Parmesan Garlic Grilled Asparagus

Hallo again! Sorry for the radio silence of late. Long story short, we've moved. Into our new house. That we bought (can we hear it for first-time home owners?) and renovated half of.

But we ended up having to move a couple weeks earlier than we'd thought we would (I'm still working out my anger about that...) And it was really down to the wire in terms of having a livable space to move into. And the baby was cutting not one, but FOUR new teeth (he's gone from just two chompers to eight pearly whites in the last month and a half). So, needless to say, there was not much time for cooking or photographing or writing about it all. And not nearly enough time for sleeping, either.

But we're in now (photos coming soon - I want to wait until we get things just a tad more unpacked before I document it in any kind of public way) and I have been meaning to post this delightful asparagus for about a month now. So I figure I need to get this out to you before asparagus season is well and truly over.

Grilled asparagus has been one of my go-to veggies for years now. It's easy, it's tasty, it's good for you.

Just toss with some garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and throw it on the grill. Unless you really char the crap out of them, you can't go wrong.

My friend, Lynn, suggested the addition of Parmesan (thank you, Facebook!) so I gave it a shot and, as you might have guessed, it's even better this way. You've got the partly sweet, partly savory, nearly impossible to define but very tasty (unless you're Japanese and then you apparently call it "umami") asparagus flavor and the garlic plus a little bit of salty, rich, melty cheese. As John Hodgman says, "You're Welcome."

And don't forget that it's super easy. At this point in our lives, it has to be super easy or I can't make it. Can you tell that I'm longing to have hours to spend cooking in a spotless kitchen in blissful silence, without my beloved but incredibly demanding, messy, noisy boys at my feet (or on my back as is often the case during these times of teething)???

Anyway, hope you like it :) A side note, can you believe that I've become one of those people who uses those cheesy little smiley and frowny face "emoticons" in my writing? I cringe a little every time I do it but I just can't seem to stop:(

Grilled Asparagus With Garlic & Parmesan Cheese
Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

*1 bunch asparagus
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed or minced
* 3 Tbsps grated Parmesan cheese (you can also use Romano, locatelli, etc., any salty, hard cheese would work)
* 2-3 Tbsps olive oil
* Sea salt to taste
* Black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash the asparagus and snap the woody ends off (you'll feel where you should snap when you bend them a bit) and place them in a large bowl. Preheat the grill and give it a good scrape to clean it.

2. While the grill is heating up, toss the asparagus with all the other ingredients until well-coated.

3. Lower the flame to medium and lay the asparagus spears crosswise to avoid dropping any through the grill. Cover and grill for about 5 minutes, turning often to prevent them from burning. Grilling times will depend somewhat on how powerful your grill is and also on the size of the asparagus.

You might also like:

• Asian-inspired Grilled Asparagus
• Asparagus with Goat Cheese, Candied Pecans & Bacon
• Lemon Aioli, Roasted Beets, Asparagus & Oven Fries

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

7 Simple Ways to Help Honey Bees

I'm allergic to bees so I spent my whole childhood being terrified of encountering them. But now I am terrified of NOT encountering them! Because...

As you've probably heard, our honey bees are dying. U.S. bee keepers lost a shocking 31% of their hives this winter, marking the seventh year of devastating bee deaths in a row. Although the exact cause(s) of Colony Collapse Disorder is hard to pinpoint with certainty, what is perfectly clear is that we're speeding towards the disastrous point at which we will not have enough honey bees left to pollinate our crops.

You don't need to rush out to buy protective mesh clothing and a smoke can, there are lots of easy ways you can help honey bees to survive and, hopefully, to thrive. Here are seven simple ways to get started.

1. Add your name to the petition urging the EPA and USDA to ban neonicotinoids, a widely used class of agricultural pesticides that is highly toxic to bees and believed to play a crucial role in colony collapse disorder. The EU has just enacted a ban on neonicotinoids and we must follow Europe's lead as there is literally no time to waste.

2. Let dandelions and clover grow in your yard. Dandelions and clover are two of the bees' favorite foods - they provide tons of nourishment and pollen for our pollinators to make honey and to feed their young (look at this bee frolicking in a dandelion below - like a pig in shit!) And these flowers could not be any easier to grow - all you have to do is not do anything.

