Purple Asparagus With Lemon Chive Vinaigrette

Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
scuse me while I kiss the sky...

by Jimi Hendrix

Is it me or are a lot of vegetables purple that never used to be? When I was at the market the other day, I must've had purple haze all in my brain. I had just bought some petunias in various shades of purple and then saw purple asparagus in the produce section. If that isn't serendipitous, then I don't know what is! I had never tasted them, and was curious. They are actually milder and with a 20% higher sugar content, are sweeter than green asparagus. Now is the end of the April-May season for the purple asparagus and the ones I bought came from Canada. I thought they would go well with a lemon viniagrette and some chives from my herb garden. The chives are just starting to stretch and bloom with purple flower heads. Decision made!

Just like my petunias, these asparagus would also be good mixed with white and green varieties. Serve as a tricolor asparagus salad.

Purple Asparagus

1 pound purple asparagus
1 tablespoon lemon juice*

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus and using a vegetable peeler, peel the tough lower skin. To blanch them you'll need a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet filled with 1 inch of water. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water. This helps maintain the purple color. Boil the water, add the asparagus and cook for about 4 minutes or until tender crisp. The thickness of the asparagus will determine cooking time. When done, drain them and run cold water over them to stop the cooking.

Serve at room temperature with Lemon Chive Vinaigrette spooned over them. Garnish with flowering chives, if available and lemon slices. *to maintain the purple color you must add the lemon juice to the cooking water.

Serves 6, as a side dish.

Lemon Chive Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil until emulsified. Continue whisking and add the Dijon mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives.
After spooning on the vinaigrette, top with lemon zest.

Makes about 1/3 cup.

Written and photographed by Diane

Purple Asparagus and Lemon Chive Vinaigrette recipe(pdf)

Welcome Spring Salad

Sipping on my cappuccino this morning, I decided I am ready for spring, and the good news is that it is here....on the calendar anyway. Sunny temperate days are starting to become common as they coax the buds from their deep winters sleep. Bicyclers are everywhere, as well as families with baby carriages. The beach has joggers and kids with kites. Before we know it, the roar of lawnmowers will fill the air....(moan).....Instead of craving heavy food, I want light and sunny salads. I made a salad of arugula and basil with grilled chicken, and topped it with a cherry orange vinaigrette. Toss on a few toasted pine nuts and you have Spring on a plate. The garnish of bright orange and star fruit let my mind drift to the warmer climate to come.

Arugula Basil Salad With Chicken and Cherry Orange Vinaigrette

6 ounces arugula, rinsed
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
1 boneless chicken breast, grilled and sliced into strips
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
For the garnish, you'll need 1/2 orange, sliced and star fruit slices.

Place arugula and thinly sliced basil in a salad bowl.Divide salad onto four plates and top with the grilled chicken and toasted pine nuts. Arrange star fruit and orange slices along the side of salad. Top with Cherry Orange Vinaigrette salad dressing and serve.
Makes 4 servings.

Cherry Orange Vinaigrette

1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup dried cherries
zest of 1/2 orange
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of sugar to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
sea salt to taste

Peel the zest from 1/2 orange using a vegetable peeler, avoiding any white pith. Cut the zest into very thin strips and set aside. Put orange juice and dried cherries in a small saucepan. Gently simmer on medium heat until the orange juice has reduced to 1/8 cup. Add sliced orange zest, sugar, salt and cayenne and then let cool to room temperature. Stir in the vinegar and then whisk in the olive oil to emulsify.
Makes 1/2 cup vinaigrette.

Written and photographed by Diane.

Download Recipe Arugula Basil Salad With Chicken and Cherry Orange Vinaigrette (pdf)
Download Recipe Cherry Orange Vinaigrette (pdf)