April, 2012 | Kitchen Treaty

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Posted on Monday, April 30, 2012 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

Though spring is in full swing, we’ve still had plenty of rainy, blustery, and just plain gray days around here. Which, I suppose, shouldn’t surprise me – I live in Seattle after all – but right around this time of year, I am ready for the hot, sunny days of summer already. Mother Nature teases me with a couple of giddy, gorgeous days, then another batch of dreariness blows in. So I sigh, then I huddle in, light the fire, wrap up in a blanket, and make a cozy, comforting soup for dinner.

Cream of Asparagus Soup is the best of both worlds. It celebrates the season while also recognizing that spring still needs bowls full of piping hot soup now and then.

Posted on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

I adore this Lemon Spaghetti recipe, not only because it’s really good, but also because it comes together in a snap. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve it up with a green salad and some nice crusty bread and your world is complete – for at least an hour or so.

Lemon Spaghetti is a gorgeously simple dish. It’s spaghetti noodles tossed in a creamy sauce flavored with lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesan, garlic, and a hit of crushed red pepper.

Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 in Foundations

Gobs of my recipes call for vegetable broth. Even, say, chicken noodle soup. The main reason is obvious: most of what I make starts out vegetarian, the meat added later to only a portion for my resident carnivore.

So, a few years ago, I started saving my veggie and herb scraps and freezing them in a gallon freezer bag. When the bag is packed to the brim, I brew up a big old pot of vegetable broth concentrate. Then I freeze it in measured portions and take it out as I need it, adding water and sometimes salt and, voila: veggie broth!

Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

Asparagus is one of the sure signs of spring, and around here, signs of spring practically make us giddy. Goodbye, dreary Seattle winter. Hello, sun.

So, needless to say, asparagus is gracing our dinner table quite a lot these days. We love it grilled. We love it par-boiled and sauteed with a little garlic and butter, then sprinkled with coarse salt. And we love it served cold after it’s soaked in this incredibly delicious marinade that makes balsamic vinegar lovers swoon.

Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012 in Happy Endings

Yesterday was the perfect day.

I got out of the house early and took my little one to a “Baby and Me” story time session at the local library. At three months, she’s too young to get too much out of it, but when she looked around in awe, smile plastered on her face, I knew I’d made the right choice.