3. Stop using commercial pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers - these chemicals are harmful to the bees. And they're also harmful to you, your family, and our soil and water supply, too. Definitely not worth it!

4. Eat more honey and buy it from a local bee keeper. This is a pretty sweet way to help the bees (sorry, I can never resist a good pun.) Unlike big honey companies, local bee keepers tend to be much more concerned about the health of their bees than they are about their profits. And their products do not have to travel far to reach your kitchen, either. You can almost always find local honey at your farmers' market and it may also be available at your local health food or grocery store. It may cost a little more than the commercial options, but it's well worth it.

5. Plant bee-friendly flowers. This not only helps the honey bees, it will also make your yard more beautiful and can also provide you with a bunch of great culinary herbs.

In addition to the dandelions and clover I mentioned above, bees love many other flowers, including: bee balm, borage, asters, lavender, thyme, mint, rosemary, honey suckle, poppies, sunflowers, marigolds, salvia, butterfly bush, clematis, echinacea (see the bee partaking of some coneflower goodness below) blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, fennel, yellow hyssop, milkweed, goldenrod, and many more.

You can also just buy one of those pre-mixed packets of wildflowers with good results. And, if you're ever in doubt, choose native plants as they will be best suited to the climate you live in and can help support the bees throughout the season.

6. Buy organic. Organic food and fibers like cotton and hemp are produced without the use of commercial pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, making them inherently more bee-friendly than conventionally grown products.

7. Share this post with your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to help build more "buzz" for honey bees.

You might also like these posts from the Greening Your Kitchen series:

• Forget "free-range", buy "pasture-raised" eggs from a farmer near you
• Nix the antibacterials, they're breeding "super bugs"
• Grow your own garlic

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

Easy, Moist (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcakes

I am not a vegan and the fact that these cupcakes are is purely coincidence. But it's definitely a happy coincidence for those of you who are vegans 'cause these suckers are GOOD!

I was looking for an easy, moist, not too intensely chocolatey cupcake recipe to make for my son's fourth birthday last week. I read a lot of different recipes before I hit on this one from Simply Recipes. It sounded perfect - simple, moist, and not too rich for my little guy's young taste buds.

This recipe reminds me of the first cake I ever baked as a kid (of course it was chocolate.) I must have been about nine or ten and I remember it because the cake recipe in my kids' cookbook called for vinegar which struck me as odd even then. But it totally works!

It's no accident that this type of recipe was in a kids baking cookbook - the recipe is so simple and easy that a child can make it. No eggs to crack and beat, no butter to soften or melt - all you need to do is measure and mix!

I think the coffee in the recipe is essential to the flavor so don't skip it although you can use decaf if you're worried about the caffeine (I really would not worry about it unless you know from past experience that you're extremely sensitive to caffeine in baked goods.)

I've included links to some frosting recipes (including a vegan option) below but I have not tested any of these. I would include my own frosting recipe but I don't use an actual recipe - I usually just melt chocolate chips, butter, a little heavy cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract  in a double boiler and whisk until it's smooth, adding what always feels like a shocking amount of powdered sugar throughout the process.

One note on the yield, Elise's recipe says it makes 12 cupcakes but I've made it twice now (it's that good!) and I feel that 12 is a little optimistic unless you want pretty small cupcakes. Ten is probably more realistic if you're shooting for a normal-sized cupcake.

But I've nattered on quite long enough. Without further ado, I give you the world's simplest, moistest chocolate cupcake recipe. And vegan to boot!

Easy, Moist (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcakes via Simply Recipes
Makes 10 cupcakes (or 12 fairly small ones) - if you want to make a cake, double the recipe and cook in two 8-inch round cake pans for 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 cup organic cane sugar (I use vanilla sugar - it adds an extra yum factor)
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp sea salt
* 1 cup of medium strength brewed coffee
* 1 Tbsp white vinegar
* 2 tsps vanilla extract
* 6 Tbsps (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil

* Unbleached cupcake liners (I prefer to use unbleached paper liners as I suspect some of the bleach must get transferred to the wet batter as it heats up.)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (you can also grease the tin instead but the liners are definitely easier and will prevent anything from sticking.)

