Triple white asparagus soup

Asparagus season is here, so it is a question about enjoying as many fresh asparagus as possible (other suggestion is triple asparagus risotto & asparagus soup). I used this recipe on triple asparagus soup as starting point.
The wording triple white asparagus refers to the use of canned white asparagus and fresh white asparagus in two different ways. The majority of the fresh white asparagus was boiled in the soup. And one of the fresh white asparagus was peeled and when peeled with a potato peeler into thin slices. These thin asparagus slices were, wen added into cold water until serving the soup. These thin asparagus slices gives a great crispy texture, while eating the soup.

As usual I have used canned white asparagus and their liquid in order to increase the taste of asparagus.

Tripe white asparagus soup: 3-4 servings

• 500 g white asparagus - to have the end broken off, to be peeled and chopped into 2 cm pieces do not peel the head of the white asparagus.
• 1 of the white peeled asparagus is peeled with a potato peeler into thin slices. These thin asparagus slices were, wen added into cold water until serving the soup.
• 270 canned white asparagus - 140 g liquid & 130 g asparagus
• 30 g butter
• 3 tablespoons wheat flour
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 2½ dl dairy whipping cream, 30-38% fat
• season with salt and pepper. 

1. Prepare the white asparagus.
2. 1 of the white peeled asparagus is peeled with a potato peeler into thin slices. These thin asparagus slices were, wen added into cold water until serving the soup.
3. The rest of the white asparagus is chopped into 1-2 cm length.
4. Melt the butter in a medium cooking pot. 
5. When the butter is melted, stir in the wheat flour. Let the wheat flour dissolved into the melted butter.
6. Start by stirring in the pickled asparagus liquid.
7. Afterwards add in the vegetable stock little by little, so the butter-flour mixture is dissolved into the vegetable stock.
8. Add in the prepared white asparagus. Let the asparagus pieces simmer gentle in the soup for approx. 10-15 minutes.
9. Add the cream to the soup together with the canned white asparagus pieces
10. Bring the soup to the boil. Let the soup boil gentle for 2-3 minutes.
11. Season the soup with salt & pepper.
12. Serve the asparagus with a topping of asparagus slices.

Triple asparagus soup

Asparagus season is here, so it is a question about enjoying as many fresh asparagus as possible (other suggestion is triple asparagus risotto). I used this recipe on asparagus soup as starting point. I done the the twisting about using canned white asparagus and their liquid in order to increase the taste of asparagus.

Asparagus soup: 3-4 servings

• 500 g white asparagus - to have the end broken off, to be peeled and chopped into 2 cm pieces do not peel the head of the white asparagus
• 400 g green asparagus -  to have the end broken off  and chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 270 canned white asparagus - 140 g liquid & 130 g asparagus
• 30 g butter
• 3 tablespoons wheat flour
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 2½-3 dl dairy whipping cream, 30-38% fat
• season with salt and pepper. 

1. Prepare the two types of asparagus individual.
2. Melt the butter in a medium cooking pot. 
3. When the butter is melted, stir in the wheat flour. Let the wheat flour dissolved into the melted butter.
4. Start by stirring in the pickled asparagus liquid.
5. Afterwards add in the vegetable stock little by little, so the butter-flour mixture is dissolved into the vegetable stock.
6. Add in the prepared white asparagus. Let the asparagus pieces simmer gentle in the soup for approx. 10-15 minutes.
7. Add the cream to the soup together with the prepared green asparagus pieces and canned white asparagus pieces
8. Bring the soup to the boil. Let the soup boil gentle for 2-3 minutes.
9. Season the soup with salt & pepper.
10. Serve.

Triple asparagus risotto

Time again to enjoy asparagus during this Spring time. I have used this recipe on asparagus risotto as starting point. On top of the fresh green and white asparagus I also decided to add some pickled white asparagus from glass, as I wanted to use the pickling stock in order to boost the asparagus flavour. This is also the reason, why I call this risotto Triple asparagus risotto.

For this specific risotto I have used a combination of both green and white asparagus. The types of asparagus is added at different time, as the white asparagus needs more cooking time compared to the green asparagus.

As other Spring dishes with asparagus you could also have a look into Spring green risotto and asparagus soup.

