Farmer's Market Quinoa Pilaf

2/3 cup dry quinoa
1-1/3 cup vegetable broth

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 green onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces
salt and lime/lemon juice to taste
1 handful chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and tarragon)
1 can white kidney beans, drained
2 Tbsp red pepper-eggplant spread (optional)

Heat the olive oil on medium. Add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and let cook for 5 minutes, or until darkened and juicy. Add the onion and asparagus, sprinkle with more salt and lime juice and cook until the asparagus is fork-tender. Add the herbs, red pepper spread and cooked quinoa and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Farmers' Market Quiche

I only buy eggs during farmers' market season, and then only from farms that I know treat their animals well. This makes quiche a fairly rare delicacy around our house. This one was easy and delicious.

1 tube biscuits

1 tsp olive oil

3 strips tempeh bacon, chopped

3-4 stalks asparagus, diced

2 spring onions, diced

2 stalks of spring garlic, diced

1 Tbsp fresh oregano and/or thyme

1 large bag spinach, rinsed

4 eggs

1-2 Tbsp grated cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Spray a pie plate with oil. Squish the biscuit dough out until it covers the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh bacon, asparagus, onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onions/garlic are wilted and the asparagus is tender. Remove the mixture from the pot and spread over the biscuit dough.

Add the spinach & 1/4 cup water to the pot and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the spinach is dark green. Drain the spinach in a colander, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. Chop the spinach finely and spread over the biscuit dough. Sprinkle herbs on top.

Beat the eggs lightly. Mix in the grated cheese, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture on top of the other ingredients in the pie plate. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ingredient notes: I grabbed everything except the biscuits and tempeh bacon at the farmers' market this weekend. The eggs & spring garlic came from Coyote Run. The cheese was Prairie Breeze cheddar out of Milton (purchased at Gateway Market some months ago). The asparagus came from Reinhart's Family Farm. The spinach and spring onions showed up somewhere along the route, too. You could, of course, use a pre-packaged pie crust, but watch the ingredient list for lard.

Asparagus-Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf

This was a spur-of the moment creation from this week's farmers' market haul, but the boy and I both agreed that it was damn tasty (and pretty simple, to boot).

3/4 cup quinoa
3/4 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup almond pieces (or pine nuts or cashews, optional)

Combine water, broth and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in nuts, if using, and let stand.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 head roasted garlic (or 3 fresh cloves, minced)
8 oz. oyster mushrooms, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme
salt to taste
lime juice to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until starting to get translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic, sprinkle in a little salt, and stir for another few minutes. Add the asparagus and herbs, spritz with lime juice and stir for 3-5 more minutes, or until the asparagus is tender and the mushrooms are cooked through. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Add more salt and lime juice to taste.

Serve sprinkled with a little nutritional yeast, if desired.

Asparagus Dill Quiche

I'm not completely vegan. I eat mostly vegan, but I make exceptions, particularly for locally and sustainably raised animal products. If you want to make this vegan, just replace the eggs and cheese with the tofu omelet mixture from Vegan Brunch and Daiya cheese.



1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and diced
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
4 eggs
3 Tbsp grated cheese (optional)
1 package crescent rolls
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs until yolks and whites are incorporated. Add cheese and salt and pepper. Unroll the crescent roll dough and press into the bottom of a greased pie plate. Spread the asparagus, dill, and onions in the pie plate. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Asparagus Pesto Pizza

This was delicious, and so easy. NOM.

1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into half-inch lengths
4 oz. oyster mushrooms, cut into smallish pieces
1 handful capers (optional)
1/4 cup pesto
1 batch pizza dough
cornmeal for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450. Sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza stone. Stretch out the dough and lay it on the stone. Toss the asparagus and mushrooms with half the pesto. Spread the other half evenly over your dough, leaving about a half-inch border all the way around. Top with asparagus, mushrooms and capers.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Note: I got my pesto and my pizza dough at Gateway Market, because I am too lazy to make my own. (Hint: if you ask the guys behind the meat counter for pesto, they will go get it for you from the kitchen.)

Roasted Asparagus, Spring Garlic and Oyster Mushrooms

Simple and delicious. Made completely with local ingredients from the Des Moines farmer's market.

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped into 3-inch pieces
8 oz. oyster mushrooms, torn into chunks
1 bulb spring garlic, chopped
a drizzle each of olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients and roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Asparagus-Dill Tofu Scramble

This recipe is based off one from Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen. It's still my favorite tofu scramble recipe. This week we added fresh asparagus and dill from the farmers' market.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 block firm tofu, drained
1 Tbsp pine nuts
2-3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbsp lime juice
black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 more minutes, until the asparagus is bright green and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, spices and salt and stir for a moment, until fragrant. Using clean hands, crumble the tofu into the pan. Add pine nuts, dill and lime juice and stir until heated through. Serve with toast and veggie bacon of choice.

Two Quickie Asparagus Meals

I've been so obsessed with making stuff from scratch this week that I've been spending a LOT of time in the kitchen. Making soy milk and tofu is a little time-consuming, not to mention the homemade corn tortillas, bread and a super-time-consuming asparagus soup that was more than a little disappointing.

We also spent tons of time in the garden tonight, mowing and raking our out-of-control grass and laying down lasagna gardens for some native plants we purchased at the farmers market. By the time I finally got inside, I was sweaty, gross and desperately needed a shower and dinner.

Thank God for asparagus. It's the perfect fast food.

Roasted Asparagus (w/ Herb-Roasted Potatoes & Oven-Grilled 'Sausage')

1 pound fresh asparagus
one hefty drizzle olive oil
a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar
one large pinch sea salt
several shakes fresh ground pepper

leftover Herb-Roasted Potatoes (from Vegan w/ a Vengeance)
2 Tofurkey Italian sausages, halved lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 425. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus. Drizzle/sprinkle the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over the asparagus and spread over two cookie sheets. Spread the potatoes on the lower half of one of the cookie sheets. Spray the sausages with oil and put cut side down on a cast iron grill pan.

Put everything in the oven. Set your timer for 10-15 minutes. Go shower and come back to delicious steaming hot food.

Asparagus in a Blanket
Shamelessly borrowed from Megan the Vegan.

16 spears asparagus
a little olive oil
1 package reduced fat Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Preheat the oven to 425. Snap the ends off the asparagus and toss with the oil. Place two spears on the long end of a crescent roll triangle and roll them up so they form a ring around the spears. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat with grainy mustard!