Welcome to My Kitchen

Spring brings many seasonal flavors to mealtime menus. Asparagus, fresh herbs and tender young spinach are sprouting up in area gardens and the market place. Locally grown produce always retains the best flavor and texture.

Early spring asparagus is so tender it is good raw or cooked. Sliced thin in salads, steamed or lightly sautéed as a side dish or included in main dish recipes, asparagus adds flavor and pleasing texture.

Impossible Salmon-Asparagus Pie is my go-to recipe when asparagus is in season and I want a quick-to-fix meal. Over the years, I have made the recipe with 1/2 pound diced chicken, ham or ground beef with equally good results.

Impossible Salmon-Asparagus Pie

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 2 cups)

4 medium green onions, sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 can (6 ounces) salmon or tuna, drained and flaked

1/2 cup baking mix

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsps chopped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9- or-10 inch pie plate. Scatter asparagus, onions, 3/4 cup of cheese and the salmon in the pie plate.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until blended. Pour over ingredients in pie plate.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Note: other cheeses may be used and cooked green beans may be substituted for the asparagus.

Several dishes were brought to recent gatherings, garnering a number of requests for the recipes. I have inquires out for those recipes, but one recipe, Luscious Lemon Bars is from my own collection. It was printed in the Everett Herald around 1971. I have included it in this column several times but am including it again for our new readers.

The ingredients are basic, but the end result is all in the mixing and timing. You will also note, there is no powdered sugar sprinkled on these, but it is added to the crust.

Luscious Lemon Bars

Crust: 1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

6 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a glass 9x13-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, measure flour and sugar into the same mixing bowl and set aside. Set the eggs out to warm a bit.

When crust is baked, remove from oven and allow to cool while you finish mixing the filling.

Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and stir with a spoon until thoroughly combined. Add lemon juice and continue stirring until combined and mixture begins to lose its graininess. Pour evenly over slightly cooled crust.

Bake an additional 24-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Yield: about 3 dozen bars.

Note: do not use a whisk or mixer with this recipe.

Pod peas are another early seasonal vegetable. Fresh raw pea pods are great with dips or added to salads. Fresh or frozen they are a great addition to stir fries. Sesame Pea Pods and Carrots is a recipe I have shared in the past, but I have adjusted the preparation technique to increase the savory flavor. Originally the recipe called for stirring in the butter and sesame seeds after cooking. Now I use the butter for a light sauté.

Sesame Pea Pods and Carrots

2 1/2 cups carrots, cut in diagonal 1/2 inch slices

6-8 ounces frozen or fresh pea pods

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1/4 tsp salt

In a large skillet with lid, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and add carrots. Cover and cook over medium heat until carrots are tender crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Add pod peas, cover and continue cooking until pods are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain off any remaining cooking liquid. Push vegetables to one side of the pan. Add butter and turn heat to medium high. Gently toss the vegetables to sauté without scorching for 1-2 minutes. Add sesame seeds and season with salt. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 side servings.

Some communities in our readership are suspending recycling programs. This means we need to learn new methods of consolidating trash to fit into home pick-up containers. And since the bulk of most home garbage is generated in the kitchen, we will include some tips for consolidation and repurposing from time to time.

Cereal and baking mix boxes constitute a large part of kitchen garbage. They take up a lot of space unless they are flattened. Do this by opening both ends of the box, and pressing flat, then fold the flattened box in half across the middle. When you push it down into your kitchen garbage container, the extra fold will keep it from expanding.

Tin cans are another large portion of garbage. First, consider repurposing some for flowerpots, pencil or tool containers, grease disposal containers, and if you don’t compost, a container for peelings and trimmings. The last will help keep kitchen trash neater.

Otherwise, flatten the cans as best you can, so they take up less room. This is really no more work than recycling.

– Share you favorite spring recipes, or tips you may have for repurposing or reducing kitchen trash volume by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Layered newspaper and corrugated cardboard make an excellent weed barrier in raised beds or newly dug flowerbeds and gardens.