This recipe resulted from a toddler’s demand of risotto and a bulk aisle that was out of arborio rice. It took a little longer to cook up than regular risotto, but the textures were really interesting and the result was delicious – both cozy and springlike.

Feeds 3-4

1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1/2 inch-1 inch pieces
1 spring onion, chopped small
5 garlic scapes, snipped small
1 cup barley
1/2 cup white wine
5 cups homemade chicken or veg stock
1 cup water
4 strips of bacon (optional topping)

1. Saute the chopped asparagus in a large chef’s pan with olive oil for a few minutes over high heat. (You can skip this step if you already have some leftover asparagus.) Set aside.
2. Heat your stock in a separate pan on the stove.
3. In the same pan, over medium, saute the onion, scapes and barley for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the white wine to the pan and stir constantly,  letting it bubble until there is very little liquid left.
5. Ladle in about one cup of the stock. Reduce to medium low. Stir and let simmer until the stock is absorbed. Add stock one ladle at a time, waiting between additions for the liquid to be absorbed. 
6. Add the water lastly and return the asparagus to the skillet. Stir.
7. Plate and sprinkle bacon on top for some extra crunch.

Eating locally and seasonally has many joys, but one particularly comes to mind this week after the farmers’ market has opened and hibernation has officially ended. It is the joy of seeing new friends again. I’m not just talking about all of those happy faces at the market, shoppers with baskets empty, farmers with fresh interns in two. I’m talking about a relationship that’s just as profound – the welcoming back of foods we’ve missed. Oh, rhubarb, it’s been so long!

This recipe can be used in many ways. I topped a pound cake with it, added cream, and pronounced it a first of the season – rhubarb shortcake. Eat it on top of yogurt, for breakfast on  granola, or plop it on top of some pancakes. It should keep in the refrigerator for a few days and brighten your tired, winter palate. 

Rhubarb and Ginger Topping

one pound fresh rhubarb
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled

1. Trim stems into 1/2 inch pieces. 
2. Add rhubarb to a saucepan and just cover with water. Turn heat to medium high and cover. The water will gently heat and begin to bubble. From the time you turn your water on until the rhubarb is just tender, the total cooking time is about 13 minutes. Keep an eye on it, so that it doesn’t turn mushy. (I knew mine was done when I really began to smell the scent of rhubarb.)
3. Remove the rhubarb from water and set aside.
4. Add sugar and ginger to 1/3 c. water in empty saucepan. Heat over medium high just until sugar dissolves, about one minute.
5. Add the rhubarb back into the sugar mixture and cook for an additional minute.
6. Cool, then serve.

Other ideas:

• Looking for another rhubarb recipe? Rhubarb cake is one of my favorites.
• Maybe you’re lucky enough to still have some raspberries in the freezer? Try this pie.

Clockwise:

Fiddlehead Omelet

Tomatoes trying to get a good start in life

Ravioli made from the last of the storage squash

Chickpeas with massaged kale
(I learned how to “massage” kale here – so many possibilities!)

Clockwise:

A luscious lemon loaf made with gifts of lemons from friends passing through CA (and recipe from the delightful Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)

The perfect hard-boiled egg, thanks to the generous layers at Heyday Farms

Vegetarian pho, inspired by My New Roots and put together with homegrown sprouts

Springtime stir fry with abundant greens from the Bay Hay farmstand

How to adapt a recipe for a half sheet cake pan:

• For a half sheet cake pan (12X18X2), you’l need to double a recipe that calls for a 9X13 cake.
• Bake the cake at 350F for 40-47 minutes. If, at 25 minutes, you find the edges are beginning to brown, tent them with foil. Before I placed the cake in the oven, I prepared the foil by measuring it out over the top of the pan and cutting a rectangle in the middle. This helped me to just open the oven quickly, place it on top, and close the door.
• Check the crumb with a toothpick in the center. It should, of course, come out clean. (The internal temperature of the cake should be 209-210F, but I found this less reliable of a test. Stick with the toothpick!)
• To have success with the frosting, really commit to letting all of the ingredients come to room temperature. Because it was such a big batch. I used the electric mixer and whisk attachment for all steps, instead of folding in the final yogurt cheese by hand. It will become smooth, shiny, and very easy to decorate with.
• Need more help? Do what I did and call King Arthur’s Baking Hotline. (Don’t have them in your contacts? You need to! These lovely, helpful people can be reached on a live chat, also.) While you’re at it, be sure to sign up for Baking Circle forums.

