Farmers Market Asparagus Vichyssoise Recipes

ASPARAGUS VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, celery and onion. Reduce heat and cover. DO NOT ALLOW THE VEGETABLES TO COLOR. Sweat the vegetables until they are translucent. Add the potatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to simmer lightly until the potatoes are very soft. Add the asparagus and cook only until the asparagus is tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Using a blender, puree until smooth. Chill.
• Before serving remove from the refrigerator and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with reserved cooked asparagus tips.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
• Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
• Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

ASPARAGUS VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Put butter or oil in a large, deep saucepan and turn heat to medium. When butter melts or oil is hot, add vegetables. If you like, set aside 12 or 16 of the nicest pieces of asparagus; parboil in salted water for about 2 minutes and use as a garnish for the soup. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add stock and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. You may prepare soup in advance up to this point. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• Purée soup in batches until very smooth. Chill. (Though vichyssoise is served cool, this soup could also be served warm.) Stir in cream, if using, taste and adjust seasoning, garnish if you like, and serve.

ASPARAGUS VICHYSSOISE WITH MINT

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and potato; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add asparagus. Simmer uncovered until asparagus is just tender, 5 to 6 minutes (depending on thickness of stalks). Remove pan from heat. Transfer 8 asparagus tips to small bowl for garnish.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide soup among 4 shallow bowls. Freeze 15 to 20 minutes to chill quickly.
• Meanwhile, whisk cream, mint, and large pinch of salt in small bowl until cream is slightly thickened.
• Drizzle mint cream over soup, then garnish with asparagus tips.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, celery leaves and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until soft, approximately 8 minutes. If the leeks start to brown during this process, reduce the heat.
• Drain the potato pieces and add to the pot along with the simmering chicken broth. Clamp on the cooker's lid, (according to the manufacturer's instructions) and bring to full pressure over high heat.
• Once pressure is attained (there will be a loud whistle) back the heat down to medium-low, just maintaining a hissing of steam for 8 minutes.
• Kill the heat and release the steam pressure by opening the dump valve or setting the cooker under cold, running water. When the lid can be removed, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender carafe. (If the mixture fills your carafe more than two-thirds full, work in two batches!)
• Top the carafe with the main lid but remove the center lid so that air can escape as it heats and expands. Cover the lid tightly with a tea towel and blend on low for 1 minute before slowly increasing the speed to smoothly puree the potatoes. (Although you want to increase the speed slowly, try not to puree the potatoes too long as they could become gummy.)
• Transfer the mixture back to the pot and whisk in the cream. Stir in the white pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I always need the rest of the salt). Chill thoroughly then serve garnished with a small spoonful of the roe and dill fronds.
• Tightly covered, the vichyssoise will keep a week in the refrigerator. The soup can also be frozen in ice-cube trays then kept in freezer bags for up to three months.

FARMERS MARKET PASTA

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook linguine according to package directions, adding asparagus and carrots during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking. Drain; return to pot., Place a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add squash, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. , Add cream and broth; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until sauce is thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, ham, 2 tablespoons basil and pepper; heat through., Add to linguine mixture; stir in 1/2 cup cheese. If desired, top with additional basil and cheese.

FARMERS MARKET ASPARAGUS VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• In saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped leeks and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add lemon zest, asparagus and potato; sauté for 1 minute more. Add stock and lemon thyme sprig. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes or until potatoes are done. Remove thyme sprig and discard. In the bottom of a blender add 1 cup of spinach or arugula, 1/4 cup at a time. Add 1/4 cup spinach and 1 ladle of soup into blender and puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Repeat the process until all of the soup is pureed. (Alternatively add spinach or arugula to pot on the stove and puree with immersion blender. Add spinach or arugula 1/4 cup at a time). Pass soup through a strainer. Stir in 1/4 cup creme fraiche or yogurt and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice 4 asparagus spears on the diagonal. Thinly slice 1/2 cup arugula or spinach for garnish. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus tips for 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water to lock in the color. Garnish soup with asparagus tips and arugula or spinach. Serve hot or cold.