Triple asparagus risotto: - 2-3 servings

• 25-30 g butter 
• 1 onion - chopped
• 250 g white asparagus - peeled and chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 200 g green asparagus - chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 75 cl asparagus pickling stock
• 100 g pickled asparagus
• 200 g risotto rice
• 1 dl white wine
• 4,25 dl vegetable stock - warm
• 20-25 g butter - i smaller pieces
• Parmesan cheese - grated
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• dill as topping

1. Chopped all the vegetable in the desired size.
2. Heat up the butter in a bigger cooking pot. Add the chopped onion and white asparagus and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the risotto rice and stir them around for 1 minute to absorb the butter.
4. Pour in the white wine on top of the vegetable and rice and let the wine cook at lower heat, until the majority of the wine has boiled away. 
5. Pour in the asparagus pickling stock, let the rice absorb the liquid.
6. Afterwards add the warm vegetable stock little by little, let the rice absorb most of the liquid, before adding more vegetable stock. This part of the cooking process takes approx. 20 minutes.Keep stirring regular.
7. When there is 1 dl vegetable stock left, add this vegetable stock and chopped green asparagus and pickled asparagus. Doing it like this means, that these vegetable will not do be over-cooked.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Add the smaller butter pieces and let them melt into the risotto.
10. Serve the risotto with grated Parmesan and chopped dill on the serving plates/bowls. 
11. Serve together with the white wine. 

Asparagus risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite dishes, and during Spring time risotto made with asparagus is perfect. For this specific risotto I have used a combination of both green and white asparagus. The types of asparagus is added at different time, as the white asparagus needs more cooking time compared to the green asparagus.

As other Spring dishes with asparagus you could also have a look into Spring green risotto and asparagus soup.

Asparagus risotto: - 2-3 servings

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 onion - chopped
• 300 g white asparagus - peeled and chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 250 g green asparagus - chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 200 g risotto rice
• 1 dl white wine
• 5 dl vegetable stock - warm
• 20-25 g butter - i smaller pieces
• Parmesan cheese - grated
• salt and pepper for seasoning

1. Chopped all the vegetable in the desired size.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a bigger cooking pot. Add the chopped onion and white asparagus and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the risotto rice and stir them around for 1 minute to absorb the oil.
4. Pour in the white wine on top of the vegetable and rice and let the wine cook at lower heat, until the majority of the wine has boiled away. 
5. Afterwards add the warm vegetable stock little by little, let the rice absorb most of the liquid, before adding more vegetable stock. This part of the cooking process takes approx. 20 minutes.Keep stirring regular.
6. When there is 1 dl vegetable stock left, add this vegetable stock and chopped green asparagus. Doing it like this means, that these vegetable will not do be over-cooked.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the smaller butter pieces and let them melt into the risotto.
9. Serve the risotto with grated Parmesan and chopped dill on the serving plates/bowls. 
10. Serve together with the white wine. 

Asparagus soup

We are in the prime season of fresh asparagus, which I enjoy. Yesterday Friday I went on a shopping tour to Germany, as it was a public holiday in Denmark (Store Bededag). And as usual I did also take the time to go to a supermarket, where I found a big selection of German green & white asparagus.

Some of the asparagus I turned into asparagus soup this evening.

Asparagus soup: 3-4 servings

• 600 g white asparagus - to have the end broken off, to be peeled and chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 500 g green asparagus -  to have the end broken off  and chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 30 g butter
• 3 tablespoons wheat flour
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 2½-3 dl dairy whipping cream, 30-38% fat
• season with salt and pepper.
• Salt & pepper for seasnoing. 

1. Prepare the two types of asparagus individual.
2. Melt the butter in a medium cooking pot. 
3. When the butter is melted, stir in the wheat flour. Let the wheat flour dissolved into the melted butter.
4. Add in the vegetable stock little by little, so the butter-flour mixture is dissolved into the vegetable stock.
5. Add in the prepared white asparagus. Let the asparagus pieces simmer gentle in the soup for approx. 10 minutes.
6. Add the cream to the soup together with the prepared green asparagus pieces.
7. Bring the soup to the boil. Let the soup boil gentle for 2-3 minutes.
8. Season the soup with salt & pepper.
9. Serve.

