QUINOA ORZO WITH ASPARAGUS + PRESERVED LEMON DRESSING

Purchasing my first bundle of asparagus each year marks a tectonic shift in our kitchen. I feel ready to let go of heartier soups and starchy roots as I start to dream of the vibrant greens that only early spring can bring. Peas, wild nettles, bright salads, freshness...

Today I wanted to share a super easy dish that lets asparagus bask in its natural glory. Speaking of natural glory... have you tried storing your asparagus in water? It's a great way to keep the spears firm and fresh. I like the notion of treating asparagus like any other spring bloom... maybe I'm just a produce nerd, but I'd be quite happy to get a bouquet of asparagus in lieu of flowers.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa orzo* (any orzo will do here, or you could substitute a few cups of cooked wild rice for this recipe)
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced
• 1 large or 2 small preserved lemons (if you don't have access to preserved lemons - I think using additional fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest would make a nice substitution). For details on making your own preserved lemons, here's a recipe for you.
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan + shaved Parm for serving
• freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
• for serving: arugula or chopped parsley; another squirt of fresh lemon juice; shaved Parm or crumbled goat cheese

*A local company named Edison Grainery has been doing all sort of interesting things with grains, specifically organic quinoa. We're addicted to their quinoa crispies and I really like their quinoa orzo.

Fill and large stock pot with tap water and salt very generously. Set pot over high heat and bring water to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl, set up an ice bath for the asparagus.

When the water comes to a rolling boil, blanch asparagus slices until vibrant green and just tender, depending on the thickness of your stalks, this could take 1-3 minutes. Don't pour out the cooking water, simply scoop out tender asparagus with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the veg into an ice bath. Keep your salty cooking water on the stove and use it for your orzo.

Cook orzo until it reaches your desired texture. (For those of you using the Edison quinoa orzo, I've found that the cooking time is much longer than that suggested on the package.)

While the orzo is cooking, go ahead and make your dressing. A note on preserved lemons: when using preserved lemons, you want to discard the flesh and use only the peel. Rinse the pieces of preserved lemon peel and place them in a blender or food processor. Add olive oil, lemon juice, grated Parm, plenty of ground black pepper and salt to taste. Blitz all ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add a little more lemon juice and/or salt as desired.

When the orzo has finished cooking, drain and transfer it to a serving dish. Pull asparagus from the ice bath, pat dry and add to the orzo. Generously dress the dish, adding additional salt or lemon juice to your liking.

Serve warm or room temp with ample freshly ground black pepper, shaved Parm or creamy goat cheese, scattered arugula leaves or chopped herbs. Although not necessary, I like to give the dish one last squeeze of fresh lemon juice just to bring out the springy brightness.

Enjoy!

serves 4-6

BTW, did you guys read the new piece by Mark Bittman about cooking and eating in Berkeley? I'm happy to see Mark so enjoying California produce and our beloved Monterey Market, but I have to say... I'm scared that the already-insane parking lot situation is about to get much much worse!

FRESH GINGER TEA

I thought about sharing a decadent holiday recipe with you today. After all, this is the time of year for indulgences like Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups with Flaky Sea Salt, Bourbon Braised Short Ribs with Brown Sugar and Coffee, Parmesan Polenta with Garlicky Rapini and Black Olives, and Quick and Easy Peppermint Bark. In the midst of the abundance of decadent fare, I wanted to share something soothing, a simple tool to care for yourself and your loved ones this time of year. (Don't get me wrong, I'm a supporter of holiday indulgence. In fact, if these festive holiday recipes are what you're craving, my cookbook has all of these recipes and more.)

If you feel a little chilled, have a scratchy throat, or harbor a funky belly needing a break from holiday gluttony, nothing soothes like Fresh Ginger Tea with a heaping spoon of honey and a good squeeze of lemon. I'm guessing we could all use a simple treat for ourselves this time of year, an easy quiet moment to catch our breath in the midst of holiday shopping, parties, and crowds.

Happiest of holidays to you all!
xoxo
E

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounce nub of fresh ginger
• 4 cups water
• honey
• 1-2 lemons

Peel your ginger then give the peeled ginger a quick whack with a mallet or the flat side of a heavy chef's knife to crush the root a bit, which will allow the flavors to release more easily in the hot water.

Place the crushed ginger in a medium saute pan with 4 cups cool tap water. Bring the water to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to achieve a gentle simmer. Set your timer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes of simmering you should have a flavorful ginger tea that's strong enough to have a nice spicy kick at the back of throat. (If you like your tea even stronger, feel free to let it steep longer.)

