It’s spring so I am bringing back one of my addictions as an addition to this White Asparagus Salad.
Pickled Rubarb Rubies! It’s the sour that makes them so addicting. You know, the kind of sour that makes your saliva glands ache a little and actually squirt just thinking about biting into something? It’s like, no you don’t want to eat that, but you can’t stop yourself… so you decide to eat just one…and there you are 3 seconds later… not wanting to take yet another bite. But you know you will! A little shiver goes down your spine and you can’t decide if it is from pleasure or pain!
Well, that’s the kind of sour I have for you today. The sour kind of sour that can only be described as hurts so goooood!
And look at these things, I have seen engagement rings with less sparkle and appeal!
So break through your barriers, put aside your fears, and let’s take a journey on the sour side.
White Asparagus Salad
I am mostly teasing here. Because these little sour jewels won’t hurt you. They are just one ingredient in a luscious salad full of opposing flavors and textures. Which is just the sort of salad I love. Sure there are plenty of sour little flavor bombs sprinkled about this salad. Just enough to really worry you (am I blushing??). But there is also tender, crisp, rich and nutty white asparagus. And as if that were not enough to hold your interest… there is soft, green bibb lettuce and creamy bits of goat cheese.
I am dressing this salad with just the barest hint of walnut oil. There is no vinaigrette I can think of that could ever hold its head up around these flavors. No, this salad needs the full-fat flavor of the nutty walnut oil all by itself. Black pepper brings the final zing that makes this salad sing!
Pickled Rhubarb serves 4 CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 5 rhubarb stalks, sliced thinly (about 1/3 inch)
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c apple cider vinegar
- 1 t salt
Bring the sugar, vinegar, and salt to a boil. As soon as all of the sugar is dissolved, pour over the sliced rhubarb. Let stand for at least 3 hours. Then put them in the refrigerator until well chilled. These will keep covered a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. They are a bit addicting so make plenty.
White Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese & Pickled Rhubarb serves 4 CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 1 lb very thick white asparagus
- 1 c chicken stock, approximately
- 3 T unsalted butter
- 1 bay leaf
- walnut oil
- 4 c butter or Bibb lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces
- 5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- some of the pickled rhubarb (as much as you can handle)
- black pepper
Place the asparagus into a heavy saucepan. Choose a pan large enough to hold all the spears in a single layer. Otherwise work in batches.
Add enough stock to come about halfway up sides of the spears. Add 2 tablespoons butter, and the bay leaf, and cook uncovered over medium heat about 8 minutes. Roll the spears around until spears are very tender and glazed.
Remove the spears from the braising liquid and set aside on a plate. One of the joys of white asparagus is that it does not quickly discolor from cooking so there is no need to plunge into ice water as with green asparagus. But you can if you want to. If you have an audience in the kitchen (and well, who doesn’t??) then please plunge away as dramatically as you can!
Once the asparagus has cooled completely cover it and place it in the refrigerator until well chilled.
When you are ready to plate this, toss a mild-tasting lettuce such as butter or Bibb with just enough walnut oil to make them glisten. Use the oil sparingly. It does not need to be mixed with vinegar or lemon juice. This salad has plenty of zip on it’s own! Mound the dressed lettuce in the center of each salad plate.
Stack a pile of 5 or 6 spears of white asparagus around or on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle a generous amount of crumbled goat cheese on top followed by plenty of the pickled rhubarb.
Drizzle with some more of the walnut oil, just a few drops here and there for sparkle. Then add a good grind of black pepper over everything. Pucker up and enjoy!
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
White Asparagus Salad
That is the cutest little fish encroute I’ve ever seen, it must have felt a shame to cut it open.
… he was born to swim in our tummies.
I have something in mind to say, and I make the mistake of reading Chris comment and get all giggly! The menu sounds great, and I know you would so pull off the best event in town! One day…
Any chance of those small cast iron pots on your open sky yet? I made a French fusion dish tonight that would have been so beautiful in them!
… was so stream-of-consciousness, with a hint of panic! 8‑D
Because I’m late to this party, I can only second everyone else’s superlatives about your latest and brilliant-as-always 24, 24, 24. Looking forward to that salmon en croute post!
that cracked me up — not “big pimpin” rather “medium pimpin” — hardly — first off your ‘town and country’ dining room says it all! great job.
I feel so uninvited…
… very soon. GREG
You’re so funny! Looks like we all had a good idea of making our friends work for their food this time around. 🙂 Your party was clearly a success! Can you make those cookies again? For the fundraiser maybe. 🙂
All you have to do is ask… GREG
good post
thank you
The song “How Lucky Can You Get” comes to mind when I think of this great party. I hope your dinner guests sang this song on the way home after being invited to such a fun and surprising event. I’m standing by, perhaps not patiently either, for the post on the Salmon en Croute. It is a show stopper in looks and it’s fabulous on your fish plates (from the wall?). Can’t wait.
P.S. I hope you had some of that yummy meat loaf left for a sandwich the next day. We love ML sandwiches.
Sam
We had sandwiches twice with the LO meatloaf. One hot and open faced with gravy. The other cold on bread with ketchup. GREG
You put on an amazing dinner party! Those 24, 24, 24 dinners can be hard, but so worth it!
