Garlic 2012 - I came, I cooked, I conquered (ok I got second place)

What a weekend! This morning, I am slowly recovering from the 22nd annual Virginia Wine and Garlic Festival at Rebec Vineyards. One of our favorite events of the season, this year did not disappoint. We worked, we participated, we partook, and now we are pooped.

This year, I covered the festival for the burg, and decided to focus on the Garlic Cook-Off. As you will read in the article, I also decided to enter the contest, and I am happy to say that I took second place! More importantly, the contest was a blast. My fellow contestants were friendly, Gary Jaketic was a perfect host, and the supportive crowd made it all a real event. Read the article and get my recipe for Leek, Potato, and Garlic Soup here.



Big thanks to all who came out to cheer me on. I am already coming up with some ideas for next year. 1st place in 2013 or bust!

Burg Article - Sans Soucy Shrimp & Wine Festival

Sometimes, my job as a food writer is SO HARD. Sweet shrimp, local wine, and outdoor entertainment. It's just exhausting.

My latest Burg article featured the Sans Soucy Shrimp and Wine Festival in Brookneal, VA. It's too late to visit the festival this year, but the article features some tips on cooking with shrimp along with three delicious shrimp recipes.

Big thanks to Paul and Cameron Anctil for their innovative recipes and beautiful photography on this one!

So I leave you with my favorite shrimp recipe. Savory, decadent, and comforting.

SPICY SHIMP & COLLARD GREENS OVER POLENTA
Ingredients 
1 cup polenta
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 cups shredded fresh collard greens or spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium/large wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cayenne or jalapeño peppers, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons butter
handful chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
3 ounces goat cheese
sea salt & pepper

Instructions
1. In a saucepan, bring broth to boil. Slowly whisk in polenta (whisking prevents clumping), add bay leaf and a couple pinches of salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In another saucepan, bring 1qt water to boil and salt heavily. Boil greens for 5-7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

3. While polenta and greens are cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and peppers, sauté for 2-3 minutes. When the garlic begins to brown, add wine and tomato paste, whisk and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

4. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until just cooked through

5. Add lemon juice, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley, and remove from heat.

6. Whisk goat cheese and 1 tablespoon butter into polenta, taste for seasoning, and add salt if necessary. In a shallow bowl, spoon polenta in the bottom, Place a mound of greens on top, and, then pour shrimp and pan sauce over top.

It's Asparagus Season - AHHHHH.

Spring is here, people! And when I say "here," I mean everywhere. In the past few weeks, I have checked out produce in Florida, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia - and I can say with certainty, Spring has sprung!

Why is this a big deal? Tank tops? NO! Spring vegetables! Asparagus! Peas! Leeks! Peppers! Avocados! Fennel! Bah!!!!! My enthusiasm is insane, but I can't help it. For the next few weeks, farmer's markets across the country are going to be filled with one delicious surprise after another. After the consistent kale and acorn squash of winter, everything will be new and exciting. So I urge you to get out there and see what your farmers have to offer.

 If you have not stopped reading this blog post due to the excessive use of exclamation points, you would enjoy my latest article about asparagus in The Burg. What a delicious writing process this was.

The article includes a few recipes from early blogging days, but what is new is my Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg & Parmesan. I am not even sure you can call this a recipe. I did a quick Google search, and confirmed the fact that thousands of people have made this before. But I chose to share it with you on the off chance you have not encountered this miracle combination because it is SO FREAKING DELICIOUS. I can brag on it because I did not invent it, but I certainly did eat it 4-5 times this week and take a pretty picture of it. The salty, lemony flavor of the asparagus dressed in the rich creamy egg and nutty parmesan is a winner. I give it a 10.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS W/POACHED EGG & PARMESAN
Ingredients
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt & pepper
1/2 lemon
2 eggs (preferably local)
parmigiano reggiano

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450. On large baking sheet, toss asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast asparagus is tender but not mushy, and edges are brown. Remove and dress with lemon juice.
2. Poach eggs, keeping the yolk runny.
3. Plate asparagus, and carefully top with poached eggs. Season with a little salt and pepper. Grate some fresh parmesan on the top. Break yolk directly before eating every single bite.

Enjoy and Happy Spring!
Ashley

St. Paddy's Day. Skip the corned beef - hit the cabbage hard.

In honor of today's holiday, I am reposting a recipe I originally developed for The Burg. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and cabbage - how much more satisfying can you get? My version is a bit different, using Savoy cabbage that is browned for a more meaty flavor.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

COLCANNON
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
Sea salt
½ head Savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons butter
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
Flat-leaf parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Put your potatoes in large pot and cover with water. Salt heavily. As Mario Batali says, your cooking water should taste “of the sea.” Heat to boiling, and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and mash to desired texture.

2. While potatoes are boiling, heat butter over medium-high in large, high-sided skillet. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add cabbage and black pepper; sauté until edges are brown and a little crispy, stirring occasionally. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Add mashed potatoes, vegetable stock and olive oil to cabbage mixture. Combine thoroughly, taste for seasoning, and add salt if needed. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Burg Article: Perfect Pumkpin

Here is my latest article in The Burg featuring the quintessential autumn vegetable, pumkpin. They're not just for carving! The article features my recipes for Thai Pumpkin Curry and Classic Pumkpin Butter.

Click here to view the online version of the article. 
Happy Halloween!

This Week's Burg Article: Don't Fear the Fuzz

Looking for something different to do with all that early autumn okra?
Check out my new article in The Burg!

Last Call for Tomatoes in THE BURG

Hang on to those last summer tomatoes as long as you can! Read my tomato article in the Burg with cooking tips, pretty pics, and some delicious recipes.