I head to the Portland Farmers Market almost every Saturday morning that I am in Portland. And I never miss a little sampling round at Pesto Outside the Box, which produces the most unusual and delectable pestos I’ve ever eaten.

This past Saturday was exceptionally inspiring though, because there in the midst of the six or so delicious pestos was a new gem: Roasted Asparagus & Hazelnut Pesto. Now, I have made dozens of different pestos over the years, but it never occurred to me to try one with roasted asparagus, or roasted anything for that matter.

The pesto was wonderful, but the earthy flavor of the asparagus was unfortunately overshadowed by the assertiveness of the basil. I bought some anyway, and as I was finishing the last delicious bite, the thought arose: Why don’t you create your own version and make sure the asparagus is the star?

Luckily, I had bought a few bunches of fresh field asparagus at the market, and they were waiting in the frig.

I roasted a pound of asparagus, along with a couple handfuls of Oregon hazelnuts. After these steps were complete, the pesto went together quickly, and for dinner, we noshed on pesto and Seeded Bread Crisps. Sublime.

The second night, however, with a sizable quantity of pesto remaining, I decided to try a different approach. So I hydrated and cooked flageolet beans; tossed them with green onions, capers, and pesto; slathered additional pesto on chewy, warmed flatbread; piled the beans on top; and finished with roasted asparagus, crumbled feta, and super-sweet tomatoes. After we devoured the first bites, I exclaimed (in the tradition of my grandmother Mary), “I’m a genius!.”

The third night, MauiJim PLEADED for a repeat of the second night. And on the fourth night, I pureed the remaining pesto-dressed beans and made a lovely, creamy soup.

My point is that there is no end to the dishes you can make with this lovely pesto. Try it as a sauce smeared under a grilled filet of salmon, toss it with strozzapreti, stuff an omelet with it, or slather it on grilled corn. It’s a great way to celebrate the fleeting local asparagus season.

Roasted Asparagus & Hazelnut Pesto

This earthy, roasted pesto is unusual and well worth the effort of roasting the asparagus and toasting the hazelnuts. The parsley adds vibrant color to the otherwise olive-hued asparagus. I prefer this pesto a bit on the chunky side, so that the asparagus is still visible, but you may go for silky smooth if you wish.

NOTE   As explained in an earlier post, Spicy Sorrel Chive Pesto, extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols, which are coated with fatty acids. The fatty acids hold the polyphenols in check. Extreme agitation, as with a processor or blender, releases the polyphenols. Agitation is a problem when mixing a mayonnaise or vinaigrette, but with pesto, the other ingredients are thought to buffer the reaction. In my recent tests, however, the polyphenols wreaked havoc with the pesto, lending a sharply bitter aftertaste. To be on the safe side, I now use either a light olive oil or a flavorless vegetable oil for all pestos.

1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and thick stems peeled (about 9 thick stalks)
1 tablespoon light olive oil

4 ounces (1 cup) hazelnuts

1 ounce flat-leaved parsley leaves (from 2 ounces parsley with stems)
1/2 ounce (small handful) fresh basil leaves (from 1 ounce basil with stems)
finely grated zest of 1 large lime
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, ends trimmed
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or other dry grating cheese, such as pecorino romano, grana padano, dry asiago, or dry jack cheese (try a half-and-half combination of pecorino romano and grana padano)

½ cup light olive oil (not extra-virgin) (or rapeseed or canola oil)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste

1. To roast the asparagus, place the asparagus on an edged baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and toss to coat the asparagus evenly with oil and salt.
2. Arrange the oil-coated asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Roast at 400° for about 25 minutes, until tender. Remove baking sheet from the oven and let asparagus cool to room temperature. Cut into 1-inch lengths. Discard any ends that are not tender.
4. To toast the hazelnuts, arrange on an edged baking sheet without overcrowding.
5. Bake at 300°F for 20-30 minutes, until the skins crack and the nuts smell fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool somewhat.
6. When cool enough to handle but still warm, rub nuts together with your hands or rub them against a rough cloth. The tough portion of the skins will easily come off. Don’t worry about what remains; there is always quite a bit of skin left on the nuts.
7. To make the pesto, in a processor fitted with the steel knife, process asparagus, parsley, garlic, cheeses, and hazelnuts until desired consistency (chunky, smooth, or in-between).
8. Add ½ cup of oil, crushed red pepper, and salt, and pulse briefly to distribute. Taste and adjust salt as necessary.
9. Spoon the pesto into a container and cover with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate until needed. Pesto will keep, covered and chilled, for about one week.

