I’m always excited when asparagus arrives in the grocery stores and farmers market stalls in the spring. When I was a kid I thought that I hated asparagus, but I discovered a few years ago that asparagus is DELICIOUS and I just didn’t like the way my parents prepared it: boiled and served plain. Yeesh.

Fortunately, it’s easy to make delicious asparagus in about the same time that boiling it takes, and the end result will be both tastier and more nutritious – cooking vegetables in water leeches out vitamins. 

You will need:
  •1-2 bunches of asparagus
  •2 tablespoons butter
  •1 tablespoon olive oil
  •1-2 shallots, minced
  •1 tablespoon lemon juice
  •1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  •1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1-2 tablespoons capers, drained

Begin by washing your asparagus, then snapping off the tough ends. Chop or snap each spear into 2” pieces.

In a skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter and heat the olive oil. When the fat is hot but not smoking, add the shallot and soften for about 1 minute.

Add the asparagus to the pan and stir. Cook over medium-high heat until the asparagus bright green and tender-crisp. Add the lemon juice and the mustard and stir. Cook for about 30 more seconds, then add the dill or capers and stir again. Serve immediately. 

To veganize, replace the butter with olive oil. 

 
 

Rhubarb is often the first fruit available in the spring. It has a wonderful tart flavor and a beautiful pink color that is fresh and vernal. Though the flowers of the plant are toxic, the stalks are delicious. This tart really highlights the flavor of the rhubarb and is easy to throw together. It’s wonderful fresh out of the oven or served at room temperature and makes a good accompaniment to good vanilla ice cream. 

You will need:
  • 2 large stalks rhubarb
  • 1 sheet puff pastry
  • ½ cup sugar
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 6-8 strawberries (optional) 

Begin by defrosting the puff pastry. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s where it comes in a square sheet, but at most grocery stores it is sold in a narrower and thicker box and the sheets inside are folded in thirds. To defrost, place the sheet on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes, turning over if the bottom is soft and the top is still frozen. 

While the pastry is defrosting, prepare the rhubarb. Begin by washing each stalk and cutting off the top and bottom. Turn the stalk on its side so that the convex part is facing sideways and you’re balancing the rhubarb on its edge. Using a VERY SHARP knife, cut the rhubarb into 1/8” slices at a 45 degree angle. The pile on the left was cut with a dull knife, and the pile on the right was cut with a sharp knife. Note that the rhubarb cut with the sharp knife is neater and the pile on the left is almost shredded. 

Juice the lemons and mix the juice with the sugar. Toss the rhubarb with the juice and sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes. While the rhubarb is macerating, prepare the pastry. 


(Sorry for the blurry photo.) 

By now the pastry should be defrosted. If you have the kind that is folded in thirds, unfold it, taking care not to crack it along the fold. Use your fingers to gently press the pastry back together along the fold lines, but do not knead it. Cut the pastry in half longitudinally, then roll out on a well-floured surface to 2/3 to ½ its original thickness. 

Using a paring knife, score the pastry about ½ inch from the edges all the way around. Use a fork and poke holes in the pastry inside the box you just drew with the knife. This is called docking the crust, and it will prevent it from puffing up where you’ve poked holes. Do not poke holes in the outer edge. 

Lay the rhubarb out on the pastry just inside the score line, slightly overlapping pieces. Use about half the rhubarb. Repeat with the second piece of pastry. Place both tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the tart is lovely and golden brown around the edges and the bottom of the tart is also golden brown if you lift it up carefully to have a peek underneath. 

Best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but is also good room temperature for breakfast the next morning. 

Optional strawberry variation: slice strawberries into pieces, and alternate with the rhubarb when layering. There is no need to macerate the strawberries in the juice and sugar as they’re sweet already. Bake just as for original tart.