I took my own advice and had a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner at home with some of our dearest friends. It was nothing fancy: Ralph's marinara sauce over angel hair pasta, cheese ravioli, meatballs, a big tossed green salad and plenty of garlic bread.
Of course, we had a decadent chocolate dessert, a couple bottles of wine and a great bottle of port that Charlie from Adele's had given me. We had lots of leftovers for meatball sandwiches, and I canned the rest of the sauce. When Ralph makes sauce, he still uses a five-gallon pot so I always can it. That makes for some easy dinners and great gifts until we run out. Then he makes another pot and we start the process all over again.
I also helped out Charlie and Molly this last week with the Rotary fund-raiser at the Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall. It was a fabulous affair, and I have never seen the old church look so transformed. It feels special just to be in that building, and on top of that the dessert station was up where the altar used to be. What a win-win situation for the Brewery, the people who had the foresight to see what could become of that wonderful building and for the residents of Carson City who still have a chance to call it their own.
We got our first newsletter from Smith & Smith Farms letting us know what to expect for the upcoming growing season. They have plans for 184 varieties of vegetables and 123 varieties of flowers. If you are not one of the fortunate who receive a basket of produce from the Smiths, they sell everything they grow at the farmers' market on Wednesdays. You can't miss them; they are the first vendors as you come in the main gate to your right with their produce set up on an antique flatbed truck and loads of their Buckaroo Bouquets in front. I can never buy just one bouquet.
I want to share a quote with you that came from the newsletter. "When you sit down to a meal, it should be a time of pleasure and warmth, family and friends. Food should be enjoyed. Even more importantly, it should also be nourishment that meets all your body's needs. Nothing is more important for a good life than you food supply, " from "Search for Health" by Tom Valentine. This quote is certainly food for thought.
Asparagus is abundant in the markets now. I steam it for just a couple of minutes and pour on a little extra virgin olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. It is also good cold the next day, and you can cut up any extra spears and put them in a salad.
This recipe was in the March issue of "Martha Stewart Living," but for those of you who don't subscribe to the magazine, I thought it was worth sharing.
BRUSCHETTA WITH FONTINA AND ASPARAGUS
1 loaf sliced French bread
1 clove garlic
2 T. olive oil
1 1/4 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed
8 ounces fontina or Monterey Jack cheese grated (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Grill bread slices until golden on both sides. Rub one side with garlic; brush lightly with oil. Preheat oven to 350. Steam asparagus and cook until tender about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Place toasted bread on baking sheet and sprinkle fontina evenly over slices. Arrange 3 to 4 asparagus spears on top of each. Sprinkle parmesan over asparagus. Bake until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.
I've simplified the recipe a bit. You can also cut this down and just fix a couple of slices of bread with some leftover asparagus. On small baguettes with just the top of the spears, it would make a great appetizer.
This next recipe comes from New Orleans, and is the best New Orleans Style Bread Pudding recipe I've come across. I took a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking on Jackson Square. It cost $25 and included lunch. It was one of the best $25 I've ever spent because I have made this bread pudding for many functions, cooking classes and Mardi Gras parties. This recipe is adapted from that class.
NEW ORLEANS STYLE BREAD PUDDING
1 loaf French bread (I use Franco Sweet), cut into big cubes
4 cups milk
1 cup sugar or more, to taste
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
6 eggs
1/2 bottle pi-a colada mix
1 small can crushed pineapple in its own juice
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup toasted coconut
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Beat eggs, add milk, sugar, spices, vanilla, pi-a colada and pineapple. Mix well. Add bread and rest of ingredients. Mixture should be very moist, but not soupy. If too dry, add more milk; too wet, add more bread -- any kind will do (I use cinnamon bread or challah with the French). Mix spices with the sugar so the liquid will absorb them better. Pour into a buttered casserole baking dish. Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour, or until golden brown and set. Serve warm with whiskey sauce and whipped cream.
WHISKEY SAUCE
1 cube butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup bourbon (or to taste)
Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in powdered sugar until all butter is absorbed. Remove from heat and blend in egg yolks. Add bourbon and mix well. Serve warm. For a variety of sauces, substitute your favorite fruit juice or liquor to complement your bread pudding. One last note, I know there are some health concerns about using raw egg yolks. I have always used them and continue to do so.
Linda Marrone has been a Carson City resident since 1973, With her husband, Ralph, she operated Marrone's Restaurant in Carson City and currently owns Somethin's Cookin' Catering.