The weather is warming up, baby birds are chirping in my backyard, and my kids are begging to go to the pool. It is once again officially Spring. And, if I needed yet another reminder that Winter is over, I was met with piles of lush green asparagus last weekend at the farmer's market. After making my purchase, my mind whirled with the array of dishes I could make. Should I grill them and top with a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing, or maybe lightly sauté and serve with pasta? How about a creamy green soup? Or maybe a tart?

My musings were nothing new for me (as I'm constantly trying to dream up something interesting for both my family and this blog) or for asparagus itself. You see, as young and fresh as asparagus seems each spring, it's been served on dinner tables for thousands of years. It is even discussed in Apicius, a book of recipes dating back to ancient Rome. Back then, it was considered a delicacy. According to the directions in Apicius, each stalk was supposed to be "peeled, washed and dried and immersed in boiling water backwards." The preparation is a bit meticulous for my tastes. I'm not one to peel my asparagus and am hardly fussy enough to lay each stalk into a pot "backwards." Yet the dish sounds like something I'd enjoy eating nonetheless. And those Romans were right to love those green spears. Full of calcium, magnesium and folic acid, not to mention vitamins A, C and E, asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse.

So what did I make with my first asparagus purchase of the season? Well, I decided to try something completely different -- at least it was unusual for me, but after 2,000 years or more at the dinner table, I am under no illusions that I am the first to make it. I was thinking of making asparagus with pasta, but when I opened the pantry found an unopened box of risotto sitting prominently on the shelf. It had been ages since I made risotto and the idea of buttery rice with the earthy flavor of spring asparagus sounded wonderful to me. Plus my daughter Maddie had lost two teeth earlier that day and could barely chew, so the forgiving texture of rice seemed perfect.

But then I started to wonder how the risotto would taste if the asparagus were pureed into a béchamel sauce which was then added in. After imagining the dish, I knew I had to try it and was glad I did. The béchamel added a wonderful creaminess to the risotto while the pureed asparagus spears gave it a mild and intriguing flavor. Topped off with more asparagus that had been chopped and sautéed in olive oil and lemon zest, the dish highlighted the natural verdant taste of spring while also providing a comforting warmth.

Here's my recipe for Green Risotto with Asparagus, followed by instructions for making croquettes the next day with leftovers. Covered with panko and then fried in olive oil, the croquettes were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. So whether you make risotto, croquettes, or something entirely different, just be sure to take advantage of one of this season's oldest stars.

Green Risotto with Asparagus

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups risotto
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (warmed)
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot minced
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp milk
1 cup whole milk plus 2 Tbsp
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 medium asparagus
Zest from one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan and sauté minced shallots for 1 minute.
2. Add risotto and stir until fully incorporated.
3. Pour in 1/2 cup broth and mix thoroughly. When liquid is absorbed, continue adding 1/2 cup broth to the rice and stirring until absorbed. Do this until the rice is al dente (meaning it's cooked through but not mushy). I ended up using around 4 cups of broth but you may need more. Be sure to continually stir so you don't scorch the rice at the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the wine (if using) and add season with salt and pepper. Turn off the burner.
5. Meanwhile, mince 7 asparagus and sauté in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a separate sauce pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and blend with 2 Tbsp milk until pureed.
6. In the same sauce pan that you used to cook the minced asparagus, melt the butter and then add in the flour to create a roux. Stir in milk and heat on medium low until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add in the pureed asparagus. Your sauce will now be green.
7. Roughly chop the remaining asparagus and sauté in a separate pan in olive oil (about 1 Tbsp) with the lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the green sauce to the risotto and mix thoroughly. Incorporate 1 cup Parmesan cheese and stir.
9. Spoon risotto onto plates and top with cooked asparagus and lemon zest.

Green Risotto Croquettes

Makes: 4 - 6 croquettes

Ingredients:
1 cup leftover Green Risotto
1 egg beaten
1 cup panko or dried bread crumbs
olive oil for frying

Preparation:
1. Beat egg in a medium bowl and set aside. Place panko in a flat plate.
2. Drizzle a pan with olive oil (I like to use my cast iron) and heat to medium high.
3. Spoon a golf-ball sized amount of rice into your hand and then flatten into a round disk. Dip into the egg and then the panko, coating it thoroughly. Do this until all the risotto is gone.
4. Lay croquettes into the hot oil and saute on each side until golden brown.
5. Serve with grilled asparagus or a salad.

