A Plate Full

For some unknown reason, it had never occurred to me to eat asparagus raw.  I’ve been eating it for most of my life and loving it, in every preparation I’ve had. But raw just never happened, and now that I know better I’m both delighted and sad.  I’ve been missing out on this for how long?  That is so sad.  But happy days are here now!  This salad is everything you want in a salad.  Fresh, simple and sublime.  I’m not kidding, you need to make this.  In season, out of season, grab the next bunch you see and make this salad!

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Roasted vegetables are a passion of mine.  I don’t think I’ve met a roasted veggie that I didn’t like.  A really hot oven does magical, mystical things, a crisp exterior, a bit of caramelized crunch and intensified flavor.  A few minutes in the oven and you’ve got something very yummy on your plate.

I was entertaining friends and family one evening, and while they were all drinking wine and getting excited about the pasta that was cooking, I was chopping vegetables.  Bread was being piled into baskets, a warm tomato and garlic scent swirled through the air, and I was excited about the veggies on the baking sheet.  Not one whit of attention was being paid to my lovely vegetables.  I drizzled them with oil, and tossed them with spices while guests were inspecting desserts and sneaking fingers through icing.

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Panettone has become the holiday fruitcake.  Often given, received with hearty thanks and then forgotten, dust covered in a closet.  It’s not really cake, not really bread, what do you do with it?  Well, I know what to do with it, and I’m going to tell you the first of several recipes.  I’ll also tell you how it came into my life.

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I love this dish. I make it so often. It’s easy, comforting, pretty enough for company, and sturdy enough to be reheated. It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It should be on your table.

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Leek confit is one of those things that once you make it and use, you’ll want to have it around all the time. It takes very little effort, not a lot of time, and it gives back, and gives back, and gives back! I stir it into vegetables sauteing on the stove, warm it and scoop it onto crostini with dots of baked tomato and slivers of parmesan for unexpected company, and mix it with gruyere for yummy tartlets. The places you can use this are only limited by your imagination. Molly of Orangette wrote a wonderful article on Leek confit that you can read here. The method is so simple you’re not going to believe it. Here’s mine.

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