SUMMER GREEN

When you are cleaning asparagus and break of the ends, I have started to save the ends for home-made juice. At the same time it turned out to be a good way of getting ride of various leftovers in my referigator :-)

SUMMER GREEN: - 1 servings

• 10-15 ends of asparagus
• 1 squashs
• 1 kiwi - without the ends
• 2 apples

1. Clean all the ingredients
2. Juice everything together.
3. Serve in a glass.

Spring green risotto

This is a dish, which combines  the first Spring/Summer green vegetable (asparagus, Edam beans and dill) with some very basic ingredients (vegetable stock, risotto rice, butter, white wine, garlic and onion), which I more or less always have available in my kitchen.


Spring green risotto with mushrooms: - 2 servings

• 1 onion - chopped
• 1 clove of garlic - finely chopped
• 250 g green asparagus - chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 100 Edam beans
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 200 g risotto rice
• 1 dl white wine
• 5 dl vegetable stock - warm
• 20-25 g butter - i smaller pieces
• Parmesan cheese - grated
• dill -chopped
• salt and pepper for seasoning

1. Chopped all the vegetable in the desired size.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a bigger cooking pot. Add the onions and garlic and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the risotto rice and stir them around for 1 minute to absorb the oil.
4. Pour in the white wine on top of the vegetable and rice and let the wine cook at lower heat, until the majority of the wine has boiled away. 
5. Afterwards add the warm vegetable stock little by little, let the rice absorb most of the liquid, before adding more vegetable stock. This part of the cooking process takes approx. 20 minutes.Keep stirring regular.
6. When there is 1 dl vegetable stock left add in the Edam beans and asparagus. Doing it like this means, that these vegetable will do be over-cooked.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the smaller butter pieces and let them melt into the risotto.
9. Serve the risotto with grated Parmesan and chopped dill on the serving plates/bowls. 
10. Serve together with the white wine. 

Aspargus festival 2015 at Fru Møllers Restaurant

First starter

For the third time we went to the Asparagus Feast at Fru Møllers Restaurant, which is a fantastic event with focus on using the fresh Danish asparagus being in high season here and now in most of the actual meal.

We started (as usual) with a glass of bobble (sparkling) wine and some snacks, which was melted cheese snack and roasted rye bread with smoked fresh cheese dressing.

The first starter was an asparagus tartlet filled with sasparagus ffricassee, North Sea shrimps, lobster cream and chervil. Fantastic taste. In my opinion the tartlet part should have been more crispy.

Snack

Second starter

The second starter was grilled whites asparagus and hay smoked ham from a local slaughterhouse, asparagus mayonnaise, tomatoes from the little village of Beder and basil essence. The ham was great. However, someone took one of my white asparagus !!!!

Main course

Roast veal and crispy croquet mallet of fried green asparagus in size XL, wild garlic, potatoes from Samsø and mushroom sauce. Uuuuhmmm :-)

Dessert

Rhubarb baked with ginger and cardamom with baked custard, fennel herb and sorbet made from wine rhubarb. Fantastic finish to a great meal in excellent company.

For this meal I paid 548 DKK incl 1/5 of bottle of white wine and tea. I will give this experience 5 stars. I will for sure be back again at the next asparagus festival taking place in 2016.

Pickled white asparagus

Asparagus has season until Midsummer, when the plants have to rest and gather new energy for other asparagus for the coming year. So how do you preserver asparagus, well you could freeze them or make pickled asparagus !!!! So you still have about 2 weeks left for pickling your own asparagus :-)

I have found this recipe on pickled asparagus in the weekly magazine "Alt for Damerne", issue 21/2014, which I decided to try out. I made one change to the original recipe, replacing white wine vinegar with apple vinegar with elderflower, as I had apple vinegar in my little kitchen and no white wine vinegar. And I did not want to go to the supermarket to but white wine vinegar with the purpose of only using it in this specific recipe.

Pickled white asparagus can be used in patty shells, asparagus soup and just enjoyed as they are.

Pickled white asparagus:

• 500 g thin white asparagus
• 750 g water
• 75 g apple vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 5 black pepper corns
• 10 g honey

1. Start by adding boiling water to the storage container.
2. Breaking the asparagus, where it naturally breaks and throw away the ends.
3. Peel the asparagus, I use a potato peeler for this purpose.
4. Heat up the remaining ingredients to the boiling point.
5. Empty the storage container for the hot water.
6. Place the peeled white asparagus in the container.
7. Pour the hot marinade over the asparagus.
8. Close the container and store in the refrigerator.

Spring pie with asparagus and goat cheese

I felt like making a pie for dinner with asparagus and goat cheese, so I simply googled "pie with asparagus and goat cheese" and this google search let me to Twin Food - spring pie with asparagus and goat cheese.