I recently got married (and changed my name from Kim Goodfriend to Kim Laidlaw, in the off chance that there was any confusion) and my new mother-in-law and her partner, who I've only met on one other occasion, came to visit us...all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Now, I adore my mother-in-law, but I was a little intimidated when she announced that she only likes to eat Italian and "normal" food. What would I ever find to prepare for her? How could I possibly wow her with my culinary prowess? What if I made something she hated? Was my imagination going off the deep end?

The solution came with a trip to the SF Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market on the first Saturday of their stay. We arrived early and made an initial pass through the crowd, just to get our bearings. She was enthralled with all the fruits and vegetables and foodstuffs she'd never seen before. We left the guys on a bench near the bay and went off on our second pass, sniffing this, trying that, and all the while, I kept asking her what she liked or disliked. In this way, I managed to cobble together my first dinner for my new mother-in-law.

First stop--and a pretty safe bet--was Shogun Fish, who display their freshly caught salmon and halibut every Saturday. We chose two thick gorgeous, incredibly fresh, deeply red, wild salmon fillets. I mean, who doesn't love salmon?*

*Note: Um, actually I don't. In fact, I rarely like salmon. I particularly loathe farm-raised salmon which I find flavorless. However, when it's fresh it can be absolutely delicious. And I've become quite a fan of smoked salmon in recent years. Which is a good thing, because my husband and his entire family are Scottish. And they love smoked salmon. It's like a national dish. Second only to fried things. And maybe haggis. Oh, wait, and whisky. Yes, whisky is a food group. But I digress...

We also gathered just-dug-up fingerling potatoes, fragrant heirloom tomatoes, wild arugula (aka rocket as it is called in the UK), crunchy lemon cucumbers, figs, and a decadent array of cupcakes from Miette.

Dinner was a raving, smashing success (can you hear the musical crescendo in the background?). We started with sliced figs topped with triple-cream cheese, basil, and aged balsamic. The main event included grilled salmon simply dressed in fresh oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper, along with roasted fingerling potatoes and a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and arugula. All of it was washed down with a gorgeous bottle of Navarro Edelzwicker.

Unfortunately, in my fumbling, nervous, slightly overwhelmed culinary haze, I never managed to get out the camera to capture said delicious amazing dinner. But, we were left with a good chunk of leftover salmon, given that I have a knack for over-purchasing. Which brings me to my very own mother (I think I'm establishing a theme here)...

One of my childhood faves, and one of my mom's specialties, is salmon croquettes. Yeah, I know I already blasted salmon. But this is Fried Salmon. In cakes. With sauce. And it truly is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to use up your leftover salmon.

Salmon Croquettes

1 1/2 cups cooked salmon
1 egg, separated
1 handful saltines or water crackers, crushed to bits
1 tablespoon aioli or mayo
Oil for frying

Make sure that the salmon is free of any bones or skin, then put it in a large bowl, breaking it up into large flakes with your fingers. Add the egg yolk, cracker bits, aioli and salt and pepper to taste, then gently stir together to combine. In a separate bowl, whip the egg white to medium peaks (don't overwhip!). Fold the egg white into the salmon mixture. Gently form the salmon mixture into patties, about 2 inches in diameter.

In a large frying pan, heat about 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat. Carefully add the salmon cakes and fry, turning once, until crisp and golden on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, then serve with the aioli.

Sort-of Aioli

1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup light olive oil or a mixture of olive oil and canola oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Note: This is not garlic aioli which is why I call it sort of aioli because in some strict foodcamps that is the only aioli there is. However, I don't really happen to like garlic (with a few specific exceptions) so if you want to add it, go right ahead.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and mustard. Add a pinch of salt. Slowly add the oil, very slowly, a dribble at a time, while whisking. Make sure that all of the oil is incorporated into the yolk before adding more. The mixture will continue to thicken the more oil you add. If it gets too thick, add a bit of the lemon juice. As you get near the end, you will find you can add the oil a bit more quickly. Once you have added all of the oil, whisk in the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve alongside the salmon cakes.