Makes about 2½ cups.

More from LunaCafe

• The Wonderful World of Fresh Pesto (Basic Pesto, Pesto Oil, Rosemary Hazelnut Pesto, Cilantro Ginger Pesto, Herb Garden Pesto, Basil Arugula Pesto, Basil Olive Pesto)
• Spicy Sorrel Chive Pesto

I Love Hearing from You!

Please leave a comment. Include your blog URL so CommentLuv will automatically link to your most recent blog post. And join me at LunaCafe on Facebook for daily adventures in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. Let’s get cooking! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All Rights Reserved.

I know it is officially spring, but the weather is still stubbornly variable–bone-chilling rainy days alternating with spirit-lifting balmy days two to one. Thus, until the local field rhubarb and early strawberries arrive at the Portland Farmers Market, I continue to rely on winter ingredients and hearty, comforting dishes.

When it comes to hearty and comforting, does anything surpass the humble bean soup? Not for me. But unfortunately, many otherwise fine cooks don’t give bean soups the respect and care that they deserve. We throw a ham hock and bag of beans into a pot and expect magic at the end of the cooking process. When the result is bland and thick as glue, we blame it on the beans.

I am here to defend the beans. It is not their fault! Beans require just as much thoughtful consideration and care as any other ingredient. They are at their toothsome best when hydrated slowly in cold water for at least 8 hours before cooking, and of course, that takes–yes I will say the dreaded word–PLANNING.

In addition to planning ahead, it’s important to understand the characteristics of each bean you use. When most beans are cooked properly, they hold their shape and have just a bit of resistance when bitten into. Some beans, however, irrespective of all your care,  dissolve into a mush when cooked, and should thus be reserved for dishes in which that quality is an asset rather than a liability.

Of all the beautiful heirloom beans now available, cannellini beans are quite possibly my favorites. They are also the darlings of Italian cuisine and for good reason. Elegantly large and pearly white with a gentle curvature, they have a mild, nutty taste and creamy texture. As a bonus, they hold their shape exceedingly well, making them suitable for dishes in which the beans are to play a starring, rather than supporting, role.

As with most dried beans, cannellini beans are not digestible until hydrated and cooked. There are at least three basic hydration methods, and depending on the dish, you can choose whichever method suits your fancy or time requirements. Because I often cook spur of the moment, I hydrate and cook large batches of cannellini beans in advance and freeze them in 2-cup increments. It’s a real time saver.

Method 1: Slow, Cold Hydration

Put rinsed and sorted beans into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 8-24 hours. Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. (This method is claimed to remove 60% of the complex bean sugars that contribute to indigestion.)

Method 2: Fast, Hot Hydration

Put rinsed and sorted beans into a soup pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and soak for 1 to 4 hours. Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. (This method is claimed to remove 80% of the complex bean sugars that contribute to indigestion.)

Method 3: No Hydration

Put rinsed and sorted beans into an overproof casserole and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Cover casserole and put into a 350° oven. Bake for about 75 minutes, until beans are tender, adding additional water at the halfway point if necessary. Although many cooks swear by this method, if you are prone to bean-induced indigestion, you might want to use another method. Also, textural quality is diminished somewhat with is method.

NOTE   The soaking process removes some of the complex carbohydrates that are partly responsible for indigestion. The longer the soak, the easier the digestion. On the other hand, this only applies to folks who don’t eat beans often. The more you eat beans, the better your body will be able to digest them.

Now that you have hydrated beans, let’s make this wonderful soup. I decided to build the flavor profile based on savory Italian sausage, creamy fingerling potatoes, earthy broccoli raab, and toothsome cannellini beans.

I wanted the soup to be hearty, yet also light enough that each component would retain its individual integrity. Thus we have a soup that is very much a bridge between winter and spring, hearty and light at the same time. Between-season dishes this good almost make me wish that summer would delay just a little while longer.

