Springtime Abound With Asaparagus, Chives And Mint

Fresh asparagus, mint and chives are the harbingers of spring. And the season’s essence lies within the first sip of a chilled asparagus soup.

Start by buying unblemished, dark green mint and chives, as well as asparagus—which contains a good amount of vitamin A—with tight-budded, purple-tinged tips. Once home, cut 1/2 inch off the bottom of the stems and stand them up in a jar of water as if they were flowers, loosely covering the top with a plastic bag before storing in the refrigerator.

Then, get in the springtime mood and try out a new recipe.

Bon appétit!

Chilled Asparagus Soup With Crème Fraiche(Serves 4)1 pound green asparagus, tough ends snapped and spears cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 cup chicken stock, plus water, as needed

2 cups vegetable stock

1 orange, zest and juice

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Crème fraiche or yogurt cheese, for garnish

6 to 8 fresh spearmint leaves, cut into chiffonade, for garnishTo prepare:Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender to the point of a fork, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Drain, plunge into cold water and drain well.

Add scallions and chicken stock in a saucepan over moderate heat.

Bring to a simmer.

Cook until the scallions are very soft, about 5 minutes.

Purée the scallions until smooth using an immersion blender.

Add vegetable stock to the scallion/chicken stock and blend.Transfer some of the asparagus in batches to a blender and add about 1/2 cup of stock.

Purée until smooth.

Transfer to a larger bowl.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl.

Strain the soup to remove any strings or vegetable pieces.

Whisk orange zest and juice into the soup.

Add as much stock as necessary until the soup has the consistency you prefer. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Transfer to non-reactive container, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Serve the chilled soup in small bowls or demitasse cups.

Garnish with dollop of crème fraiche and chiffonade of mint.Asparagus With Four Cheeses(Serves up to 6)8 eggs

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 pound aged Gouda cheese, shredded

1/2 pound Monterey Jack with jalapeño peppers, shredded

1 4-ounce can green chilies, diced

1 bunch fresh chives, snipped

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off and stalks peeled

3/4 cup Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese, freshly gratedTo prepare:Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Evenly butter an 11-inch-by-17-inch jellyroll pan.

Dust the pan with flour.

Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until frothy.

Sift flour and baking powder together.

Whisk the mixture into the eggs.

Stir in cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, chilies and chives with a wooden spoon.

Season with pepper.

Pour into prepared pan.

Set on the center rack of the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Peel asparagus.

Wash and trim the bottoms.

Cut spears into 1-inch pieces, reserving six asparagus tops for garnish.

Remove the baking pan from the oven.

Scatter asparagus over the eggs.

Sprinkle with Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese.

Return to oven.

Continue to bake until the top is brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes on a rack and garnish each piece with an asparagus top.Blanched Asparagus With Honey, Lemon, Black Pepper Glaze(Serves 4)1 bunch asparagus, tough ends snapped and stalks peeled

Salted water

2 large lemons, both juiced and julienned zest of 1/2

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepperTo prepare:Place lemon juice, zest, honey, fennel and cracked pepper in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to a syrup consistency, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain.

Plunge into cold water and drain.

Pour glaze over asparagus.