Rice Noodles & Coconut-Matcha Broth with Delicata Squash, Baby Bok Choy & Cilantro

 

Adapted from Blue Apron November  2020

 
Now, here is a dish that brings sunshine to your soul. This recipe is harnessing its complex flavor and gorgeous color of matcha powder to bring an extra-special touch to the rice noodles and vegetables. Matcha, a powder made from finely milled whole green tea leaves, has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for nearly a millennium. In the broth, sweet coconut milk and palm sugar perfectly balance the matcha’s earthiness. Layered with herbaceous cilantro and other savory aromatics, like Thai Red Bird Chilies, this dish is a modern take on some of my favorite East Asian flavors.
 
Serves 2
 
Ingredients:
  • ½ pound wide rice noodles
  • 1¾ cups coconut milk
  • 3  cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 delicata squash
  • 1 Lime
  • ½ pound baby bok choy
  • 1 bunch Thai basil
  • One  1-Inch piece ginger
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Matcha Powder
  • Thai Red Bird Chilies, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.

Using a sturdy knife, cut off and discard both ends of the squash. Slice the squash crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds; cut out and discard the pulp and seeds.

Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter the lime. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Trim off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; roughly chop the leaves and stems. Pick the basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems.

In a small bowl, combine the matcha powder and 2 tablespoons of warm water.

Place the squash on a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and top with the juice of 2 lime wedges.

Once the squash has roasted for about 10 minutes, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

While the squash continues to roast, in the pot used to cook the noodles, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, bok choy and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and the bok choy leaves have wilted.

To make the broth, add to the pot of vegetables, the coconut milk (shaking the can just before opening), matcha-water mixture, lime zest, palm sugar and the juice of the remaining lime wedges; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until well combined and heated through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, rinse the cooked noodles under warm water to loosen them; drain thoroughly. Divide between 2 bowls. Top with the broth and roasted squash. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions, basil and chilies. Enjoy!  

Wine Pairing Notes:

Rancho la Viña Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

Tea notes in this Pinot reinforce the noodles’ matcha tea broth. The squash’s earthy sweetness balances the medium body and acidity.

San Simeon Pinot Noir 2014
Matcha’s green herbal note and the noodles’ nuttiness marry well with the the strawberry and cinnamon aromas of this Pinot Noir.

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Chilean Sea Bass with Shiitake Mushroom Broth

 

 

This dish is the kind that, with a little experience, many good home cooks could assemble from scratch, without consulting a recipe. The aromatic triumvirate of garlic, ginger and scallions is matched with soy sauce, rice vinegar and fish sauce. Shiitake mushrooms give substance and flavor, cornstarch thickens and sesame oil adds a taste of toasty richness.

You can spoon the sauce over the poached fish, but it will also work just as well with grilled, pan-seared or broiled fish, or on stir-fried strips of chicken breast, slivers of pork or beef, shrimp or scallops. Steamed rice could help soak up the sauce as well.

 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 ⅓ pounds sea bass or gray sole fillets
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • ½ cup chopped scallions
  • 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, or snipped chives (Optional)

 

 

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 175 o F. Place chicken stock in a wok or skillet, and bring to a simmer. Cut fish into pieces about 3 inches square, place in stock, and simmer until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Use spatula to transfer to heatproof platter, cover loosely with foil, and place in oven. Drain and strain stock, and reserve. Wipe out pan with a clean paper towel.

 

Heat peanut oil in pan. Add garlic, ginger and scallions. Sauté briefly, and add mushrooms. Sauté until wilted. Add soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce. Cook 30 seconds, then add reserved stock. Bring to a simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water, and add, stirring. Simmer until sauce has thickened. Add sesame oil.

 

To serve, transfer fish to a shallow bowl and spoon mushroom sauce over the fish. Gransih with a scattering of with cilantro or chives. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

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White Asparagus Soup with Butter Poached Lobster Tails

Did you know that asparagus has been used as a vegetable and as an ancient medicine, due to to its distinct flavor, and in medicine due to its diuretic properties and its purported function as an aphrodisiac. It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 BC. In ancient times, it was also known in Syria and in Spain. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter. Roman Epicureans froze its sprouts high in the Alps for the Feast of Epicurus. Emperor Augustus created the “Asparagus Fleet” for hauling the vegetable, and coined the expression “faster than cooking asparagus” for quick action.

By 1469, asparagus was cultivated in French monasteries. Asparagus appears to have been little noticed in England until 1538, and in Germany until 1542. 

Asparagus was brought to North America by European settlers at least as early as 1655. Adriaen van der Donck, a Dutch immigrant to New Netherland, mentions asparagus in his description of Dutch farming practices in the New World. Asparagus was grown by British immigrants as well; in 1685, one of William Penn’s advertisements for Pennsylvania included asparagus in a long list of crops that grew well in the American climate. sparagus became widely available in America during Colonial times, and was a particular favorite of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson enjoyed  asparagus while he was Minister to France. Given how much asparagus grew in his gardens at Monticello, he often served it for dinner to his guests at his Virginia plantation.

White asparagus is so loved in Europe that its fleeting appearance in the spring from, April to early June, is a cause for celebration and rushing to the farmers market or grocery store to make sure you get a few bunches before they are gone.

I discovered a bunch of white asparagus in my freezer. I had purchased them early in the spring at a farmers market. Not wanting them to go to waste, I blanched them and froze them, thinking I would use them soon…..

