Spring Asparagus With Matzo Meal Dressing Food

SPRING ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes; cover and keep warm. , Place vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and paprika in a blender; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Toss with asparagus mixture. Top with almonds and, if desired, cheese.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH ASPARAGUS AND SHIITAKES, SERVED WITH ROASTED FENNEL MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Prepare the matzo balls: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut off the fennel stalks and reserve for another use (excellent for fish broths and stews). If there are some attractive feathery fronds, set aside about 2 tablespoons of them to garnish the soup. Quarter the bulbs and trim away the stems, the bottom hard core, and any tough parts. Choose a shallow baking pan just large enough to fit the fennel in one layer and put in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the fennel and toss until well coated. Roast the fennel until pale gold, about 20 minutes, then turn the fennel over and roast for 10 minutes longer. Stir in the broth, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme. Cover the pan with foil and cook for 35 to 45 minutes longer, or until the fennel is very soft. Remove the foil, stir, and roast for a few more minutes to evaporate most of the liquid. Transfer the fennel and garlic to a food processor and chop coarsely. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of thyme, salt (it will need about 1 teaspoon), pepper to taste, and the fennel seeds, if using. With the machine on, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil through the feed tube.
• Scrape the mixture into a large bowl. You need 1 cup of puree, so nosh on any extra. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the matzo meal and stir well. If you can form a lump into a very soft walnut-size ball (the batter will become firmer when you chill it), don't add any more matzo meal. If necessary, add just enough matzo meal to enable you to do so. Refrigerate for at least 2 or up to 4 hours so the matzo meal can drink in the liquid and seasoning.
• When ready to cook, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a rapid boil in a large, wide, lidded pot. Dipping your hands into cold water if needed, roll the batter into walnut-size balls. When all the balls are rolled and the water is boiling furiously, turn the heat down to a gentle boil. Carefully slide in the balls one at a time and cover the pot tightly.
• Turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, without removing the cover. (They will cook by direct heat as well as by steam, which makes them puff and swell, and lifting the lid will allow some of that steam to escape.) Take out a dumpling and cut it in half. It should be light, fluffy and completely cooked through. If it isn't, continue cooking a few more minutes. Remove the balls gently with a skimmer or large slotted spoon-they are too fragile to pour into a colander.
• When the matzo balls are almost ready, start the soup: Bring the broth to a simmer in a large pot. Add the matzo balls, the mushrooms, and asparagus and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the matzo balls to shallow soup bowls and ladle the hot soup and the vegetables over them. Garnish with the reserved chopped fennel fronds.

SPRING ASPARAGUS, HAM AND POTATO SALAD - HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

Steps:

• Make up the dressing by putting all the dressing ingredients into a jar and shaking it well. The dressing can be made up well in advance.
• Choose two attractive plates or bowls and start to assemble the salad.
• Place the potatoes on the plate/bowl first and then arrange the strips of ham & asparagus spears over the top - gently mix through to "just" mingle the ingredients together.
• Next, scatter the minced/finely diced red onion over and then the sliced cornichons - if you are using them.
• Pour over the honey & mustard dressing - giving the salad a liberal dousing!
• Season and scatter the chopped chives and/or the chopped chervil over the top.
• Serve with crusty bread & a glass of crisp, chilled white Chablis or Chardonnay!
• Optional ideas:.
• You could also add peas, broad beans, olives or crispy bacon!

CHEESE MATZO BLINTZES WITH ASPARAGUS AND DILL

Steps:

• To make crepes: Blend milk, matzo meal, eggs, oil and salt in a blender until smooth.
• Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Stir batter before using.
• Lightly brush a 10 inch skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/3 c.
• batter, tilting and rotating pan to coat bottom.
• Return skillet to heat and cook crepe until top is set and edge and bottom are golden, about one minute.
• Remove skillet from heat and loosen edge of crepe with a spatula.
• Release crepe onto a plate.
• Repeat until all the batter is gone.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make filling: cook asparagus in a wide 4 to 5 quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender (about 5 minutes).
• Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a butting board to cool.
• Cut off and reserve tips, then finely chop stalks.
• Stir together cottage cheese, chopped stalks, dill, egg, pepper and salt.
• Assemble blintzes: Put 1 crepe, paler side up, and spread a scant 1/3 c.
• of filling in a horizontal line just below center of crepe, leaving a 3/4 inch border at each end.
• Fold in sides of crepe over ends of filling, then beginning at bottom, roll up to enclose filling.
• Transfer, seam side down, to a lightly buttered 15 by 10 inch shallow baking pan.
• Fill and transfer remaining crepes in same manner.
• Bake blintzes, covered with foil, until filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Make topping just before blintzes are ready to serve: heat butter in a 10-12 inch skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.
• Add scallions and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in asparagus tips, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring until aspargus is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in dill.
• Spoon topping over blintzes.

SPRING ASPARAGUS WITH MATZO-MEAL DRESSING

Steps:

• Divide the asparagus into 10 bundles and tie each bundle with kitchen string.
• Tie the chives loosely together.
• In a large deep skillet of boiling salted water cook the asparagus bundles for 3 to 7 minutes, or until the spears are tender but not limp
• Transfer the asparagus bundles with tongs to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking, transfer them with the tongs to paper towels and pat them dry
• Blanche the chives in the boiling water until they just turn bright green and plunge them immediately into the icewater
• Drain the chives, pat them dry, and discard the string.
• Tie each bundle of the asparagus with the chive and discard the string.
• Arrange the asparagus bundles decoratively on a microwave safe or heat proof platter.
• In a saucepan cook the garlic over moderately low heat, stirring until it is softened. Stir in the parsley the matzo meal and enough of the broth to make a thick sauce..
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper and spoon it decoratively over the asparagus bundles.
• The asparagus may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Reheat in a microwave or oven until it is just heated through.
• Just before serving sprinkled the asparagus with the lemon juice