting Tewkesbury.  While there we enjoyed its local specialty made famous in Shakespeare's Henry IV; a thick mustard.  It has a hefty proportion of horseradish to give it an extra kick.  We brought home a recipe which we've adapted over the past decade into the form below. The batch I threw together on New Years Day was so well received that we've had several requests for the recipe. Here it is!


Grind:
1/2 cup of yellow mustard seeds
1/2 cup of brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of mixed peppercorns
coarsely in a seed grinder or mortar and pestle. Leave some whole seeds intact. Remove to a bowl and add:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark beer
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup freshly grated horseradish
Adjust the beer/vinegar until you have the desired consistency.

If you would like a spicier mustard let the grated horseradish sit for a few minutes before adding it to the vinegar and mustard. It is also worth remembering these immortal words Juvenal attributed to Henry V, "War without fire has no value, no more than sausages without mustard." Enjoy!

Orzi e Pisi al Limone

If you mention orzo in Canada most people will think you has the pasta in mind.  However, the pasta shape is named after the grain its named for, namely barley.  Another surprise is that barley (or orzo) substitutes readily for rice.  When prepared in the manner of risotto the creamy texture is familiar, while the nutty flavour and "al dente" texture of the barley makes for a delicious variation on a familiar theme.  Enjoy with a glass of sparkling wine!

Over medium heat in a small saucepan bring
4 cups chicken stock (unsalted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
to a simmer.  In a frying pan or dutch oven over medium-low heat melt

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Add the whites and pale green parts of :
3 medium leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
and sautee until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add:

1 cup pearl barley
and stir until coated with the oil and butter. Add:
1/2 cup of white wine
and stir until absorbed.  Add:
1/2 cup of warm stock
and stir until absorbed, approximately 4 minutes.  Adjust heat if too fast or slow. Repeat until you have a half cup of stock left and add:
1/2 cup of stock
1 cup of frozen or fresh peas
Stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed and then add:
2 tablespoons of whipping cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 to 1 cup of parmesan cheese
Blend in and serve immediately sprinkled with:
Chopped mint leaves
Parmesan cheese.

Quantities can vary, so watch the stock to ensure it does not evaporate too quickly from the side pot.  Add a little water if it is reducing too quickly.  Also, towards the end of the stock start tasting between rounds, and stop when the barley reaches the desired texture.

Arroz con Pollo Anyone?

Along with Julia Child's Beouf Bourginon this is one of the greatest dishes we've ever made. While we follow Julia's Beouf recipe religiously, we've introduced a few variations to this classic Spanish dish to both make it a bit more authentic and flavourful.  Remarkably, the subtle aroma of the basmati rice not only survives but combines with the saffron and paprika into a delightful whole.

Separate:
1 whole chicken (approximately 6 lbs)
into serving sized parts.  Season with:
Salt
Pepper
Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Brown the chicken on all sides in batches, then remove to a bowl.  Pour off all but:
4 tablespoons of fat 
from the pan.  Reduce the heat to medium and add:

2 large onions, chopped
6 ounces of sliced Serrano ham (or prosciutto) cut into small squares
Sautee until tender but not brown (approximately 5 minutes) and add
3 cups basmati rice
Stir until the grains are coated with fat.  Add:
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of Spanish paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons of ground pepper

Cook for one more minute.  Add:
5 cups of chicken stock or broth
3/4 teaspoon of oregano
3/8 teaspoon of saffron threads
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the bottom of the dutch oven to remove any brown bits.  Return the chicken and any juices to the pot.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Check to see if the rice is ready.  If it is not, give it 5 more minutes. When the rice just about right, stir in:
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup of roasted red peppers cut into strips
1/2 cup of triple rinsed whole green olives stuffed with pimentos
Cook five minutes more and remove from the heat.  Do not be concerned if all of the liquid has not been absorbed.  Let stand covered for 15 minutes and the remainder of the liquid will be absorbed. Share and enjoy!

For the stock we recommend using extra giblets and necks as it's much more strongly flavoured than what you can buy off the shelf.  This balances the potent effects of the saffron and paprika.  