2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until there are no visible clumps. If you've got particularly clumpy cocoa or sugar, you can always sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, too.

3. In a small to medium-sized bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (mixture will be rather lumpy.)

5. Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Put in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a rack. Once cool, frost with the frosting of your choice and serve.

A few frosting options if you don't have one you like already (but please note that I haven't tried these recipes):

• Vanilla Frosting With a Whipped Cream-Like Consistency
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Buttercream Frosting (though I have to warn you that I practically had a heart attack just looking at the ingredients - it calls for 4 sticks of butter and 2 lbs of sugar just to frost 24 cupcakes or one 9-inch cake)
• Vegan Coconut Icing

You might also like:

• Chocolate Sour Cream Layer Cake
• Mya's Delectable Cupboard Brownies
• Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

Can Saver Kitchen Hack

Just wanted to share this handy little kitchen hack I've been using for the past year or so - the kitty food can saver!

Although it's obviously intended to keep cans of pet food fresh in your fridge it works equally well to keep canned chipotles or tuna fish fresh.

It had always bothered me that most of the can of chipotles would end up going to waste since I'd open a can of them, use just a tiny bit as I am quite wimpy about spicy food, and then lamely try to keep it fresh by covering it with some tin foil and a rubber band. It just did not work.

But now, my kitty can saver allows me to extend its stay in the fridge for many, many weeks. One nice thing about this can saver is that it's adjustable - the lid has several different circumference rings that will fit different sized cans. I got it at my local hardware store for under $2 but you can also find them online.

Check out some of these other "Gifts from the Kitchen Gods":

• Grapefruit Spoon as Squash Seed Remover
• Plastic Pot & Pan Scraper
• Immersion Blender
• Microplane Zester

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

Grilled Ramps - Simple, Spectacular & Seasonal Fare

We're coming to the tail end of wild ramp season here in the Hudson Valley so we made one more push to harvest a few more yesterday and we couldn't have picked a nicer day for it. Rahm took this photo of me with some of the ramps and the tool of the trade - I was like a pig in shit, if I do say so myself.

Just a reminder to please harvest sustainably if you are fortunate enough to find a big enough patch to sustain some picking. You can only take a fraction of the plants without impacting their ability to thrive next year. If you're not sure how much is too much, my friend and fellow Woodstock Farm Festival-er, Rick is a big proponent of snipping just the greens instead of digging up the entire plant.

And don't forget that you can and should start your own patch by planting seeds and transplanting bulbs! We started this process last year by ordering ramp bulbs and seeds from Facemire's farm.

The bulbs we planted last year are up again this year and seem to be doing well though it will be a number of years before they've spread enough to harvest any of them. We'll just keep at it, though, and eventually should have a stellar patch of these singularly tasty spring onions.

If you want to start your own patch (do it!) keep in mind that ramps like sandy, loamy soil near streams or on hillsides in deciduous forest - I've heard that maple and oak trees are their favorites - where they can enjoy the early spring sunshine before the trees leaf out and benefit from the natural mulch of leaf litter in the fall. They do NOT like the acidic soil and limited sunlight of conifer (pine/evergreen) forest.

Now that my little lecture has been delivered, back to the grilled ramps.We made these last night to accompany some grilled salmon with mustard and thyme and we are HOOKED! Even our four-year-old son who does not typically like onion-y, garlicky foods attacked them with great enthusiasm.

Very simple, too. Just toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill. Enjoy!

Grilled Ramps
Serves 2-4 as a side

Ingredients

* 1 bunch (roughly 20) amps, cleaned with root ends cut off
* 1-2 tsps olive oil
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Clean and preheat your grill.

2. While you're waiting for the grill to heat up, toss the ramps with the olive oil, sea salt and pepper in a large bowl until well-coated.

3. Lower flame to medium and lay the ramps out in a single layer. Cook until grill marks form then turn to the other side - this should only take 1-2 minutes on each side.