I decided to make the following changes: I went for a ready-to-use pie dough brought in the super markets, I used all the cottage cheese in the smallest packing size available in the super market, so I was left with a small amount of cottage cheese in the refrigerator afterwards, which easily could end up thrown in the bin. And I finally I decided to add some Dijonnaise as well in the pie fillings, as I felt like it.

So this pie besides from serving as my dinner also could my contribution for the monthly blogging event called "Tea Time Treat"  managed Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Jane from The Hedge Combers. The May theme of "Open Top Tarts, Pies and Quiches"  has been selected by Jane from The Hedge Combers.

Spring pie with asparagus and goat cheese a la Twin Food:

• pie dough - I used a ready-to-use dough
• 100 g goat cheese - thinly sliced
• 250 g green asparagus
• 3 eggs
• 250 g cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijonnaise
• salt and pepper for seasoning

1. Cover the pie form with the pie dough.
2. Lay a bottom layer of green asparagus on top of the pie dough.
3. Stir cottage cheese, eggs, Dijonnaise, salt and pepper well together, pour it on top of the asparagus.
4. Place the goat cheese slices on top.
5. Bake the pie at 200'C for 30 minutes  in the middle-upper part of the (conventional) oven.
6. Served together with fresh salad and cold glass of white wine.

Tart with asparagus and smoked ham

I have been making some future twist to this recipe on tart with asparagus and smoked salmon using another classic combination of asparagus and ham, as I really have a "salmon issue" being over feed with salmon in connection with business travels, so salmon stay from me !!!!

And I definitely prefer this option with asparagus and smoked ham, so therefore I am looking forward to hear your comments to this recipe.

I also decided to increasing the baking temperature from 180'C to 200'C, as I am person demanding faster speed for baking tarts.

Tart with asparagus and smoked ham:  - 1 big pie

•          1 roll of ready-to-use pie dough
•          400-500 g asparagus – chopped into smaller pieces
•          100-125 g Emmentaler cheese - grated
•          300 g dairy cream with 9-18% fat
•          2 eggs
•         200 g smoked salmon – chopped into smaller pieces

1. Heat the (conventional) oven to 200'C
2. Place the pie dough in the pie form, cover the top of the dough with baking paper and place ceramic baking beans on top.
3. Start by baking the dough with baking beans at 200'C for 12-15 minutes.
4. Take the pie form out of the oven, remove the baking beans and bake the dough for another 4-5 minutes.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 180'C.
6. While you bake the dough, you should prepare the rest of the tart filling.
7. Pour boiling water over the asparagus pieces.
8. Mix grated cheese into the cream until the mix is homogeneous.
9. Afterwards add into eggs and season with salt and pepper.
10. Fill the asparagus and smoked ham pieces into the pie form with the baked dough.
11. Fill the cream-mass into the form as well.
12. Bake the tart at 200'C for 35-45 minutes, until the tart is golden brow.

Tart with asparagus and smoked salmon

In Country Living May 2013 issue I located this recipe on tart with asparagus and smoked salmon, which looked very tasteful on the picture in the magazine. My only concern was the use of salmon, as I have been feed too much salmon during various air travelling. Well, I decided to test the recipe out.

The only change, which I did to this recipe was to make one big pie instead of several smaller pies. Therefore I have also increased the baking time in the oven.

Tart with asparagus and smoked salmon a la Country Living:  - 1 big pie

•          1 roll of ready-to-use pie dough
•          400-500 g asparagus – chopped into smaller pieces
•          60 g Brie cheese, rind removed
•          300 g dairy cream with 9-18% fat
•          2 eggs
•         1 tablespoon dill – chopped
•         175-200 g smoked salmon – chopped

1. Heat the (conventional) oven to 200'C
2. Place the pie dough in the pie form, cover the top of the dough with baking paper and place ceramic baking beans on top.
3. Start by baking the dough with baking beans at 200'C for 12-15 minutes.
4. Take the pie form out of the oven, remove the baking beans and bake the dough for another 4-5 minutes.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 180'C.
6. While you bake the dough, you should prepare the rest of the tart filling.
7. Pour boiling water over the asparagus pieces.
8. Cut the cheese into smaller pieces and mix them into the cream until they are homogeneous.
9. Afterwards add into egg and dill. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Fill the asparagus and smoked salmon pieces into the pie form with the baked dough.
11. Fill the cream-mass into the form as well.
12. Bake the tart at 180'C for 50-60 minutes, until the tart is golden brow.

