fruits of labor : farm fresh

its spring in california and produce is amazing at the moment. such a treat after a very long winter of dark greens, lots of dark leafy greens. 


i pretty much pulled all of my favorites together for this dish. pea tendrils, asparagus, mint & citrus. 


serves 2 or 4 if used as a starter salad. 


shaved asparagus salad. 


1 bunch of asparagus, shaved. ** see note. 
1 lemon, juiced. use about 3/4 of the juice and add more if needed.  
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp corse ground salt
1 tbsp evoo
8 or so mint leaves,sliced into ribbons.  
a few needles of rosemary very finely minced 


combine all ingredients in a bowl and let stand. stirring occasionally 


soft boil eggs 1 -2 per person depending upon desire. 
place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water. turn on high heat. when water just comes to a boil, turn off heat and cover immediately. let stand 5 minutes exactly. rinse under cold water and peel. it should be just soft boiled. 


wilted pea tendrils. 
1 bunch of pea tendrils, washed and chopped aprox 1.5" to remove the woody ends. 
1 head and stalk of green garlic. 


in a large saute pan over low heat sweat green garlic. aprox 5 minutes then add prepared pea tendrils. turning constantly until just wilted. 3-4 mins. turn off pan and let stand until ready to serve. 
i suggest turning on the eggs and starting pea tendrils wilting at the same moment. 


to plate, place wilted pea tendrils down in a shallow bed, top with asparagus salad and halves of soft boiled eggs. 


serve with crusty baguette, fresh goat cheese and a crisp white wine. 




** 
with a veggie peeler. start about mid way down the stalk and shave                   around the stalk until it just falls off. this creates a nice variance of texture. repeat closer to the tip. saving just the tips for added contrast.