4. Remove to a platter and serve.

You might also like:

• Pickled Ramps
• Wild Ramp & Lemon Risotto
• Wild Ramp & Parsley Pesto
• Harvesting Wild Ramps

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

Curried Quinoa Cakes With Spinach

I have a dirty little secret to share. In the past, when I'd make too much quinoa, the leftovers would sometimes sit in my fridge, cold and unappetizing, taking up valuable refrigerator real estate, until enough time had passed and then I'd throw the whole mess into the compost. And then feel terribly GUILTY about wasting good food.

But not anymore! Now I find myself intentionally making way too much quinoa so that I can make these truly delicious quinoa cakes the next day.

I've been meaning to try these ever since my review copy of Super Natural Every Day arrived and I found myself wiping a few drops of drool off the page with Heidi's recipe for little quinoa patties. But what with one thing and another (like having a second child) I kept forgetting about them. That's the thing about having kids, you basically forget everything.

Until my mom-in-law threw together some surprisingly addictive (we all had seconds and some even went back for thirds) quinoa cakes a few weeks back. Then it was just a matter of waiting until we had leftover quinoa to work with. I finally got my chance last weekend and my whole family was thrilled by the results.

Once you've got the quinoa base, it's as easy and flexible as any fritter. I added sauteed red onions, garlic, spinach, fresh cilantro and parsley, garam masala, ground cumin, sea salt, black pepper, parmesan and used eggs and bread crumbs as my binder.

I was short on time when I made these for our dinner so mine were fried but you can also bake them with great results - I actually think they're even tastier than the fried ones plus no need to deal with hot oil which is always a plus in my book.  I've included instructions for both ways below.

You can also add anything else you think would be tasty to these fritters - black beans, red pepper, subsitute kale or chard for the spinach, etc.

Serve warm (or cold) with an herby cucumber yogurt sauce for maximum yum factor and enjoy the knowledge that you have a wonderful way to use up leftover quinoa for the rest of your days.

Curried Quinoa Cakes with Spinach adapted from Martha Rose Shulman’s recipe in the NY Times and Heidi Swanson’s little Quinoa Patties in Super Natural Every Day
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the quinoa cakes
* 2-2 1/4 cups cooked quinoa or 1 cup organic uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained and 1 3/4 cups water or stock (cooking it in broth or stock makes it way more flavorful)
* 3 good-sized garlic cloves, minced
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (*optional) - but if you do add them, use Eden Organicsince their cans are BPA-free
* 2-3 big handfuls of spinach, chard or kale leaves, washed, dried and roughly chopped (unless you’re using baby spinach in which case no chopping is necessary)
* 3 large eggs, beaten (pasture-raised are the best kind if you can get 'em)
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 Tbsp garam masala or curry powder
* 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Olive oil (4-5 Tbsps)
* Breadcrumbs or flour, optional (if your mixture is too loose)

For the yogurt sauce
* 1 cup whole milk yogurt
* 1/2 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 small-medium cucumber, peeled and diced (optional - but it gives a nice crunch)
* 1 large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, washed, dried and chopped
* 1 small handful of fresh parsley leaves, washed, dried and chopped
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 1-3 Tbsp milk to thin the sauce, if desired

Directions

1. If you don't already have leftover cooked quinoa - your first step is to make some! If you do, skip to number 2 below. Bring the water or stock to a boil, then stir in the quinoa, lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cover for 15-20 minutes until done - you'll know the quinoa is ready when you see the little white "tail" of the germ around the outside edge of each seed. If you're starting to see the little white tails but the quinoa seems too soggy, remove the lid for the last few minutes of cooking. You can also just drain the quinoa if that doesn't do it. And if the water is all gone but the tails are not visible yet, add a little more water and simmer for a few more minutes, covered. Then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. If you plan to bake your quinoa cakes, preheat the oven to 425 (and just skip to number 3 if you're planning to fry them.)

3. In a frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion for a few minutes, then add the garlic and spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, eggs, spices, cheese, salt, pepper and the cooled down onion, garlic and spinach mixture. Mix together until combined thoroughly.

5. Using your hands, form the patties. 
For baked: make the patties kind of wide and flat.
For fried: make them rather thick so that they'll have enough mass to stick together while you're frying.

