Annabel's Garden - ASPARAGUS

The first spears are the fattest and often the sweetest. For the first few seasons of harvest it°s best to let the plants go to seed quite early to regenerate the corm, rather than picking through to the very last.

A big platter piled with freshly cooked spears drizzled with lemon-infused olive oil makes a speedy first course, but for a special treat check out this stunning asparagus and scallop salad. It is just the trick for a romantic dinner a deux, or double the recipe for a special occasion dinner for friends. Even the freshest asparagus has tough stems - to remove simply snap the asparagus and discard the tough ends. Take care not to overcook - it takes only 3 minutes.

ASPARAGUS AND SCALLOP SALAD WITH CITRUS CHILLI DRESSING

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Make ahead: make dressing up to a week ahead; cook asparagus up to 2 hours ahead; cook scallops up to half hour ahead

8-10 spears fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded
10-16 fresh scallops (as extravagance allows)
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon or lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup Citrus Chilli Dressing - see below

To serve:

handful fresh basil leaves (or mint or coriander/cilantro when basil is not available), flesh of 1 just ripe avocado cut into chunks, a little extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Drop trimmed asparagus into a pot of lightly salted boiling water and boil 3 minutes. Refresh under cold water and drain thoroughly. Set aside.

Mix scallops with lemon zest and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Heat oil in a heavy pan until very hot and cook scallops about 1 minute each side - they should be browned but still soft. Do not overcook.

Drizzle warm scallops with a little dressing and toss with asparagus. Gently combine with basil and avocado. Arrange on 2 plates and spoon over remaining dressing. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil around the plate.

Citrus chilli dressing

Make this dressing in bulk for a zingy fat-free flavour boost for salads, seafood and noodles. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 small red chilli, seeds removed and flesh finely sliced
1 tbsp sugar

Another divine salads that make the most of tender asparagus druing its short spring season follow here.

Asparagus, Avocado and Almonds with Sesame Citrus Dressing

Serve this salad with freshly baked bread.

To Prepare: 5 minutes
To Cook: 3 minutes

24 spears fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded
2 just-ripe avocados, flesh cut in wedges
1Ö2 cup almonds, toasted
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Sesame Citrus Dressing
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame oil
finely grated rind 1Ö2 lemon, no pith
sea salt and ground black pepper

Cook asparagus in enough lightly salted boiling water to cover. Cook 3 minutes then drain and refresh under cold water. Place in a bowl with avocados, almonds and sesame seeds. Combine the dressing ingredients and toss gently through salad. Serve at once.

Serves 4.

The following 3 recipes are from my new title 'Eat Fresh - cooking through the seasons' which was just released in September. This book is packed with culinary inspiration, shares useful tips on produce inclouding growing, handling and nutrition. In addition I share many ideas around sustainable ways of living and eating. You can find out more about 'Eat Fresh - cooking through the seasons' in the shop section of the website.

Asparagus & goat°s cheese tart

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 35 minutes

100g goat°s feta
100g cream cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup cream
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp chopped chervil or parsley
1/2 tsp salt and grinds of pepper
12-14 trimmed asparagus spears
25cm pre-cooked savoury shortcrust pastry shell

Preheat oven to 170~C. Place feta and cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon to soften, then whisk in eggs, cream, lemon zest, herbs and seasonings until smooth. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer in cooked pastry crust. Pour over cheese and cream mixture. Bake until set, about 35 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Variation: In summer, use sweet corn and red capsicums in place of asparagus. Spinach is also delicious - use 2-3 handfuls chopped leaves and a little chervil in place of asparagus.

Roasted asparagus wraps

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 12-15 minutes

12 spears fresh asparagus
about 6 thin slices prosciutto or bacon, rind removed
2 tbsp olive oil
12 tbsp water
salt and grinds of pepper
finely peeled zest of 1/2 lemon

For everyday dining, roast asparagus without the prosciutto, using just lemon zest and olive oil - it is one of the best ways I know to cook it.

Preheat oven to 200­C. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus and trim spears to a neat edge. Cut prosciutto slices in half lengthways to create 12 long, thin strips. Wrap a strip of prosciutto in a tight twirl around each piece of asparagus.

Place rolls in a single layer in a shallow roasting dish with oil and water, carefully turning to coat. Season with salt and pepper and scatter over the lemon zest.
Roast until all the water has evaporated and asparagus spears are just tender and starting to brown around the tips, 12-15 minutes. Season and serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Fettucini with prawns, asparagus & mascarpone

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 5-10 minutes

Cook 300g fresh or 200g dried fettucini according to packet instructions.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pan. Add 200g raw prawns, 200g chopped fresh asparagus, 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed, and the finely grated zest of a lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry over high heat until prawns change colour, 2-3 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Gently stir 80g mascarpone or softened cream cheese into the reserved cooking liquid until melted. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Mix in cooked prawn mixture, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp chopped parsley or chervil. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Serves 2

Here°s a simple fresh spring dinner. Creamy risotto cooked with verdant spinach and asparagus.

Asparagus and Fresh Rocket Risotto

To Prepare: 5 minutes
To Cook: 25 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cups Italian short grain rice, eg Carnaroli or Arborio
1Ö2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock, hot
finely grated rind of 1 lemon, no pith and 1 tbsp lemon juice or more, to taste
400g asparagus, cut 2-3cm pieces, boiled for 2 minutes
1 bunch rocket or watercress, coarse stems removed
1Ö2 cup fresh grated parmesan
salt and ground black pepper
Optional: big pinch saffron threads

Heat oil in a medium-large, heavy-based pot and cook onion over gentle heat until it is clear. Add rice and stir over heat another 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated. Add hot stock, saffron threads and salt to taste. Once mix boils, reduce heat to low simmer. Simmer for exactly 14 minutes, stirring now and then. Rice should be sloppy.

Mix in pre-cooked asparagus, rocket and parmesan and adjust seasonings to taste. Cover pot and cook a further 2 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stand without uncovering for 1-2 minutes before serving. If risotto looks dry, add a dash more stock.

Serves 4.

Variation: Add scallops or other fresh seafood in last 5 minutes of cooking. You can use asparagus, zucchini or red capsicums for these delicious tarts.

ASPARAGUS TARTS

1 sheet puff pastry
4 tsp olive paste (optional)
100g / 1/2 cup goats° cheese or feta
16 trimmed asparagus spears
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
salt and ground black pepper
olive oil spray

Heat oven to 200­C / 400­F. Cut pastry into 8 even rectangles and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Spread with olive paste. Crumble or slice cheese over top. Place 2 asparagus spears on top of each rectangle. Grate over a little lemon zest, season and spray with a little oil spray. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden and pastry is cooked through.

Serve warm.