Cannellini Bean Soup with Italian Sausage, Fingerling Potatoes & Broccoli Raab

The taste of the spicy Italian sausage really comes through in this homey, hearty soup, as do each of the other individual flavors and textures. Unlike so many bean soups, this soup is not a thick “porridge.” The broth is light and refreshing, with only a bit of the tender, toothsome beans mashed at the end to give the soup a luscious body.

NOTE   You must hydrate the beans before making the soup. You can choose the 8-24 hour method or 2-hour method.

1 pound dried cannellini beans, rinsed (2½ cups) (makes 4 cups cooked beans)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound premium-quality Italian sausage, loose or casing removed (mild or hot; I used 4 Isernio’s Hot Italian Sausages)
3 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
6 cloves garlic, peeled, and minced or pressed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8-10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

10-12 fingerling potatoes or baby new potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice (4 cups)
2-3 carrots, peeled, and chopped or sliced (1 cup chopped)
2-3 celery stalks, trimmed, and chopped or sliced (1 cup chopped)
2 Anaheim chiles, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (1 cup chopped)
small handful broccoli raab or Lacinato kale, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish
¼ cup chopped parsley

1. Slow Hydration: At least 8 hours before you plan to make the soup, put the cannellini beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Hydrate for 8-24 hours. Drain the beans and discard the water.
2. Fast Hydration: Alternatively, in a soup pot, cover beans with water, bring to a boil, and boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let hydrate for 2 hours. Drain the beans and discard the water.
3. To cook the sausage, in a large soup pot, over brisk heat, heat the olive oil, and then pinch marble-sized pieces of sausage into the pot. Stir often with a wooden spoon to brown the meat evenly. If there is more than ¼ cup of fat and oil in the pan after browning the sausage, drain off the excess.
4. When the sausage is well browned, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the onions and garlic. Sauté slowly until the onions are tender and translucent, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and chicken stock, and stir to combine.
6. Add the beans and bring to a slow simmer. Partially cover the soup pot and simmer slowly for 1½ to 2 hours, until the beans are almost tender. Remove ½ cup of the beans and reserve.
7. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and chiles. Simmer just until tender.
8. Mash the reserved ½ cup of beans and add back to the soup. This will thicken the broth slightly.
9. Just before serving, stir in the broccoli raab or kale, and simmer for 2 minutes.
10. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
11. Ladle into bowls, and garnish each serving with parsley.

Serves 6-8.

More LunaCafe Winter and Early Spring Soups

• Basic Little Potato & Five Onion Soup
• Curried Tomato & Red Lentil Soup
• Green Chile Chowder with Yellow Finn Potatoes & Italian Kale
• Heirloom Carrot Soup with Lemon Verbena, Spearmint & Garlic Gremolata
• New Year’s Day Black Bean Ancho Chili
• Roasted Garlic & Sunchoke Soup with Rosemary Hazelnut Pesto & Goat Cheese Crèma
• Smoky Spanish Zarzuela with Chorizo & Emmer Farro
• Sweet Carrot Bisque with Umami Pesto

More Cannellini Bean Recipes

• Talkspot: Cannellini Bean Cake
• Stirring the Pot: Cannellini Bean Puree
• Answers en Croute: Cannellini Bean Dip
• Dorcas Barry: Bean & Kale Soup

Resources

• Bob’s Red Mill: Cannellini Beans
• Cannellini Beans
• CookThink: Cannellini Beans vs. Great Northern Beans vs. Navy Beans
• Rancho Gordo: Runner Cannellini Beans
• WiseGeek: What are Cannellini Beans?
• Food & Drink: How to Cook Cannellini Beans

I Love Hearing from You!

Please leave a comment. Include your blog URL so CommentLuv will automatically link to your most recent blog post. And join me at LunaCafe on Facebook for daily adventures in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. Let’s get cooking! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All Rights Reserved.

Blueberry Lavender Limeade

When the sun comes out from behind the grey cloud cover that often blankets Western Washington and Oregon, one of my first thoughts (after the obvious Thank You God) is “Let’s have a picnic.” Is there anything more deeply nurturing than gathering a friend or two and heading into glorious nature with a treasure trove of great things to eat and drink? Not in my book.