6. For baked: line a heavy baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper, place the patties on the foil or paper and place in the oven. Bake, flipping once after about 10-15 minutes (once the bottoms are golden brown and sizzling) and bake another 10-15 minutes until the other side is golden brown. Remove to a platter or plate.

For fried: Heat the peanut, canola or grapeseed oil in a large, heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-low heat. Once it is hot but not smoking add as many patties ad you can comfortably fit while still allowing a little room between them so you'll have space to flip them and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the bottoms are deeply browned (cooking time will depend on how hot the pan and oil were when you started.) Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for another 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and cool on a paper grocery bag while you cook the remaining patties. 

7. Serve with the yogurt sauce or top with some cheese, sliced avocado, lettuce and ketchup. These are also great the next day - the extra time gives the flavors more time to develop.

You might also like:

• Savory Corn Fritters
• Quinoa, Sweet Corn, Lime & Jalapeno Salad
• Quinoa & Spinach Gratin

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

Mandarin Coconut Cookies - Vegan Yet Delicious

I've been known to make disparaging remarks about vegan baked goods so for me to say that these cookies are delicious means they are truly delicious.

Our friend, Karen who is the innkeeper at the lovely Woodstock Inn on the Millstream, had made a batch of these the last time we stopped by to let Will move sand in his dumper and throw rocks into the stream. While we were there, Rahm built this lovely stack of rocks that Karen captured a day or two later as the waters began to rise from the downpour we got.

Karen was very generous with her cookies and we sat around in the inn's kitchen/office enjoying them. When I asked for the recipe, she told me that it was from Whole Foods. So I Googled "Whole Foods mandarin coconut cookies" when we got home and, sure enough, there it was.

I've adapted their recipe slightly below as there were a couple silly / inefficient things in their version. For example, instead of removing the skin of the tangerines with a vegetable peeler and then chopping it to obtain enough zest, I've changed it to just zesting the tangerines. Time is precious, after all...

We happened to have a small pile of tangerines that were not getting any younger sitting on the counter so the timing was perfect. And I had the rest of the ingredients - coconut oil (which is great to cook with!), flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, salt and coconut flakes, too.

Will "helped" me make them. His favorite part was drinking the freshly squeezed tangerine juice and eating the sweetened coconut - and eating the cookies, of course. He told me recently in a very solemn and proud little voice, "Mama, I can eat SO much sweet things." Which is true.

Since we usually use eggs in our cookie dough (this vegan recipe is a real anomaly for me), he assumed that this dough was also off-limits for eating. And I saw no reason to tell him otherwise...

The dough is kind of fun to handle - the texture is soft and marzipan-like with a delicious sweet smell from the coconut oil and the tangerine juice. 

I also enjoyed smushing the cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped first in water and then in the coconut flakes to flatten them out for baking.

I think the cookies end up looking a little bit like flowers. Seems fitting now that it's Spring and the warmer weather is on its way. Enjoy!

Mandarin Coconut Cookies adapted from Whole Foods' recipe
Makes roughly 3 dozen

Ingredients

* 2 mandarin oranges, such as satsumas or clementines
* 1 1/4 cup sugar
* 3/4 cuporganic, virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup finely grated dried, sweetened coconut, divided
* 3 Tbsps cornstarch
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Use a microplane zester to obtain 1 tablespoon zest. Juice the mandarins to obtain 1/4 cup juice. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and oil on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the tangerine juice, zest and vanilla and beat again. Add flour, 1/2 cup coconut oil, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and beat again until combined.

3. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Arrange the balls two inches apart on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet (I used my Silpat but it's worth noting that  both parchment paper and Silpat contain silicon so, if you're concerned about that, my guess is you could also just grease a cookie sheet with equally good results.)

4. Dip a flat-bottomed glass in water and then in the sweetened coconut flakes. Press down firmly on each cookie, re-dipping the glass as needed. Bake until golden brown and just firm, about 15 minutes.

You might also like:

• Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Meyer Lemon Sorbet
• Candied Kumquats In Simple Syrup
• Candied Meyer Lemon, Bergamot & Blood Orange Peels

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.