Pour the hot tea through a strainer into individual tea cups. Add a heaping scoop of honey ( maybe even a tablespoon or so) to each cup along with the juice of half a lemon. Stir to blend all ingredients and taste for seasoning. Add a little more honey or lemon to your liking and if the tea is a bit strong for you, you can always add a splash of hot water.

Whatever tea you don't drink right away can be stored in a jar in the fridge. I suggest storing strained ginger tea without the honey and lemon added. When you reheat the tea, add the honey and lemon just before serving.

Serves 2-3

QUICK HOMEMADE RICOTTA + A LEMONY GARDEN PASTA

I hear the old lock click as the gate to our backyard squeaks open. Footsteps cross the gravel. The garage door springs open wide as Otis tucks his bike away for the afternoon. Backpack strapped on, my thirteen year old marches through the back door chittering and chattering about his life. I especially love it when the first words from his mouth spill out stories about what they cooked in Kitchen that day.

Otis's after-school tales seem to begin mid sentence, as if he is simply continuing our conversation left dangling that morning. It usually takes me a minute of two before I get the gist of what he's telling me, "...food science...heat and acid...so easy..." When I finally realize that Otis and his classmates had made ricotta that day and that he wanted to make it with me, "Of course, I'd love to!" I answer and we make ricotta right then and there.

Otis and I first made ricotta together a month or so ago and he was right - it is ridiculously easy to make and totally empowering for any do-it-yourselfer. Have you made your own ricotta? I'm guessing a lot of you have, but for those of you who haven't...you must give it a go!

QUICK RICOTTA inspired by the Edible Schoolyard
printable recipe

• 2 cups whole milk
• generous pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Pour milk into a non-reactive saucepan. Add a pinch of sea salt. Bring milk to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scalding. When the milk comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, and stir very gently until curdles begin to separate (this should take less than a minute). Let the milk mixture sit in the pan for 5 minutes.

Finally, pour your milky mixture (curds and whey) through a cheesecloth stretched over the top of a bowl. Discard the excess liquid. (Save the liquid (whey) to use in your next batch of porridge, smoothie, biscuits, pancakes, etc... or if you're like my friend Margi, you can take a bath in the stuff;))

You can serve the ricotta immediately or let it continue to strain for up to an hour depending on how dry you like your ricotta.

That's it. Ricotta done!

There are all sort of wonderful resources for making ricotta.  If you want to read more, check here, here and here...

...........................................

LEMONY GARDEN PASTA WITH FRESH RICOTTA
printable recipe

We were in Bolinas staying at my mom's over the long weekend and Otis and I made another batch of ricotta yesterday morning. I decided to make an early lunch putting our fresh cheese to good use. Mom had broccoli sprouting in her garden, lemons finally ripening on her tree, and we had ricotta.... a bright, lemony veggie pasta seemed the thing.

• 6 loosely packed cups broccoli florets (I think asparagus could be wonderful in this pasta in the spring time)
• 1/3 cup good olive oil + a drizzle for serving
• sea salt
• 1 package dry pasta of your choice {GF folks: I used Bionaturae spaghetti}
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• handful toasted pine nuts
• ground black pepper
• red pepper flakes 
• fresh ricotta (see recipe above)
• optional: broccoli blossoms

Heat pasta water in a large stockpot. Add plenty of salt until it tastes like sea water.

Blanch your broccoli florets in the hot pasta water. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vibrant, tender veg and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Toss broccoli with 1/3 cup olive oil and salt generously to taste. Set aside.

Return the water to a boil and cook the pasta until tender. While pasta is cooking, zest and juice lemons and set aside.

Add pasta to the broccoli florets, toss and immediately add pine nuts, lemon zest and juice to the mix. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If you think it needs it, add a little more lemon juice. Give the whole thing a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, if you like a little spice. Finally scatter fresh ricotta onto the pasta and give the whole dish another drizzling of olive oil. Add a few broccoli blossoms if you've got them.

Serve pasta warm or at room temp.

Feeds 4.

LIMONCELLO ON CAPRI

On a hot summer day, who doesn't crave a cocktail that is cold, fresh, and lemony? Well, it is damned hot here in Capri, and this island is covered with hearty citrus dripping with huge lemons so Limoncello it is!

Capri dons its fair share of sunburned tourists, mega yachts, bejeweled sandals, and bad dance music blasting into the night. Beneath the glitz, there is a heartwarming undercurrent of luscious gardens producing not decorative flowers to please the tourists, but loads of happy fruits and veggies. If you step away from the piazzetta and wander the narrow walking paths, you find nestled amongst the hotels and luxury villas humble, country-style gardens bursting with food - kiwis, squash, grapes, tomatoes, green beans, arugula, figs, rosemary, kumquats, olives. Glamour isn't the only priority on Capri, clearly the folks here care about the homegrown food as well. I dig that.