How to Flatten a Chicken in Three Easy Steps

I have seldom seen a flattened chicken served. This is a shame, as while a little messy, it is a quick and easy process.  It also eases marinating a whole bird, dramatically reduces the cooking time, and makes a great impression when served at a dinner party.  While tonight's big cook will be Arroz con Pollo, which requires that I dissect our six pound bird from Fresh from the Farm into parts, it seemed like a good opportunity to document the process.  All that is required is a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a good pair of kitchen shears.  The high carbon steel knife and shears are two of the most used implements in our kitchen, and both are courtesy of Lee Valley Tools. We usually buy our birds frozen, and then thaw them.  If the bird is still partially frozen it makes managing and cutting it easier.

The first step is to remove the bird's backbone  Flip it over on its breast bone and score the skin with the knife.  Then, take the shears and cut along the lines an pop out the backbone.

Spread the body until you hear a crack as the breastbone loosens. You will now see the the bottom of the breastbone under a membrane.  Score the membrane with the knife on both sides, then use the knife to separate the white meat from the breastbone.  The only trick is to avoid cutting through the skin. You can do this by making smooth angled cuts.  The fat will help keep the knife from going through as well.

Towards the neck hole there are some bigger bones.  Take the shears and cut through them, pop out the breast bone.  Flip over the bird and you're done!

You can avoid wasting the bits if you make stock at the same time.  The fresh chicken and giblets make for the best flavour.  Just make sure to strip off the skin first so the stock isn't too fatty!

Enjoy!

Goulash: Western Take on an Eastern Specialty

Traditional goulash is more of a soup than a stew.  We had an excellent example of it this summer made by our friend Maria over an open fire. Rather than try to copy that recipe, we decided to make something a little more in line with the Western versions that have evolved over the years. Here is the recipe we developed.  Frying the paprika dredged meat imparts it with the colour of beef roasted over an open fire.  Braising it slowly in the oven breaks down the connective tissue in the meat from the shank and allows you to savour it's phenomenal taste without the toughness. Overall the recipe has a rich and hearty balance of flavours that combines the sweetness of the tomatoes and smoked paprika with the mild spiciness of the czabi and the sourness of the lemon juice.  

Makes 16-18 servings

In a large bowl combine:

6 tablespoons of flour

6 tablespoons of smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Dredge:

4 lbs of cubed beef shank (meat only)

in the mixture.  Melt:

3 tablespoons of bacon grease

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Brown the meat in the hot fat, adding extra if necessary.  Put aside the beef in a strainer.  Remove all but:

2 tbsps of fat

From the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and fry:

3 large onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Until they begin to brown at the edges.  Add:

1/2 cup of tomato paste

and fry for another 5 minutes.  Transfer the meat, tomato paste, and onions to a large dutch oven  and add:

1 litre of San Marzano tomato sauce

1 litre of diced tomatoes

2 cups of beef stock

2 medium spicy Hungarian czabi sausagues, chopped

6 bay leaves

1 tsp caraway seeds

And bring to a simmer over high heat.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  When the mixture is simmering transfer it to the oven and cook covered for 3 hours, checking occasionally to stir and make sure it is still simmering. A half an hour before the end add:

2 large red peppers, chopped

Remove from the oven and skim any fat from the top. Add:

Juice of 1 lemon

and add:

Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. 

Serve with a:

Dollop of sour cream.

The lemon juice is a critical element of the balance of the recipe, so don't omit it because it seems odd.  Similarly, the czabi imparts a mild spiciness that infuses the dish without overpowering it.  Finally while frying in a mixture of pork and beef fat may not make this health food, it creates a flavour that is truly divine.  Egészségére!

The Clock is Ticking

The silver lining of our long winter was that there was still asparagus available when I returned from Victoria, unlike last year.  Since there is only one more week left for this year for this most ancient of vegetables.  Suzy and I have been taking advantage of the time, and have revisited the household favourites: Pickled asparagus, roasted asparagus, and asparagus soup.  All of the asparagus are courtesy of Jim Hayward of Haystrom Farms, and here's a panoramic of Suzy  preparing the first batch of brine...

Speaking of the brine, the old recipe is a bit arcane due to some unit of measure mismatches, here it is in plain cups:

8 cups of white vinegar
8 cups of filtered water
1 cup of salt

Plus a few more of the work in progress(with our amazing new immersion blender in action) and the finished products:

The Key to Unlocking a Pomegranate (Redux)

A while ago I posted instructions for opening a pomegranate into a flower to serve in decorate arrangements like the one below.