When white asparagus is out of season or not readily available, you can also used canned white asparagus or white asparagus that have been commercially prepared and packed in a jar. For the most part  asparagus prepared this way has been  pickled and can be stored for several years. Some brands label shoots prepared in this way as “marinated”. You can also purchase marinated  white asparagus on line from gourmet specialty food shops like EuropeanDeli.com, which sells LANDSBERG WHITE ASPARAGUS . Personally, I like to use the Roland Brand of White Asparagus Spears. The asparagus is packed in an 11.6 oz tall glass jar. They are carefully chosen to ensure a smooth texture, but remaining firm to the bite and touch. Their color is slightly off-white, almost ivory in color. They make a delicious salad appetizer with a light vinaigrette. Use in quiche or alone as a side dish. Traditionally prized in French or German cuisine, white asparagus is now used in many vegetable, salad and seafood dishes.

But what is the difference between white and the more common green asparagus?

Compared to green asparagus, the locally cultivated so-called “white gold” or “edible ivory” asparagus, also referred to as “the royal vegetable” .White asparagus has a milder flavor, is more tender and is grown underground. As a result of applying a blanching technique while the asparagus shoots are growing  underground, the shoots are cultivated by  being covered with soil as they grow, i.e. “earthed up”.

Since white asparagus does not get any light,  photosynthesis cannot take place and the shoots do not produce chlorophyll, hence the unusual color .The apical meristem does not fully develop, leaving the appearance to be short and sometimes stumpy.

Only seasonally on the menu, asparagus dishes are advertised outside many restaurants, usually from late April to June.  Freshness is very important, and the lower ends of white asparagus must be peeled before cooking or raw consumption. For the French style, asparagus is often boiled or steamed and served with Hollandaise sauce, White sauce, melted butter or most recently with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Tall, narrow asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently, their tips staying out of the water.

In Southern Germany, entire menus are dedicated to this springtime spear. During the German Spargelsaison or Spargelzeit (“asparagus season” or “asparagus time”). Schwetzingen , Germany claims to be the “Asparagus Capital of the World”, and during its festival, an Asparagus Queen is crowned. The Bavarian city of Nuremberg feasts a week long in April, with a competition to find the fastest asparagus peeler in the region; this usually involves generous amounts of the local wines and beers being consumed to aid the spectators’ appreciative support.

In Germany, roadside stands and open-air markets sell about half of the country’s white asparagus consumption. The asparagus season in Germany traditionally ends on the 24th of June.

An interesting way to use this treasured vegetable is in white asparagus soup or spargelsuppe in German. This soup highlights the delicate nature of the white flesh and is a great way to start any meal. In this version of spargelsuppe, the soup is made from puréed white asparagus and broth with some cream added.

To make the soup more interesting and suitable for serving as a special occasion meal, butter poached lobster tails was added to the dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
For the Parsley Oil:
1 bunch of fresh Italian Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Asparagus Soup:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup vegetable broth
4 to 6 white asparagus
Salt, to taste
Ground white pepper, to taste
A splash of white wine

For the Lobster Tails:
2 uncooked lobster tails
2 tablespoons water
1 stick salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces

For Garnish:
Blanched green asparagus spears
Watercress
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
For the Parsley Oil:
Blanch the parsley, stems intact, for 10 seconds. Drain and cool under cold water and dry on paper towels. Place in a blender along with 1 cup of the olive oil and blend completely.

Place a chinois over a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the paste into the chinois. Using a spatula, press firmly on the paste to release the oil. Alternatively, you can arrange a coffee filter over another glass jar Secure the filter over the jar with a rubber band and use a ladle to carefully pour the parsley oil into the filter. Just know that the draining will take 24 to 48 hours. Pour the oil into a clean sterilized jar and cover tightly and set aside until ready for use.

Note: The parsley oil can then be used in a vinaigrette, in cold soup or to garnish chicken or fish. It will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.

 

For the Asparagus Soup:
Trim about 1⁄2” from the woody ends of the asparagus. Lay spears on a work surface, then peel thin skin from each with a sharp swivel-blade vegetable peeler, starting 1 1⁄2” from the top and running the length of the spear. Spears are brittle and can snap when peeled in midair. Cut the asparagus into slices.

Heat a a medium saucepan over medium low heat; add the butter. Add the asparagus and gently sauté them in butter. Stir in the broth and the cream, increase the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes or until the asparagus is completely fork tender. Season with salt and white pepper.

Puree the soup in batches in the blender. Place a clean kitchen towel over the lid and hold down the lid, so the hot soup does not splatter, and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, you can use an immersion hand blender and puree the soup directly in the pan.

Add a few dashes of white wine if you think the soup needs acidity. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white ground pepper, if needed. Cover and keep the soup warm.

For the Lobster:
Use sharp kitchen shears to cut shell of lobster all the way down its back. Turn over and cut bottom shell all the way down. Peel off shell and remove the tail meat.

In a sauce pan, bring 1 tablespoon of water to simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1 piece of butter. When butter has melted, add another piece. Continue with remaining butter pieces, one at a time. Make sure the mixture does NOT come to a boil, otherwise the butter will separate.

Keeping the heat on medium-low, add the lobster pieces and cook for 5 minutes, turning the lobster pieces every minute or so. Make sure mixture does not boil. Remove lobster from the poaching butter and set aside.

To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls. Arrange three asparagus spears in the soup. Lay the lobster tail on top of the asparagus spears. Add a few drops of parsley oil. Garnish with spicy cress and lemon zest, if desired.

 

Cook’s Notes:
You can use fresh chives as a substitution for the parsley in making the oil, if desired.

 

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All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

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