Roasted Asparagus With Pesto Crème Fraiche Recipe The Mom 100

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CREAMY LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the bottom 2-inches from the asparagus, and if desired, peel the lower 2 inches of the stalks. Place the asparagus in a baking pan. Don't worry if the stalks overlap a bit. Drizzle the tablespoon of olive oil over them and toss gently to coat the asparagus evenly. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, toss again, and spread out in the pan.
• Roast the asparagus for 10 to 14 minutes, until just tender and slightly browned. Remember that they will continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the oven, so take them out while they're still a little firmer than you would like.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, crème fraiche, and Sriracha until smooth. Slowly pour in the ⅓ cup olive oil, whisking all the while until the dressing is thick, then season with salt and pepper.
• Let the asparagus cool slightly, and while still warm drizzle over some of the lemon sauce. Serve right away with the rest of the sauce passed on the side if desired.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Trim off the bottom inch of the asparagus stalks, or any amount that seems woody, and discard. Place about half of the asparagus in a line and trim off the top 1-inch of the tips. Set those aside. Cut the rest of the asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and lightly golden. Add the thyme, potatoes, and broth. Turn the heat to high, bring the soup to a simmer, add the asparagus, then lower the heat and partially cover the pot (place the lid on the pot so that there is about a 1-inch gap for steam to escape, but so the soup is mostly covered so the liquid doesn't evaporate too quickly). Simmer the soup until the vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the reserved asparagus tips into a small saucepan with ½ cup water. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat, simmer for 1 minute, then drain the asparagus tips in a strainer or colander, and run them under very cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender in the pot, or in batches in a food processor or blender. If the soup doesn't seem silky smooth enough, you can pass it through a mesh strainer, pressing the soup through discarding any solids that are strained out. Return the soup to the pot, if necessary, add the cream, and heat over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.
• When the soup is hot throughout (don't let it come to a boil!), serve in bowls garnished with Parmesan and the blanched asparagus tips. Top with a bit of additional freshly ground pepper, if desired.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PESTO CRèME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Place the asparagus in a baking pan. Don't worry about finding a pan large enough to hold the asparagus in one layer - the stalks can overlap a bit. Drizzle the olive oil over them and toss gently to coat the asparagus evenly. Sprinkle on the salt, and toss again.
• Roast the asparagus for 8 to 10 minutes for thin stalks, 10 to 14 for thick ones. If they overlap, just give them a little shuffle with a spatula halfway through the cooking time so they all have a chance to brown a bit. Remember that they will continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the oven, so take them out while they're still a little firmer than you would like.
• While the asparagus are roasting, blend together the crème fraiche with the pesto, taste and see if it needs additional salt and pepper. (Remembering that you seasoned the asparagus.)
• When the asparagus are cooked you can either drip over the thick creamy sauce, or you can transfer it to a small plastic bag, snip off a little corner of the bag and squeeze out the sauce over the asparagus. Serve just like that, sprinkled with lemon zest, or toss the asparagus so that it is coated with the sauce, and then sprinkle the lemon zest over.

SALMON WITH GREENS & CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan with a lid. Cook the leek for 5-10 mins until soft but not coloured, then pour in the stock. Simmer for a few mins until reduced slightly then add the crème fraîche and season. Cook for 1 min more.
• Tip in the peas and beans, nestle in the salmon fillets, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 12-15 mins, depending on the thickness of the salmon, until cooked through. Sprinkle on the chives and serve with mashed potato, if you like.

TAGLIATELLE WITH MUSSELS & CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Fry the onion in the oil for 10 mins until softened and starting to colour. Pour in the wine, turn up the heat and let it bubble away until it reduces.
• Boil the pasta for 10 mins. Add crème fraîche to the onions, bring to the boil, tip in the mussels and cook for 5 mins until open (discard any that don't). Drain the pasta, return to the pan and tip in the mussel mixture. Toss with the herbs and serve.

ROASTED NEW POTATOES WITH CHILLI CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Tip the potatoes into a roasting tin and toss in the oil. Sprinkle with paprika and roast for 35-45 minutes until crisp and golden, shaking the tin halfway through.
• Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and tip on to a platter. Spoon the crème fraîche into a small bowl and swirl the chilli sauce on top. Serve with the potatoes for dipping.

BLACK PEPPER CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Combine the cream and buttermilk in a measuring pitcher and stir until you get a thick yogurt consistency. Transfer to a jar, cover with cheesecloth or muslin, and secure with a rubber band. Leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
• The crème fraîche is now ready to use. If you want to drain off some liquid so it is thicker, spoon it into a sieve lined with a coffee filter placed over a bowl, and put the setup in the fridge for a few hours. Add the pepper to the cream just before serving.