As you all know, asparagus is my favorite vegetable; my husband will even eat it. I enjoyed preparing my asparagus salmon quiche, and even though I have quite a few well-loved asparagus recipes, I'm always looking for new ones. As far as I'm concerned, you can never have enough recipes. A recipe in the April issue of Food and Wine magazine caught my attention, and I had to try it: an asparagus salad. It was packed with flavor and included some interesting ingredients, like smoked almonds, which I had never used before. But boy, did they add flavor to the salad! I also liked the way the asparagus was cooked. It turned out crunchy and dark green, just as it should be in a salad I’m writing this quickly because I’m leaving for Germany tomorrow to visit my German family. It’s been far too long since we last saw each other! It’s a short trip, only two weeks, but it’s better than nothing. As I get older, traveling has become more of a hassle. I can’t run up and down the stairs at those huge train stations anymore to catch a train with just one or two suitcases; those days are gone. I have a German girlfriend, and she says that traveling is overrated. I’m not there yet, but there will come a time when I can’t travel anymore. I’m adjusting my itinerary accordingly, but there’s one train ride where I have to take three different trains, and I must admit that scares me a little bit. I’m hoping that someone young and energetic will help me with the suitcase. Let’s get back to the recipe for this incredible salad! The flavors are divine, and it can serve as a complete meal alongside some nice crusty bread. I mostly followed the recipe from Food and Wine magazine, but I did add some lettuce to the salad. Next time I make it, I’ll try using less mayonnaise and adding some yogurt instead. I increased the garlic to two cloves. I used an entire can of anchovies, mashed three into a paste for the dressing, and used the others on top of the salad. I had some leftover dressing, which I used for another salad. Ingredients:
Four to five asparagus will make one serving. It will make 4 to 6 portions. 2 pounds fresh asparagus 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 oz. pecorino cheese grated about 1/4 cup 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp water 1 tsp. Anchovy paste or 3 anchovy filets mashed into paste ½ tsp, grated lemon zest plus 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice ½ tsp. black pepper ¼ tsp. salt 2 garlic cloves grated ½ cup smoked almonds Romaine letters Directions: Cut or break off the woody part at the end of each asparagus stalk. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating up, fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until it’s crisp-tender, about two minutes. Transfer the asparagus to the ice water and let it cool for about five minutes. Drain the asparagus and pat it dry with a towel. I kept my asparagus rolled in a towel in the refrigerator until I was ready to serve the salad. For the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, pecorino, mustard, two teaspoons of water, anchovy paste, pepper, salt, and garlic until the ingredients are well combined. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. On a large platter, add some washed and torn Romaine lettuce. Top with asparagus and drizzle the dressing over everything. Sprinkle the salad with chopped smoked chopped almonds, additional pecorino, and pepper. Guten Appetit! Recipe from Food and Wine Magazine (April 2025) Posted by sunnycovechef.com Happy Easter to all of you! Here are some Easter Stories from previous posts, filled with recipes and travel stories! Enjoy. Easter in Germany and deviled eggs Celebrating Easter in Germany Avacado Toast preserved lemons, and Easter in Germany
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This Schwäbisher Kartoffelsalat |
Ingredients 1 Ib cooked shrimp ¼ cup plus more seasoned rice vinegar 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp peeled and minced ginger 1 Ib jicama, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks 1 long European seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick matchsticks 1 Ib firm, ripe apricots cut into ¼-inch thick wedges ¼ cup chopped cilantro salt and pepper to taste | Directions Make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, ginger, garlic and oil. Add the shrimp, jicama, cucumber, and cilantro . Season with salt and paper. recipe from Gourmet magazine by ©Sunnycovechef |
Enjoy !