This recipe is adapted to rise over night in the refrigerator because it’s easier and more pleasant than trying to get the project done at very early morning hours. All you have to do is wake up and pop some decadence into your oven. Make this on special occasions or for special people.

Dough:
1 c. milk
5 tbls. butter
1 egg
3 c. AP flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast

Filling:
8 tbls. butter
1 tbls. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Off heat, whisk in the milk to warm. Whisk in egg.
2. Mix dry ingredients (including yeast) in a large bowl or the bowl of your standing mixer.
3. Add milk mixture and stir with wooden spoon. Mix or knead for a few minutes, until you have a buttery, smooth dough.
4. Cover with towel and let rise for an hour.
5. Mix the filling. Melt the butter and whisk in cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.
6. On a floured board or counter top, roll and spread the risen dough into a rectangle, roughly larger than a standard piece of paper. Spread filling on rectangle, leaving about a half inch of bare dough on the bottom (long) edge. Roll the dough up from the top to the bottom, using that bare edge to seal it.
7. Slice into 12 rolls.* Place, swirl side up, in a 9X13 pan.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.
9. In the morning, let the dough warm on the counter top for about an hour. (This isn’t an exact requirement – do what you need to in order to have a pleasant morning.) Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350F.

Optional add ons:

Sauce in pan: This is my preferred variation. Melt 5 tbls. butter and mix with a 1/2 c. cream and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Spread it in the bottom of your baking pan. (See the * in the above recipe.) Place rolls on top of the sauce and bake.

Cream cheese frosting:  Whip 3 oz. cream cheese with 1 tbls. milk and 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar. Spread on individual buns after baking.

Nuts: Add nuts to the top of the sauce in the bottom of your pan. Then place the rolls on top. Or….serve toasted nuts sprinkled over top. Or…if you live in a house with definite nut lovers, chop nuts finely and add them to the cinnamon filling before rolling up the dough.

White fondant glaze:  Mix 4 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 to 3/4 c. milk. Drizzle over entire pan of buns after baking in a pretty pattern. (Get daring and substitute a tbls. spoon of orange juice for the vanilla. You can also play with orange zest in your dough.)

Not interested in having dessert for breakfast? You can always eat some gruel.. ..

In the interest of making less kitchen waste (and for the sake of our pipes), we save fat left over from cooking bacon in a jar in the fridge. Using a little for cooking is not so radical – one of those lost cooking practices that should not be ignored for it is sheer deliciousness. (And hey, if you’re dairy free, it’s a good way to add a little yum without butter, right?)

Serves 2-3

about 5 oz dried pasta
3 strips bacon
1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans (or any white bean)
1 pound brussels sprouts
1 tbls. bacon fat
pinch of red pepper flakes
4 sprigs thyme
1/2 tbls. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper

1. Clean and cut the sprouts into thirds with a sharp paring knife.  (Cut from top to bottom. Core and stem is in the middle third.)
2. Drain and rinse beans.
3. Chop the bacon into 1/4 inch squares. Crisp the bacon over medium in a large cast iron skillet.
4. At the same time, bring your pasta water to a boil in a large pot. (Observe the cooking time of your selected pasta and cook accordingly.)
5. Remove the bacon to a towel. Reserve the bacon fat that is in the pan. Add sprouts to this pan. Sprinkle with salt. Stir to be sure they are coated on both sides and then turn burner down to medium low. Cover with lid for 8 minutes.
6. Transfer sprouts to a warm bowl to hold.
7. Add 1 additional tablespoon of bacon fat to skillet. Add beans, red pepper flakes, herbs, a generous amount of salt, and pepper. Give the beans a stir. Let them cook and sizzle while you go drain your pasta.
8. Add pasta and sprouts to the skillet
   with the beans. Stir. Sprinkle bacon on top. Stir once. Add a little squeeze of lemon. Stir and put on plates. Top with Parmesan, if desired.

Notes to those of you who are just learning to cook. This dinner began without a recipe. Just knowing that bacon and thyme go well with white beans, was the beginning of another improvisational pasta dish. Red pepper flakes add a little dimension and a squeeze of lemon brightens it up. For another simple brussels sprout recipe, try this.