This recipe is one of my favorites for entertaining in the spring. For a fun twist, you can wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus and put it on top of the gooey, melted teleme.
Crostini of Roasted Asparagus, Prosciutto and Teleme
(Makes 24 crostini)
Crostini:
1
baguette, cut on a diagonal into thin (about ¼-inch) slices
3-4
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1
clove garlic, peeled
Topping:
12-14
thick asparagus spears
1
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1
teaspoon lemon zest
1
teaspoon lemon juice
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/4
pound ripe teleme or crescenza cheese, at room temperature
4
thin slices prosciutto, cut to fit crostini
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Brush bread slices on one side with olive oil and toast in oven for 10–15 minutes until lightly brown and crisp. Remove and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Rub bread slices once with peeled garlic clove.
Trim tough ends off asparagus and cut spears on an angle into 2-inch pieces. Mix together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Place asparagus on a sheet pan and brush thoroughly with oil-lemon mixture. Roast until tender, about 7–10 minutes.
To serve, spread a tablespoon of the teleme/crescenza onto each crostini. Top with a prosciutto slice, then with the asparagus. (Or, roll the asparagus pieces in the prosciutto slices and put on top of teleme crostini.) Decorate the platter with lemon wedges, if desired.
This is the season for asparagus and artichokes; ripe heirloom tomatoes are only a distant dream. One of my favorite ways to prepare artichokes, besides methodically smearing the leaves across a stick of butter, is to stuff them. Done like this, they can be eaten hot or cold. I prefer them warm, but it’s your choice. Because they can be eaten cold, you can make them ahead and serve them as a first course at a dinner party.
Stuffed Artichokes (Serves 4)
4
jumbo artichokes
juice of 2 lemons (save one of the squeezed lemons)
1 1/2
cups Parmesan cheese
1
cup toasted breadcrumbs (made from toast)
4
garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2
bunch Italian parsley, minced
salt and pepper
3/4
cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash artichokes thoroughly, spreading the leaves to remove any soil. Trim the base so the artichoke will eventually stand up in baking dish. Trim spikes from artichoke leaves with scissors.
Fill a large stainless steel pot with water. Add half of the lemon juice and the squeezed lemon. Boil the artichokes until just tender; pierce the bottom with a knife to test for doneness. Don’t overcook. Drain and cool.
Spread apart center leaves of artichoke and remove choke, digging down to center with a teaspoon.
Mix together Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and one-half cup of the olive oil. Fill center of artichoke with mixture. Pull leaves slightly away from center and spread a slight teaspoon of filling onto leaves.
Place artichokes in shallow ovenproof dish and add 1 cup water. Drizzle with remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Cover tightly. Bake 30 minutes.
Serve hot or cold.
- GraceAnn
Cookbook Review
The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook By Jairemarie Pomo Ten Speed Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-58008-735-3
$19.95
I could eat oysters every day for a year, breakfast, lunch and dinner and never tire of them. That sounds extreme, but such is my love of the luscious bi-valves.
When I go to a new restaurant and they are on the menu, I always order them. I tell myself I am doing this to see if the staff can properly open them. But the real reason is that I crave them.
We’re all familiar with the proviso not to eat oysters in months that don’t have an “R” in their spelling. But, I discovered in reading The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook that we don’t have to worry about West Coast oysters in any month. The oysters susceptible to two bacteria are those from the Gulf Coast. There has never been a case of this bacteria documented in Pacific Coast oysters or those from north of Boston.
I have noticed in my years of slurping oysters on the half shell, naked, that is, without mignonette or any other sauce, that in August and September, West Coast oysters are fattier and stronger tasting. Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from downing them. A squeeze of lemon cuts the bolder flavor.
Despite the fact that I mostly eat oysters without any topping and rarely cooked, I tried this topping and to my delight, the oysters’ flavor shines through.
Pomo’s book covers the scientific and historical lore of oysters in addition to Hog Island’s own story. Recipes encompass cold and hot preparations for these lovely gifts of the estuaries around the country.
In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the garnishes. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the mignonette over each shucked oyster. Garnish with red bell pepper and green onion, if desired. Serve immediately.
Vande Rose is a sustainable, humane family farm that has been committed to raising pure Iowa Duroc heritage breed hogs for over a century. It’s been a favorite with chefs for years, but it’s starting to show up in upscale markets. The applewood-smoked bacon is dry cured the way it was 175 years ago. They start by hand rubbing the fresh meat with a mixture of salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and a pinch of curing salts crafted by pork expert (and husband of Boulevard chef Nancy Oakes) Bruce Aidells. Then it’s smoked over real applewood and cut into thick slices. The bacon is a perfect balance of smokiness, saltiness and sweetness. Because it is dry cured there is no added water or phosphates, resulting in substantial weight and minimal shrinkage. The award-winning artisan Vande Rose pork proves unequivocally that humane animal husbandry and refusing to take shortcuts does indeed make a difference. In fact, Vande Rose Farms has been generating rave reviews all over the country, even topping a blind taste test of artisan bacon conducted by the highly respected staff at Cook’s Illustrated.
Volume 1 Issue 16 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
This is the season for asparagus and artichokes; ripe heirloom tomatoes are only a distant dream. One of my favorite ways to prepare artichokes, besides methodically smearing the leaves across a stick of butter, is to stuff them. Done like this, they can be eaten hot or cold. I prefer them warm, but it’s your choice. Because they can be eaten cold, you can make them ahead and serve them as a first course at a dinner party.
Vande Rose
