{SOUPE FROIDE AUX ASPERGES BLANCHES ET A LA VANILLE} While I know that the asparagus season is officially coming to a close, I wanted to sneak in one last recipe, as there are still bunches of white asparagus appearing in our farmers market, and next spring is a full 365 days away!!

Do not be fooled by my images…. what looks like a sumptuous vanilla cream is actually CHILLED white asparagus soup with the added touch of vanilla bean. This was an intentional trompe l’oeil  (AKA fooling of the eye), which demonstartes my love of taking ingredients, typically used in sweet recipes and using them in savoury ones (& vice versa). The outcome is an awaking of the senses!

Our senses need a wake-up call from time to time, as we all find ourselves EATING THE SAME THING week in week out - does this sound at all familiar???  The problem is not a lack of ingredients or imagination, but more of falling into the cooking comfort zone….  and while I love my traditional asparagus soup, things needed to be shaken up a little - so I removed the onion, added the vanilla bean + white pepper and dropped the temperature to a cool summer chill.  

Besides, it really is too HOT to cook, & heating a saucepan for 10 minutes is my outside limit at the moment!

WHITE ASPARAGUS FACTS

• AKA spargel - the German name for asparagus (where most asparagus is white!)
• Grown covered in soil to avoid photosynthesis preventing the shoots from turning green
• This produces a less bitter, more tender, sweet taste
• Season is from April to June

VANILLA BEAN FACT

• Name : derived from the Spanish vainilla meaning “little pod”
• Vanilla is the fruit of an orchid flower, grown in the form of a bean pod
• Originated in the Gulf of Mexico
• Now grown in Madagascar (3/4 world’s supply), Tahiti : see Chocolate & Zuccini blog, Mexico…
• Over 110 vanilla orchid varieties
• 1 variety, vanilla planifolia (Bourbon vanilla), produces the majority of commerical vanilla beans
• Hand harvested, rinsed, & rolled in blankets to “sweat”, then gently dried in the sun
• Uses: INSIDE - of the bean is used to flavour cakes, ice cream, sweets, drinks etc. PODS - Keep & dry, placing them in a container of white sugar, to give a vanilla perfume. POWDER - finely grind the dried pod and use in cooking!

RECIPE

{STEAMED ARTICHOKES -  ARTICHAUTS A LA VAPEUR} Artichokes are actually eatable flowers… which would explain their simple, natural beauty. I often find myself being wood by crates of these lovely globes, not only by their looks, but for their versatility in cooking. 

While the list of artichoke recipes is long & extensive (canapés, soups, salads, gratin….), simply steaming the choke & eating it leaf by leaf, dipped in a sumptuous vinaigrette- is a little bit of heaven. And it is here that the saying “It’s what’s in side that counts…” holds doubly true, as while the leaves are delicious, the piece de résistance, the whole reason for buying the artichoke in the 1st place, is for its tender heart.

ARTICHOKE FACTS

• Name : derived from the ancient Northern Italian articiocco (modern carciofo)
• A perennial thistle from Southern Europe & the Mediterranean
• 16th century: artichokes were reserved for men as they were considered an aphrodisiac
• Origin thought to be in Italy
• Over 140 artichoke varieties
• Peak season April thought to June
• Select dark green, heavy, artichokes with tight (not open) leaf formation
• Freshness test: squeaks when squeezed. Avoid brown tips.
• Store in the fridge, unwashed, sprinkled with water, in an airtight plastic bag
• Health note: artichokes are a powerful antioxidant

ARTICHOKE ETIQUETTE

• Like asparagus, steamed globe artichokes can be eaten with your fingers!
• Leaves : pluck each leaf off by pulling the pointed end
• Dip the edible wider end of the leaf into the vinaigrette
• Eating : put 1/2 the edible end in your mouth, and drag it between your teeth, scrapping off the flesh
• The leaves will become progressively smaller, tender & white with purple tips towards the centre, and can often be eaten whole 
• The Artichoke heart : is the centre or flower of the choke, covered in a thick bed of fuzzy, hairlike strands. Using your fingers or a spoon gently pry away the hairs revealing the edible choke, referred to as the ‘heart’. This is often the favourite part of the artichoke

RECIPE

PIERRE HERME :  P is for perfect and H is for heavenly : sweet delights, from cakes to pastries, chocolates, sweets, tarts, deserts, petits fours, sorbets and macarons!

Pierre Hermé is an artist - an artist of pastry making. Born in Colmar, Alsace, to a family of three generations of baking & pastry making, he began his apprenticeship at Gaston Lenôtre at the age of 14. It was here that he discovered his passion for pastry making. After many years of experience, he opened his 1st boutique in 1998 at the Otani Hotel in Tokyo. It was only in 2002 that he came back to his roots and opened his Parisian store, which I had the pleasure of visiting.

But I am getting ahead of myself, and a story is told best from the beginning!! This past weekend my fiancé whisked me off to Paris for a romantic trip for two….. Knowing my passion for the culinary arts, & the need for inspiration for our forthcoming wedding cake, he had sweetly included a few surprise visits along the way.

As we strolled through the streets, there was no shortage of eye candy…. So when we arrived in the 6ème arrondissement, at Pierre Hermé’s small patisserie on rue Bonaparte, I was intrigued but not overwhelmed. Perhaps the fact that you had to wait outside to then squeeze into the shop, should have been an indication…. but as they say the proof is in the pudding, we had yet to taste.

STORY CONTINUED