From the farmer’s market to the kitchen

Along the crowded aisles of the farmers market near Portland State are a multitude of culinary possibilities. Fuchsia rhubarb is stunning next to the emerald greens of spinach and arugula, as well as the midnight greens of kale. Amongst these spring veggies and fruit is a surprisingly versatile veggie: asparagus.

Stir-fried, grilled and roasted, these green stalks are a simple and subtle side dish to almost everything.

The following recipe has been created from a number of accomplished influences: a recent farmer’s market visit and a quick inhale of Tastebud’s asparagus pesto cream cheese on a bagel, Pesto Outside The Box’s asparagus hazelnut spread, Mark Bittman’s recipe for asparagus pesto, as well as Heidi Swanson of www.101cookbooks.com. Use the following recipes at your dinner table, or a simple dip for veggies.

Pesto Al Asparagi

Ingredients
1 lb (roughly) of asparagus
¼ cup olive oil
the juice from one lemon
half the zest of one lemon
¼ cup of pine nuts, or any other nut you prefer
3 large handfuls of spinach
¼ cup of Parmesan, plus more for topping
1 clove of garlic
fresh ground pepper
Special equipment:
A blender or food processor

Method
Cut asparagus spears into two or three pieces, making sure to discard all rough ends. Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Add asparagus and cook for five to 10 minutes until tender and bright green.

Meanwhile, dice garlic. Also, take whatever nuts you have chosen and add to a small skillet. Put the heat on low and let the nuts toast, shaking every few minutes until a light brown color.

When asparagus is ready, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Add asparagus, garlic, lemon zest and nuts to your blender or food processor, blending for several minutes until almost a paste. Add spinach and blend more, around five minutes. Next, add lemon juice and pepper and blend for another few minutes.

Lastly, add Parmesan and taste to see if any of the flavors need to be tweaked. Salt shouldn’t be necessary because of the Parmesan, but if it is lacking, feel free to add some.

When the pesto is at the consistency you desire, serve over pasta. If serving long pasta, use a kind with flat surfaces that will adhere to the sauce, such as pappardelle or fettuccine. If using a short pasta, choose orecchiette or rigatoni.

Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and enjoy.

Serves four (or use the rest for the following recipe).

Asparagus Goat Cheese Pizza

Use the above prepared sauce in place of marinara for a refreshing, light sauce that will add more veggies to your pizza.

Ingredients
1 package of premade pizza dough (campus bar Paccini sells some in its front case for a
reasonable $5)
½ cup of asparagus pesto (or store-bought pesto)
½ cup of goat cheese crumbles
¼ cup of sundried tomatoes, drained if in oil
flour
olive oil
chopped basil or mint

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out pizza dough in flour into a large circle or rectangle.
Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
Spread pesto onto dough, going a little at a time to insure there isn’t too much sauce.
Sprinkle goat cheese crumbles on top of sauce.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, and in the last few minutes of cooking time, add the sundried tomatoes.
When finished cooking, sprinkle with basil or mint.