What are you cooking for dinner this weekend?

[guido]

it is asparagus season. I have some. Planning a couple of non meat days. Got some eggs and rice, plus some green beans, onion. Loads of herbs and spices in the cupboard. Also Mayo butter garlic etc. I know this thread is about saying what you are doing, but I was wondering if anyone has a whiff of inspiration about what might be done. Couple of guests coming so want to make an effort. I have enjoyed reading this thread. Been riding in the rain. regards

Asparagus risotto is a nice way to show off the seasonal bounty... Start by steaming the asparagus so they are just tender, cut into short pieces and put aside. Take about a third of the cooked asparagus to blend smooth with enough butter to make a thick paste and set aside. Make the risotto as normal 3:1 stock to rice ratio using a short grain or arborio rice, heat the stock to a slow simmer in a separate pan. Over a medium high heat, start the rice in olive oil to coat till sizzling. Start adding the stock to the rice one 1/2 cup at a time and stir continuously till it is absorbed, then add the next 1/2 cup. Repeat until all the stock is absorbed, then mix in the asparagus butter, some grated cheese and then finally the cut up spears. Serve while still warm...

Enjoy!

[htwoopup]

Asparagus risotto is a nice way to show off the seasonal bounty... Start by steaming the asparagus so they are just tender, cut into short pieces and put aside. Take about a third of the cooked asparagus to blend smooth with enough butter to make a thick paste and set aside. Make the risotto as normal 3:1 stock to rice ratio using a short grain or arborio rice, heat the stock to a slow simmer in a separate pan. Over a medium high heat, start the rice in olive oil to coat till sizzling. Start adding the stock to the rice one 1/2 cup at a time and stir continuously till it is absorbed, then add the next 1/2 cup. Repeat until all the stock is absorbed, then mix in the asparagus butter, some grated cheese and then finally the cut up spears. Serve while still warm...

Enjoy!

Guy is so right on this...one of my all time faves. A variation is to chop up the spears into 2-3 inch pieces and saute them in some hot olive oil to crisp them/ char them. Also, onions sautéed and then blended in. For cheese with asparagus (and other stuff) my favorite when I can find it is asiago. Just throwing out an alternative in case you have a lot of asparagus and are doing several nights of it...(Oh, on stock I sometimes cheat and use vegetable bouillon). On the stock, keep it on low heat in the separate pot Guy mentioned to make it add in to the rice better. But you know all that. I am just typing and eating vicariously.

[slwrnu]

thank you, I had a go, made a few mistakes but have learned something . Fortunately we are quite near Italy so we get some excellent oil which can cover for all sorts of small errors. You cannot go far wrong with asparagus, oil, garlic, seasoning, rice or pasta and so on. Jon, yes I have a fair bit of asparagus left so will give your variation a whirl. I had not thought beyond steaming the asparagus so will try it in the oil from the off. Got some bouillon. Tomorrow I am off to a local market with a retired chef friend and we will make our own spice mix at the market. He will be in charge. It is mainly for pros so I am lucky to tag along. It will be sharp. It will be a good mates day out.

[htwoopup]

Of course there is also making a cream of asparagus soup. Or a simple grilled/baked veggies...take the asparagus cut up, some Brussels sprouts cut in half, peppers, whatever green and crunchy or red and crunchy. Cut into pieces and toss in some olive oil. Put on baking sheet lightly salt throw on some ground pepper and bake until softened a bit and charred. Serve over rice. Make a sauce based on soy/ Tamari or even a rice wine/Mirin type of yummy flavor to drizzle over it. But if you have a retired chef friend take notes and let us know what to do especially since I, for one, am just throwing random not well thought out stuff into the ether.

[slwrnu]

wilco. best cooking is standing in the kitchen and going for wherever your mind takes you with some vague basic thoughts and ingredients. Soup is a great idea (it is still chilly), love croutons with stale bread chopped up with your best knife and sauted with your best oil. Lob in condiments from the cupboard. A good cupboard is key. That will give you enough of everything your body and taste buds need. . thank you for the contributions. brussels are about too. best time for cooking now until game and wild mushroom in autumn. My friend is a master at that.