Since then there have been a number of requests for more visual instructions.  With the help of our friend Abby I now have this little video that combines written instructions and and video clips of the details.

Enjoy!

The Perfect Pomegranate

The pomegranate is one of the many wonders of nature. Hidden beneath it's leathery exterior are a multitude of delights, packaged away like no other fruit. The tough skin makes extracting the pomegranate's. hidden treasures. Once upon a time we would spend what seemed like hours trying to extract all of the seeds. Surely there must be a better way?
Well, there certainly are. A quick search of the Internet will reveal the spoon trick. You can score the skin around the equator, halve the pomegranate, then paddle it with a wooden spoon over a bowl. Even with some of the gadgets to help, this always seemed a bit of a brute force and ignorance approach to me. It also leaves you with a bowl full of seeds mixed with pith which you have to pick over to separate. The delicate seeds are also often bruised, allowing the tartly delicious juice to leak out.
Surely there must be a better way?
There is. The structure of the fruit holds a secret key to not only extract the seeds, but also expose the inner beauty hidden away beneath the skin. If you inspect the the fruit closely you will find that there are a six just perceptible ridges running from the stem end to the blossom end of the fruit. These ridges are are reveal where the segments of the thick pith are separated by the seeds.

The flower is opened, and adorned with clementines

If you take a sharp knife, and trim off the blossom end, then score from the cut to just near the stem you will have turned the key in the lock. Now gently prise apart the the segments like opening up and orange, and you find yourself holding a flower of pomegranate seeds covered by the white membrane. This just peels off, leaving you with something like this to delight both the eye and the stomach.
This approach also allows you to snap off the segments and quickly seed them into a bowl without having to resort to abusing the poor fruit and its fragile contents.
So, the next time you see a pomegranate in the store, and it is firm and feels dense in the hand I encourage you to give it a try. You won't be disappointed!

Posted with Blogsy

Some Call it Tzajiki

1 Quart
25 Calories per Tablespoon

We have a cookbook in our collection called, "The Best Book of Greek Cookery," by Chrissa Paradissis.  It's annotated on the flyleaf, "Bought on the ship Stella Maris, June 26 - 73 in Greece," in my grandmother's precise handwriting.  Jean Cioran was a world traveller, cook, baker, and and talented crafter of stained glass, fabric, and metal, all packed into a five foot tall, ninety-eight pound package.  Recipes from the book prepared by her hands served as my introduction to Greek food as a child. 

Thirty-eight years down the road we find ourselves living in Greektown on the Danforth, home of hot and cold running Greek restaurants, supermarkets, and specialty stores, which makes cooking out of this little gem as easy as can be.  My daughter loves tzatziki as much or more than she does guacamole, and so yesterday Aija and  I prepared a batch from my grandmother's modified recipe for, "Cucumber Dip, or Tzajiki."

To make this recipe my grandmother had to make and press her own yogurt, I can go to the corner and buy it from a Greek lady not so dissimilar from her, all things considered. 

In a large bowl combine:
2 medium english cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped
1 pint of pressed yogurt
2 tbsps of olive oil
2 tsps of lemon juice
1 tsp of coarse salt
2 tsp of chopped dill
1 tsp of chopped chives
2 cloves of fresh garlic, mashed

Chill overnight to allow the garlic to mellow and serve with pita, roasted meat, fish, or vegetables, or crudites.

Jean would always ask if you wanted more when you were done a helping.  If you said no she would look hurt and say, "what, you didn't like it?"

Not Just Any Other Guacamole Recipe

8 cups
100 calories per tablespoon

Guacamole is one of the worlds most popular dips, and the internet abounds with recipes for it.  So why, you may well ask, would I go to the trouble of posting another recipe for it?  First, with the obvious exception of the avocados, many of the fresh ingredients can be had from the market on Saturdays in the late summer.  Second, and perhaps most important, our guacamole is widely complimented by guacamole afficianados of our acquaintance.  All in all enough to make the effort, and hopefully you will agree.

