One of my favourite places to hang out, is in the garden, digging in the soil, melding with the earth. I call it therapy. It is quiet (some background noise of birds, flies and plants growing ), you are in the now, one on one with the plant, planting it and with my mental telepathy going—so they will grow and grow so you can feed me! For all of humanity, my wish is that everyone grows something that they can eat. Growing food is a win, win. You get exercise (bending and stretching), quiet time (gives your brain a break from all electronics), productive time (you get to see the fruit of your work) and the best is your health, you are eating fresh, full of vitamins, real food. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Where to plant is easy. I have asparagus throughout my flower bed, tomatoes in front of my peonies, lettuce in front of the tomatoes and then Calendula flowers in front of the lettuce. We had to replace our deck this spring and the only wish I had was no railings, but build planter boxes in front of the deck that came 2 feet above the deck with a width of 3 feet. I filled them with herbs, kale, more lettuce and flowers. How exciting. Planting food to cook with!
Fresh Asparagus with Strawberry Vinaigrette
The vinaigrette can be stored in the fridge for four to five days. Make extra and there’ll be enough left over to toss with a salad which has fresh lettuce from your garden. Instead of steaming the asparagus, I usually roast it in the oven for 15 minutes.
1 cup strawberries sliced
1/4 sunflower seed oil or olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs asparagus
In food processor or blender, combine strawberries, oil, mint leaves, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper; process until smooth. Pour into lidded container; refrigerate until needed.
Trim woody ends from asparagus by snapping each stalk where it breaks naturally. Pour water into large skillet to depth of 2 inch; bring to boil over high heat. Add asparagus; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes until asparagus is just tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK. With tongs remove asparagus from skillet; Place on paper-towel-lined plate to blot excess moisture. Arrange on serving platter; drizzle with strawberry vinaigrette.
Asparagus with Mushrooms and Blueberries
You can use any type of mushroom that you like, from chanterelles, portobello, to shitakes. My favourite are shitakes and I am lucky to have a neighbour that I buy from.
1 lb asparagus, tough ends broken off
3 Tbsp sunflower seed oil
12 cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cup fresh blueberries
1 lemon, washed
Sea salt to taste
1. Cook the asparagus until tender crisp and drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, sauté until lightly brown, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the blueberries and the asparagus, and cook, stirring gently, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the asparagus mixture to a serving platter. Using a stainless steel rasp (my favourite is the one from Lee Valley) or other zester, finely grate as much zest from the lemon as you like over the vegetables(it will make them zing). Season with salt.Â