Asparagus feast at "Madhimlens Madhus" version 2013

Welcome to the asparagus feest at "Madhimlens Madhus"

Yesterday evening I went to the annual asparagus feast at "Madhimlens Madhus" together with my very good friends from Horsens as well as my cousin. The feast started out in courtyard with a glass of champagne and cutting board full of fried salmon skin, pig skin, cheese biscuits, asparagus in tempura dough and a kind of humus with burned pepper on the top. I likes most of these thing, but not the salmon skin, which really was tasting of fish, big surprise being the skin of a fish.

The cutting board full of snack

Well seated in the dining room we were served various types of bread together with whipped butter (whipped together with yogurt for extra freshness), smoked cheese and fresh cheese dip.

Bread and dips

Appetizer with asparagus

As a small appetizer we started off with thinly cut green asparagus and fish served in a parsley infused cream sauce.

First starter

As the first starter we were served marinated green asparagus in very thin slices, cured ham, egg yolk (heated at 150'C for 1½ hour) and wood sorrel. What a beautiful dish :-)

Second starter

As the second starter we got fried white asparagus, Norway lobster, green strawberries, deaf nettle topped with a whipped thin sauce. Another beautiful looking dish.

Main course

The main course was chicken from Hopballe Mølle, grilled green asparagus, spring onion, marinated red onions, wild watercress and asparagus sauce.

Even the dessert (called Bababer) was a mix of white asparagus (marinated in rhubarb cordial flavoured with vanilla, cardamon and star anise), rhubarb compote, baked dessert sauce topped with meringue drizzled with liquorice. Wonderful taste and texture experience :-)


For this meal I was paying 575  DKK incl a small wine menu (four small glasses of wine). I will give this experience 5 stars.

Dessert

A little closing remark: eating asparagus brings it´s own odor to your liquid out-put, so imaging the odor in restrooms in a restaurant, where the entire guests have been eating asparagus !!!

White German asparasgus with dried Spanish ham

An excellent and easy way to have a meal during spring time: white German asparagus & dried Spanish ham.

Asparagus is one of my favourite vegetable, regardless of them being green or white. Last week-end I went to Flensborg with my good girl friend from Horsens on our yearly asparagus trip to by the white asparagus, which are not so normal to find in the Danish supermarkets.

You can serve this dish either as a starter or as main course. I enjoyed this plate as my evening meal.

I am really looking forward to this evening, where I together with my good friends from Horsens will participate in an asparagus event at Madhimlens Madhus filling myself with asparagus, uuuhhmmm :-) And I will take pictures of the various dishes for you to have a look very soon.

White asparagus with dried ham:

• white asparagus
• dried ham

1. Start by snapping off the lower end of the asparagus followed by peeling them from top to toe. I use a potato peeler for this.
2. Heat water in a cooking pot to the boilling point.
3. Add the asparagus and boil them for approx. 5 minutes.
4. Remove the asparagus from the boilling water.
5. Wrap dried ham around the asparagus - using one slice of ham for one stem of asparagus.
6. Serve right away together with a glass white wine.

Blinis with smoked halibut and asparagus

I have been doing a lot of business travels recently, and therefore not a lot of cooking or baking at home in my kitchen. So in period of time I am posting many posts about eating out at various location in France and USA. However, this weekend I decided to celebrate spring time with some blinis served together with smoked halibut (as I am feed up with salmon in general) and asparagus.

Blinis with smoked halibut and asparagus: - 4 servings

• 200 g milk
• 10 g yeast
• 150 g wheat flour
• 1 egg - divide into egg yolk and egg white
• ½ teaspoon salt
• fine slices of smoked halibut
• 1 red onion - finely chopped
• sour cream
• trout roe
• asparagus

1. Warm the milk to finger warm temperature.
2. Add the yeast into the milk and stir well.
3. Add the flour and salt, stir well
4. Add the egg yolk and stir well.
5. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes.
6. Whip the egg white firm and gently stir the egg white into the dough
7. Brown some butter on a frying pan. Add a small amount of blinis dough on to the pan.
8. Fry the blinis for 1-2 minutes of each side.
9. Serve the warm blinis together with smoked halibut, red onion, sour cream, trout roe and asparagus