Halve, remove the pits, and spoon into a bowl:
6 medium Haas avocados
Add:
Scant 1/2 cup of coarsly chopped cilantro
1 tbsp of mashed garlic
1/2 a jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (add more if you would like it spicier)
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 dashes of hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 tsps of salt
Mash with a potato masher until the avocado is coarsely broken down but still chunky.  Halve and remove the seeds and pulp from:

2 medium tomatoes 
and finely chop.  Stir in the tomatoes and:
1/2 cup of thinly sliced green onions

Serve with tortilla chips.  If you have access to Mexican tortilla chips they are a good option as they have far less salt than their Canadian counterparts.

Tip: Chop and prep all the ingredients in advance and this is a great recipe to prepare with your three year old.

The Perfect Pot of Tea

Teapot by David Clarke of Glen Cross Pottery -
the best pouring teapot we've ever had...

Scarcely a day goes by without a pot of tea at the Hotel Cavell, and often two on weekends and holidays.  It's one of those rituals that helps bind the family together, warms you up on a blustery day, and gives the opportunities to explore the nearly infinite varieties of tea.

That said, we're talking about black teas, and occasional oolong here.  Tisanes or infusions lacking vital caffeine need not apply. Even then there are so many varieties and sources that I doubt we'll make our way through them in this lifetime, or possibly the next.  Our favourite sources are Tealish and the Mariage Freres.

We also strongly believes that you can't simply pour hot water over a couple of bags in a pot and call it tea.  It requires careful preparation and a bit of ritual.

In a large kettle bring:
Filtered water
to a full boil.  When boiling pour some into a good teapot, your mugs, and the infuser to warm them.  Swish the water around the pot an pour out.  Put:
1 level teaspoon of loose leaf black tea per cup
in the infuser, put in the pot and fill with boiling water, cover.  Turn the pot around three times clockwise for luck, and then steep for 3 minutes. Briefly stir the pot with the infuser to make sure the flavour is fully expressed.  Drain, and remove, and empty the warm cups of water and fill with tea.  Sweeten or flavour with:
Milk to taste
Sugar or honey to taste.

Suzy and Aija like milk and sugar, while I prefer a bit of honey.

Lemonade

12 cups
50 calories/cup

Lemonade seems deceptively simple to make, but as they say, the devil is in the details.  Lemons can vary wildly in acidity and flavour based on season, location, and the method of cultivation.  Organic lemons are generally the best, and you can use the zest for other things as well.  The very best lemons aren't available until the fall, so "quick" summer lemonade requires you to be flexible in the quantities of lemon juice in the recipe.  Making a sugar syrup with the zest of the lemon also enhances the taste.

We like our lemonade tart, so there isn't a lot of sugar in the recipe.  Add more if you have a sweeter tooth.

Add:
1/2 cup of sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups of water
to a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar doesn't burn until all of the sugar has dissolved into

Roll:
4 lemons
under the heel of your hand (this will ensure you get all of the juice from them) and cut them in half.  Juice them and pour the juice through a small sieve to remove the pulp and seeds into a 12 cup pitcher.  Half fill the pitcher with water, and then pour in the hot sugar syrup (this will prevent the glass from cracking) and then top up with water. 


Taste the lemonade to make sure it is sufficiently tart and flavourful, and adjust by adding the juice of another
1-2 lemons.
If neccessary.  Chill and serve over ice.

Tip: Assuming you've sprung for organic lemons, rather than waste the peels zest them and dry the zest for use in baking, or candy the peels as a treat!

Cream of Roasted Asparagus Soup

About 4 quarts
150 calories per cup

This rich and creamy soup is a spring treat that you can serve hot or cold to suit the occasion.  Broiling the asparagus beforehand makes for a more interesting flavour as well.  If you are using whole asparagus you can reserve the roasted tips and add them at the end for a more rustic soup. 

The soup is rich enough that a large serving should be avoided for all but the most insatiable of appetites... A cup and a half will usually do. 

Like all soups, it is best made in large batches, and can be frozen for storage if you leave the cream out and only add it when you have thawed the base and are preparing to serve.