[fastupslowdown]

Yellowfin tuna and Caponata. Caponata was purchased at the fish monger's deli counter. Never did this combination but seems the two go very well together This was Sunday's dinner. -Mike G

[rwsaunders]

House Summer fave...grilled pork loin with a honey/butter glaze, rice and broccoli (in foil on the grille). Broke the wine law and went with a PNW Barberra.

[dgaddis]

Grilled naan bread pizza. Mozzarella, goat chesse, tomatos (blistered a bit on skewers before added to the "pies"). Topped with basil, pine nuts, and a fig balsamic reduction (not pictured).

Not bad. But not as good as real pizza.

[mnoble485]

So, one of my sub contractors brought me a large box of Vidalia onions the other day. I , being a good neighbor, shared a few but kept enough for soup. First attempt at French Onion and the www is rife with recipes. Don't want to blow this, so help a brotha out. Family secrets?

Mike

[slwrnu]

in Austria the turkey is so much more moist and tasty than in London. Where it is dry even at Christmas. So you can fry, roast or grill with whatever veg you have, garlic and oil, pasta, rice or potato, any veg lying around. I went to the Innsbruck market with my ex chef friend and we bought the meat, quality salt and black pepper, cayenne pepper (wow), spent an hour mashing it up, to be used very sparingly or it will blow your head off. we had about 2 kilos in the end and put it in about 20 small tubs - makes excellent presents for the people you love. regards

[ericpmoss]

So, one of my sub contractors brought me a large box of Vidalia onions the other day. I , being a good neighbor, shared a few but kept enough for soup. First attempt at French Onion and the www is rife with recipes. Don't want to blow this, so help a brotha out. Family secrets?

Mike

Haha, my family secret is YouTube.

[rwsaunders]

French Guy Cooking (Alex) is the man...try his sourdough recipe.

[htwoopup]

So, one of my sub contractors brought me a large box of Vidalia onions the other day. I , being a good neighbor, shared a few but kept enough for soup. First attempt at French Onion and the www is rife with recipes. Don't want to blow this, so help a brotha out. Family secrets?

Mike

My French Canadian wife has an onion soup hack that I think really makes it good...she puts a dollop of vermouth in it while the onions are cooking down.

[mzilliox]

I did a wilted kale salad with apples beets and carrot, plus walnuts toasted in fermented garlic honey.
then followed by dry aged beet, aka beets braised in beet stock and rose, then roasted in more rose and salt, initial beet stock/rose reduced, then beets sliced and browned in brown butter and finished with the reduction. served with spinach, white bean mash, roasted red pepper tapenade and fried avocado slices.

it didnt suck

[guido]

I did a wilted kale salad with apples beets and carrot, plus walnuts toasted in fermented garlic honey.
then followed by dry aged beet, aka beets braised in beet stock and rose, then roasted in more rose and salt, initial beet stock/rose reduced, then beets sliced and browned in brown butter and finished with the reduction. served with spinach, white bean mash, roasted red pepper tapenade and fried avocado slices.

it didnt suck

That Beet prep sounds amazing! We want pics!

[mzilliox]

I forgot pictures! But its inspired by chef Flynn McGarry's recipe. Google search flynn dry aged beet for better pics than i could take. I just adapted the idea to what i had on hand. Its an outstanding dish.

[guido]

[mzilliox]

i did not do the aging part, haha, just the rest. braise, roast, dry, hydrate, braise, dry roast, brown, eat. all in one day. this kid is funny, but Colbert is a bit rude in this clip IMO. i take it he doesnt eat very well.

[rwsaunders]

A little variation of shrimp diablo on the grille last evening and I sampled a local IPA with it as well from Penn Brewery. They've been around since '86 which doesn't sound too long ago, but one of the first microbreweries along with folks like Sam Adams. Eastern shore watermelon is in season too...yum.

[fastupslowdown]

Sockeye Salmon chile with kale and white beans to load up on anti-oxidants from a weekend of overdoing it -Mike G
Would post a photo but the upload keeps failing