So you can imagine my delight when I recently discovered that The Nature Conservancy is sponsoring a Picnic for the Planet. That’s right, a picnic for the ENTIRE planet. It’s this Sunday, April 22^nd, in honor of Earth Day.

The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest conservation organization, working in more than 30 countries and all 50 states. They work closely with the people who provide our food–farmers, ranchers and fisherman–and with our support, they can continue to protect the most vital habitats on Earth.

In Portland, Oregon, the picnic will be at beautiful Mt. Tabor Park, with its gorgeous views, open space, and hiking trails. The covered picnic shelter is reserved for the event, so the picnic is on rain or shine. (To scout the location in your area, check out this picnic map.)

So now that I have a picnic to go to and not much time to create a bevy of new dishes, I decided to rely on a few of my favorites from past posts. In addition to Blueberry Lavender Limeade, I’m bringing:

LunaCafe’s Spicy Fried Chicken

Old-Fashioned Creamy Macaroni Salad

Chewy Gooey Congo Bars (Blondies on Steroids)

Hope to see you there!

Resources

• The Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/
• Picnic for the Planet: http://www.nature.org/earthday/
• Picnic for the Planet 2012: http://www.crowdrise.com/tncpicnic/
• Attend a Picnic: http://www.nature.org/earthday/attend/index.htm

This post began as a response to repeated requests from a tenacious reader for The Best Ever Butterscotch Pudding (her words). She was impressed with Ultimate Vanilla Pudding (Perfect Stovetop Custard) and Ultimate Chocolate Pudding and wanted the same perfect results with a butterscotch flavor. She had tried a few recipes on the web but was disappointed in the results.

I began rather cavalierly with the Ultimate Vanilla Pudding recipe, substituting brown for white sugar. The pudding was pale and bland. The whole bowl went into the fridge until it spoiled, forgotten and uneaten.

Then, in what seemed like a stroke of genius, I tried caramelizing the brown sugar to give it a deeper color and flavor. It burned almost immediately. I tried again. It burned again.

I gave up and moved on to Salted Caramel Pudding instead. It tested perfectly on the first take, and we ate the entire batch within hours.

But after eating it, I felt a little guilty. Not for eating it (heavens no!), but for failing to deliver on Butterscotch Pudding as I had promised. So I traipsed around the web looking for a solution and thought I found it at Serious Eats: Butterscotch Pudding: Searching for the Perfect Recipe. What they did that was pure genius was to caramelize the sugar and then add molasses to give the pudding that distinctive butterscotch taste.

To my palate, however, the taste of molasses was too distinguishable. So instead, I added just a teaspoon of molasses and some brown sugar to the aforementioned Salted Caramel Pudding formula, and by golly, it worked. Because the recipes for  Salted Caramel Pudding and Butterscotch Pudding are similar, I give them both to you here.

How to Make Perfect Pudding

To repeat some of what I said in the Ultimate Vanilla Pudding post:

All we are doing when we make pudding is melting sugar in milk and then thickening it with cornstarch and egg yolks. The cornstarch should be introduced before the egg yolks, although simultaneously will also work.

Without cornstarch, we can’t bring a pudding containing egg yolks anywhere near a boil. In fact, if you want to use egg yolks alone to thicken your pudding, the pudding must not exceed 165°. Otherwise, the egg yolks will curdle. Cornstarch, on the other hand, begins to thicken at 203° and needs to go to 208° for full activation. As long as sufficient cornstarch is present, even a slow simmer will not curdle the egg yolks.

Heat kills enzymes in raw egg yolks, which will otherwise break down the starch bonds and thin the custard. After adding the egg yolks, the pudding must be brought to just under a simmer (208º). I like to maintain that temperature for a minute or longer to be on the safe side.

Ultimate Salted Caramel Pudding

This pudding is heavenly, transcendent, divine. There’s something about the contrast between deep caramel and salt that takes the taste buds on an exhilarating ride that doesn’t end until you shamelessly lick the bowl and then go looking for a second helping.

To recap, all we are doing when we make pudding is thickening sweetened milk with cornstarch and egg yolks. In this case, we add the step of caramelizing the sugar before sweetening the milk with it. Easy peasy!

NOTE   If you want a pie filling that will hold its shape, rather than this more loosely mounding pudding, increase the cornstarch to 5-6 tablespoons.