Cut or break into 1" pieces:
3 pounds fresh asparagus with woody ends removed
Put half of the asparagus in a roasting pan and toss with:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Put under the broiler for 3 minutes, toss again, and broil for 2 more minutes, and then repeat for the second half of the asparagus.  If you are using whole spears of asparagus you can reserve the tips to make a chunkier soup.  Melt in a saucepot over medium heat:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Add and sautee until tender (but not browned):
1 cup of chopped sweet onion
1 cup of chopped spring onions
Add the roasted asparagus and sautee five more minutes.  Stir in:
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
Turn the heat to high and slowly stir in:

8 cups of asparagus stock
When the stock comes to a boil reduce the heat to medium low and simmer partially covered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add:
1 1/2 tbsp of fresh tarragon leaves
2 1/2 tsp of coarse salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Simmer for five more minutes or until the asparagus is tender.  Remove from the heat and puree the soup with a hand blender.  When ready to serve add:
2 cups of half-and-half cream
Reserved asparagus tips (optional)
and bring back up to temperature to serve. Garnish with:
Parsely sprigs

Tip:  This is an ideal recipe to make from leftover trimmings on a day when you are making pickled asparagus.

Asparagus Stock

Makes 6 quarts

Stock is so easy to make if you have an active kitchen that buying it is like paying top dollar for other people's throwaways.  Add in the confidence of knowing what's going into your food and being less wasteful the advantages of making it yourself become apparent. 

Asparagus stock in particular is a rich, subtly flavoured foundation for vegetable soups and dishes that cannot be had any other way than making it at home.  Generic off-the shelf vegetable stocks can't really compare to it's spring freshness.  Don't overcook, or the flavour can become unpleasant, just like overcooked asparagus.  Note that we also don't salt our stock while we're making it, only when we use it.  This allows finer control of the flavour of our recipes.  Finally, thanks to Julia Child we know the secret to great stock is to never let it come to a boil, only a simmer...

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat:
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
Add and cook, stirring until softened:
The woody ends of 12 pounds of asparagus
2 large chopped onions, with their skins
8 chopped or broken celery stalks
4 chopped or broken carrots 
A handful of lettuce
12 parsley sprigs
36 peppercorns
Add:
Cold Water to cover

Bring to a simmer over high heat, and then reduce the heat to maintain the simmer for an hour mostly covered, and then taste the stock.  It should have a noticeable flavour, but don't expect a richness yet.  If it tastes watery, cook another ten minutes and try again, repeating as neccessary.  That said, never cook it for longer than an hour and a half.  Strain into a large bowl and mash the vegetables to get every last bit of liquid out.  The stock can be used immediately, frozen, or canned in a steam pressure canner.

Tip: If you have any loose vegetable trimmings while the stock is simmering throw them in, as there's no point in wasting them!

Pickled Asparagus with Tarragon

9-10 pint jars
25 calories a jar

Pickled asparagus is a delicious treat combining the spring freshness of asparagus and sourness of the brine.  Properly prepared you can also preserve a bit of crunch that will make your own stand out from the over-processed ones available on store shelves.  Make sure you only get the freshest asparagus; firm long stems with tightly closed buds are they key signs.  Thick or thin make no difference, although we prefer thick.  Using fresh garlic scapes available at the same time as the asparagus also makes for a milder but still enjoyable garlic flavour than last years cloves from the cold cellar.  Finally, tarragon is the perfect complement to asparagus, and is essential to the recipe.

This recipe is best made in large batches as the jars are quicker to prepare than the setup, and you'll find they fly off the shelves whenever entertaining or a hostess gift is required.

Wash and bend to snap:
12 pounds fresh asparagus
Save the woody ends for stock, and then snap to approximately 4" in length.  Save the remainer for soup or make a jar of pickled offcuts for salads. Place them in large bowl or clean stainless steel sink and cover with cold filtered water and cover generously with:
Ice
Allow the asparagus to plump for at leastt one hour in the ice bath, or refrigerate overnight if time is tight and you want to split the process. Prepare a vinegar brine consisting of:
1 cups of white vinegar
2 cups of filtered water
1/4 cup of salt
per pound of asparagus in a large pot and bring to a boil. 

Place in a jar hot from the oven (see Pickling Tips):
1 large sprig of tarragon
3-4 pieces of garlic scapes
Spicy pepper of your choice (optional)
Tightly pack the jar with tip down asparagus spears taken directly from the ice bath, and fill the jar with the brine, and then seal.  Put on a wire rack and leave overnight to cool, and check seals in the morning.  Store in a cool dark place.