I wanted to share a little taste of the island with you guys and many claim that Limoncello finds its origins on Capri. The chilled sweet citrusy liquor is a nice end to dinner on a summer's evening. It takes a bit of patience to make your own (curing takes 2-4 weeks), but I think it's worth the wait.

Note: Use organic lemons, if you can. The drink gets its flavor not from the juice of the lemon, but from its peel, and that's where most of the pesticides reside in non-organic lemons.

INGREDIENTS adapted from "Lemon Zest" by Lori Longbotham featured in the NY Times
(printable recipe)

• 6 lemons (Sorrento Lemons are used in Italy. Meyers are a nice American substitute.)
• 1 750 ml bottle vodka
• 1 1/2 cup sugar

Wash all lemons. Use a vegetable peeler to peel each lemon (try to avoid getting much pith, the white underbelly of the peel). Place the peels in a jar large enough to hold both the peels and the entire bottle of vodka. Cover peels with the vodka. Cover the jar and place in a cool spot for 2 weeks allowing the vodka to become infused with the lemon flavor. (Use the now-peeled lemons to make a nice lemonade to enjoy right now, because your Limoncello will take a while to cure.)

After two weeks of curing, make a simple syrup by combining 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan on the stove top. Heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Set aside simple syrup until cool. In the meantime, strain lemon peels from the vodka and discard the peels. When the simple syrup has cooled, add it to the lemony vodka. Cover again and let cure for at least another 5 days and up to two weeks before drinking. If you can remember, agitate the bottle once a day.

Keep your liquor in the freezer so that it's nice and cold whenever you are ready to serve it up.

Do you make your own Limoncello? P recently made Limoncello at home in Berkeley. It was delicious, but a little too sweet and without enough of a kick for me. We have yet to make this NY Times recipe, but it looks pretty darned good. When we get home, we'll experiment with some new batches. Maybe add some herbs. If you have any delicious tips to share with the rest of us, we'd love to hear...

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE POPSICLES

Summer is approaching at warp speed and I'm not complaining. Otis and Lilah have begun a pre-summer ritual of running around the backyard with our neighbors Aidan and Emmett every evening. I feel like I'm channeling my own mom and generations of parents as I call the kids in after the sun has nearly set. When they tromp upstairs for bed, they are breathing hard and falling-down tired just as kids should at the end of a full day.

After dinner recently, all fours kids kept coming into the kitchen mumbling things like "I'm still hungry." I suggested making popsicles together. "Yes" they all chimed in. So I put the kiddos to work squeezing lemons, washing berries, tasting everything as they went, and making a good sticky mess of the kitchen.

I love to see the satisfaction kids take in their own kitchen creations. Who need store-bought pops when making your own is this simple, healthy and fun!

INGREDIENTS
(printable recipe)

• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (Meyer's if you can get them)
• 1 1/2 cup strawberries, stems removed
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup light agave syrup

Place all ingredients (including the water) in a blender and mix well. If you aren't patient enough to make popsicles, you could go ahead and drink the strawberry lemonade you just made. Otherwise, fill a popsicle mold with the liquid and freeze until solid.

Enjoy on a long summer evening!

A Summer note: We are packing our bags to hit the road for a month this summer. Get ready for travel photos and recipes soon! xxoo

ZUCCHINI RIBBON PASTA

Okay,  this isn't really "pasta." Can you forgive me?

A couple of years ago the idea of making pasta out of shaved zucchini was buzzing around the food world (like the food section of the New York Times.) This was about the time doctors told me to get gluten out of our kitchen. So, any pasta that didn't involve wheat called my name. Since then, grated zucchini - usually sauteed, and topped with pesto - has gone into steady rotation at our house.

For you, I wanted to refine this simple idea a bit, give it a little flare, and here we are...

This recipe is delicious on its own, or works as side dish for grilled fish or chicken. If you want to turn the zucchini ribbons into a more substantial vegetarian meal, serve on a bed quinoa with a little additional lemon juice/olive oil vinaigrette.

CANDIED LEMON BITS

Whenever we get to a new town on our journey, I seek out the food shops first. Where can I get some organic veggies, farm eggs, free range meats, and local fish?

The groovy, health-food stores seem to always be the best place to start. We joke that the hippie markets are my “happy place.” I never know what I’ll find at these little independent shops, but usually I can get some good bulk grains, nuts, organic milk, eggs and butter. And when I am lucky, they will have a limited selection of organic produce.

When I do find vibrant organic produce, I like to use every precious scrap. Candying citrus peel is easy, tasty, and makes a nice gift for friends. Plus you end up with an incredible bi-product... lemony simple syrup!

Lilah turned 7 this month and she wanted to make these candied lemon bits to top her birthday cupcakes.