3 cups whole milk, room temperature (or 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 12 chunks
1½ teaspoon vanilla (I love Mexican vanilla here)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish
lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional

Burnt Caramel Sauce, optional

1. In a large measuring cup with a pour spout, add 3 cups milk. Set milk and a silicon spatula next to the stovetop.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with ½ cup of the milk until well combined. Set next to the stovetop.
3. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup of the milk until smooth. Set next to the stovetop.
4. Make the caramel: In a light colored (stainless steel), 3-quart saucepan, add the sugar and set over medium heat. Swirl the pan as the sugar begins to melt. Use a silicon spatula to move the sugar from side to side as necessary to help it melt and caramelize evenly. When the sugar melts entirely and is a medium-dark caramel color, quickly remove from the heat.
5. Stand back and CAREFULLY stir in the remaining milk. The mixture will boil and sputter furiously. The caramel may seize into a solid sugary mass. No worries! When the mixture stops sputtering, put it over medium heat and bring to a simmer while stirring to melt the seized caramel. Scrape the bottom and sides of the saucepan with a silicon (heatproof) spatula to make sure all seized caramel dissolves.
6. Stir, and then add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and bring the pudding to a very slow simmer. Simmer, stirring or whisking for 2 minutes to thicken. Decrease heat to medium-low so that pudding is no longer simmering.
7. Ladle ½ cup of the hot pudding into the egg yolk mixture and whisk rapidly. Repeat two times. Now add the egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan. This tempers the egg and helps to prevent curdling.
8. Raise the heat slightly, and continue stirring the pudding until it thickens to the point that it thickly coats the back of the spatula, from 2-4 minutes. Don’t boil.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and salt until the butter is melted.
10. Immediately pour the pudding through a single mesh strainer into a medium mixing bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup. Alternatively, you can pour pudding directly into six ½-cup serving dishes. (The reason I rarely do this is that I prefer to mound the servings.)
11. Ignore what David Lebovitz says (just kidding, David!) and quickly press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
12. Let cool, and then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
13. To serve, spoon pudding into six, ½-cup ramekins (if you didn’t do this earlier).
14. Top each serving with a generous mound of whipped cream.
15. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 cups, or six ½-cup servings.

Ultimate Butterscotch Pudding

This pudding relies on a combination of caramelized sugar, brown sugar, and just a hint of molasses to give it a true butterscotch color and flavor. The process is the same as for Ultimate Salted Caramel Pudding, with a few minor differences: the sugar and salt amounts are decreased, the caramel is cooked to a light rather than medium caramel color, and brown sugar and molasses are added. The four ingredient changes are noted below in red text.

3 cups whole milk, room temperature (or 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks, room temperature

¼ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon unsulphured molasses

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 12 chunks
1½ teaspoon vanilla (I love Mexican vanilla here)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Proceed as in Ultimate Salted Caramel Pudding, making the following changes.
2. In Step 4, add ¼ cup sugar to the pan (rather than ¾ cup sugar) and caramelize the sugar to a light caramel hue.
3. In Step 5, add brown sugar and molasses along with the milk.
4. In Step 9, add ¼ teaspoon salt (rather than ½ teaspoon salt).

More from LunaCafe

• Ultimate Vanilla Pudding (Perfect Stove-Top Custard
• LunaCafe’s Ultimate Chocolate Pudding
• Rosalyn’s Toasted Coconut White Chocolate Dream Pie (Coconut White Chocolate Custard)

Additional Inspiration

• A Cozy Kitchen: Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding with Caramel Sauce
• David Lebovitz Blog: Butterscotch Pudding Recipe
• Foodgawker Gallery: Butterscotch Pudding
• The Camp: How to Eat Pudding Mindfully
• Los Angeles Times: Eureka Butterscotch Pudding
• Portuguese Girls Cook: Salted Caramel Pudding
• Serious Eats: Butterscotch Pudding: Searching for the Perfect Recipe
• Zoe Bakes: Butterscotch Pudding with Coffee-Caramel Bananas

I Love Hearing from You!

Please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link to your most recent blog post. And join me at LunaCafe on Facebook for daily adventures in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. Happy cooking! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All Rights Reserved.