I am only just now responding because I am just now recovering. GREG
What a fun idea for a dinner! The Peruvian soup sounds delicious. And, now I’m thinking I’d like an ice cream sandwich with one traditional and one chili chocolate cookie on each side of it!
we made ice cream sandwiches with the extra chili chocolate cookies last night. I knew I liked you! GREG
Those chili chocolate cookies are giving me the biggest sweet tooth right now- they sound amazing! I also love your creative take on the salmon en croute. Great post!
Your friends are pretty funny. Mutiny? haha
Love your idea for the 24 event and the croute!
Lori Lynn
It was good natured Mutiny, but mutiny none the less! GREG
Love the flavor parings its like Haute Cuisine versus Nouveau Cuisine — great idea and wonderful flavor parings. I bet it was a lot of fun. However, i see you made no mention of the wines you drank, were they old world vs new world?
I am doing a whole other post on the Salmon Croute and am planning on discussing the wine pairing there. There will also be a few pics of the guests in that post eating the Croute because I put one of the guests in charge of the people pics (while I was in the pantry working on the food pics) and he left with the camera that night and I won’t get the files until he get home from work tonight! That’s the thing about these 24, 24, 24 posts… you gotta go with the flow! GREG
Okay, the entire meal blew me away — but those cookies! I’m not really a dessert person, but I am a sucker for cookies, and those sound crazy and fantastic at the same time. I was planning on making boring peanut butter cookies tonight, but I’m thinking I should toughen up and add some chili!
I would be happy to write a few comments about your fabulous meal. I would probably vote for all the unexpected versions as I’m not a traditional type person! Love the spicy chocolate cookies.
I’d love in invite you. The last time I checked your blog http://www.livingglobal.org/ it seemed like you were out of the country. GREG
I love the idea of this. I can’t imagine what it must be like — the Chaos of having all that prepping. I love the meatloaf as well… is there a recipe/method?
I would love for you to do something like this at our homestead, I am sure it would rock.
The purple links will take you to a printable recipe of each version. GREG
When you asked “when did Americans become so afraid of food.
And, you made meatloaf a dinner party item, which is very brave and it works. Of course, I’m dying for the salmon croute. It looks like loads of fun. I wish I wasn’t working so I could have the energy to plan these soirees. But, I could fly out for your next one!haha
Fly out… In fact wasn’t there a chance you were going to be in LA (or at least your husband) this months? GREG
How fun! This is my kind of party! Both the traditional and the new dishes look spectacular!
It was a lot of work (as these 24 events) always are. But I actually had a lot of fun this time. I used to do videos of the 24 events but it became just too much to edit an entire video and get it on the blog by FoodBuzz’s deadline GREG
Nothing less than spectacular from Mr. Sup.(GREG) Everything looks amazing! I’ve made chili chocolate cupcakes before, but never cookies, I’m definitely going to give those a try.
…were a smash hit. The chili really supports the chocolate with out being the leading taste component. GREG
I love this idea and may have to borrow it in the near future! I can’t believe the rest of your guests didn’t want to participate!!!! I would of been in the pantry learning some absorbing photo tips!
The salmon en croute and the chocolate chile cookies are on my to do list this week.
By the way I love how you placed your place mats on the table, totally stealing that also!
That’s why I’m here. GREG
Is absolutely amazing. Great job on this 24 post, again you impressed, amazed, and dazzled. I like how you made the dinner guests get involved in the process.….I need to try that! I’m off to start writing 24 menus… 🙂
Great job Greg,
Eric
24 X 100 I am sure. GREG
I can always count on a chuckle or two when I visit your blog! No exception here. Fun dinner idea despite the grumbling. Can you blame them though? Write a post off-the-cuff…or drink wine and socialize with the rest of the guests? Mmmm.
…at least it was good-natured grumbling. GREG
awesome 24 post now when can you send me some of those cookies??
before I eat them all. Oh wait, too late. GREG
I love the fishy shape of the salmon loaf. Good choice on the meatloaf though. I think that one of the under appreciated dishes. Great job on your 24 post. I’ve been wanting to try fondue for such a long time. Maybe I’ll just have to throw simple dinner party to get me to try it.
go for it! GREG
Well I am honoured that I inspired part of your meal and (Tony’s opinions notwithstanding), I will have to make the cheddar fondue because I do really like cheddar and I think dipping potatoes in fondue is a great idea. In fact I’m sure I’ve already done that somewhere!
…I just follow where you lead. GREG
What a great dinner party!! You really know how to have fun!
I know how to have fun. Some people know how to make a lot of money, but I know how to have fun. Good trade off, dontcha think? GREG
Top Chef-like, even! I wish I could have been a guest!
medium chef? GREG
Greg what a feat! So many delicious dishes. The whole concept is fantastic especially getting your guests to do some of the writing! Look forward to the salmon post.
But I wish I could have gotten 8 essays out of them instead of 3. GREG
What a fun dinner party — and a great way to remember the evening!
Even though I did not get all 8 people to write something. GREG
When your guests told you that they were revolting, you should have replied, “Why yes you are, but what do your looks have to do with this?” (ba da da! Thank you, I’ll be here all week, tip your wait staff)
Seriously Sup, this sounds like a blast. You are so much fun as a host.