The Asparagus are Coming, The Asparagus are Coming: Asparagus with Green Garlic Aioli

I'm a freak. There I admitted it

I just got an email from Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks, a Peapod for locavores, telling me that asparagus will be available in the next delivery. It literally elicited a shriek from me.

I was at a lunch a few weeks back where I was served a beautiful Artic Char topped with steamed pencil asparagus. I pushed those aside and dug into the fish. A friend sitting next to me commented on the irony of me, the head spear, not eating the asparagus. She asked why? I told her because it's not local.

There are only a few foods about which I take such a hard line. Just like tomatoes and strawberries, asparagus is a truly great food, but it just doesn't taste as good when it isn't from around here. No, these foods are worth waiting for.

Like a crocus peeking its head out from under the dead leaf cover, my Fresh Picks email proclaimed spring’s triumphant return.

There's no need to gussy up the first asparagus of the season. Here's my super simple asparagus recipe that I'll be making time and time again until the asparagus make their departure in early June.

Sautéed Asparagus
For 6 servings

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and rinsed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt

Heat the butter in the pan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the asparagus and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

If you do feel the need to gild the lily, try this aioli. It's also great on lamb.

Green Garlic Aioli
Makes approximately 2 cups


1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup canola oil
1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped green garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Food Processor Method: Combine the whole egg, egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard in the bowl of a food processor. Through the feed tube, pour the olive and canola oils in a very slow stream while the machine is on. The aioli is done when it’s thick and emulsified. When fully emulsified, the mixture will make a distinctive slapping sound against the sides of the bowl. Add both garlics. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

By Hand: Combine the egg yolks and mustard in a medium size bowl. Wrap a kitchen towel around the base of the bowl to anchor it. Pour the oils into the egg mixture in a slow stream until the two are emulsified. Add the garlics and lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Fixing a broken mayonnaise: It is almost certain that if you make mayonnaise or aioli more than once, it will break. There’s no need to start over. Simply whisk 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard in a mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the broken mayonnaise (make sure that you stir it up first to ensure that you get oil and egg in the sample), whisk together until the mixture thickens. Slowly add the remaining broken mayonnaise, whisking constantly until emulsified.

Doctoring store bought mayonnaise: If you’re concerned about using raw eggs or pressed for time, you can easily doctor a commercially produced mayonnaise. Take 2 cups of store bought mayonnaise (I suggest Hellmann’s) and add the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, both garlics called for in this recipe. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

To Warm the Bones

On any ordinary year in Chicago, I wouldn't be writing about, much less making, a bowl of hot soup in early September. But this year, with our autumnal pre-Labor Day weather, nothing sounded better than a hot steaming bowl of soup last night. With it, I got the opportunity to use up the remainder of the produce I purchased from our farmers' market at Purple Asparagus' benefit, Corks & Crayons, which was graciously sponsored by my friends Harvest Moon Farms. With the help of my son, Thor, who chopped ALL of the tomatoes with his new wavy cutter, we made Bean, Tomato and Kale Soup, which was enjoyed by all in this house (at least once we fished out the kale from Thor's soup).

If you've got some unseasonably cool weather, here's my recipe.

Early Autumn Soup
Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic gloves, minced
2 cups dried beans cooked until almost tender, I used locally-grown Tongue of Fire beans available from Fresh Picks.com
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1 rosemary sprig
2 heels of hard cheese, optional (I always freeze the heels of hard cheeses to thicken soups just like this)
1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed with heavy stems removed
2 tablespoons basil pesto

Cut the kale into 1/2 inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until softened, approximately 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant about a minute. Drop in the beans and cover with the tomatoes, chicken stock and wine. Pour in about a cup of water so that the beans are covered by about an inch. Drop in the rosemary sprig and heels of cheese. Bring the liquid to a boil and dump in the kale. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are fully tender. Ladle into bowls and swirl a half tablespoon of basil pesto into each.

Thor's wavy cutter is great.
This utensil is a safe way for kids to cut most anything. It cuts through tomato skin, onions, peachs, etc. and it really makes the little ones feel like they're involved in the cooking process.

Posted as part of Fight Back Friday!