Click here for the recipe
Happy Easter
Fröhliche Ostern
Ingredients 2 cups farro 1 ½ tsp grated orange zest 2-3 TBS orange juice 2-3 TBS lemon juice 2 TBS thinly sliced shallots 1 ½ TBS grated ginger ¼ cup (plus) olive oil ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup sour cherries ¼ cup fresh mint 2 TBS cilantro 1 TBS preserved lemons (optional) salt and pepper to taste | Instructions Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook covered for 35-40 minutes, depending how crunchy you want your farro. After you finished cooking, drain the farro and make sure to shake off all the excess water. In the meantime, make the dressing by whisking the orange zest, orange and lemon juices, ginger and oil together. Season with salt. Add the warm farro to the dressing along with the raisins and cherries. Mix well and let it stand to cool. Just before serving, add the scallions, pistachios, mint and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and extra oil or juice. Serve the salad at room temperature. Guten Appetit recipe by Food and Wine magazine adapted by©Sunnycovechef.com most photos are by Deborah Ryan |
I made this salad for the first time over a year ago and invited my friend Deb from
East of Eden Cooking. She made most the photos for this post. Thank you, Deb!
Ingredients (makes 4 to 6 servings) The salad 1 to 2 celeriac roots (about 1 pound or less) coarse sea salt 1 tsp table salt 1 tart green apple 1 head of romaine lettuce ½ cup toasted walnuts 3 or more TBS lemon juice The dressing 1 garlic clove (1 tsp peeled) ½ tsp coarse sea salt 1/3 cup (100g) mayonnaise 1/3 cup (100g) European yogurt 2 TBS prepared horseradish in a jar ½ cup milk 1¼ cup (50g) freshly grated parmesan cheese ¼ tsp Worcester sauce several drops tabasco sauce salt and pepper to taste The shrimp 16-20 large peeled shrimps with tails 3 TBS olive oil 1 tsp finely minced garlic 1 TBS (30g, 1.5 ounce) minced ginger | Dressing I use Trader Joe’s European nonfat yogurt and I use a micro grater to grate the parmesan cheese, which gives it a light and fluffy texture. I grate the cheese this way because it is less dense than usual, hence a lighter dressing. You don't want to overpower the flavor with too much cheese. 50 grams is 1.5 ounces. Mash the garlic with the sea salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. The dressing can be kept in the fridge for several days and can be used on any salad. Salad Roast the walnuts in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool. Using a sharp knife, cut both ends of the celeriac, then peel the rhino-tough skin. There will be a lot of peelings and roots for the compost pile. Slice the celeriac and then cut the slices into approximately ¼-inch thick and 2-inch long sticks. You will end up with different sizes, I'm just giving you an estimate. Think thicker Julienne strips. Immediately after cutting the celeriac sticks, put them in cold water with either vinegar or lemon juice. You can use a mandolin slicer, but I did it by hand. Bring a large pot of salted (about 1tsp salt or more ) water to a boil. Add the celeriac sticks and bring to boil again. Immediately drain the celeriac into a colander and rinse with cold water. You want the sticks to be still crunchy. Drain the celeriac again and let it cool and dry. I kept mine in a container for several days, I sprinkled them with additional lemon juice. Shrimp Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Make sure the shrimp is deveined. Rinse the shrimp and dry with kitchen towels. My husband does not believe in rinsing the shrimp because it washes out the flavor of the shrimp. Heat the the oil in a large frying pan. Depending on the size of the shrimp, sauté them for several minutes until they turn pink. Please, do not overcook your shrimp. If the shrimp are very large, wait a minute before adding the garlic and the ginger. Since mine were medium-sized, I added all the ingredients and sautéed my shrimp for about three minutes or less. Assembling the salad Separate the leaves of the romaine and rinse them to remove any dirt. I used my salad spinner to dry them. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wrap them in a towel and they will keep in the fridge for several days. Cut the apple into small slices (I didn't peel my apple). Mix the celeriac, lettuce and apples with half or less of the dressing. Sprinkle with the crushed walnuts and top with the shrimp. Serve extra dressing on the side. Since I had more than I needed, I served my salads over several days, keeping all the ingredients separate and mixing it with the dressing shortly before serving One night I served the salad without the shrimp. Guten Appetit recipe from a German Magazine adapted by © Sunnycovechef |
This potato salad is one of my favorite recipes—I created every bite of it myself. So, if you don't like it, you have only me to blame. I have used this recipe for decades, and it’s perfect for picnics, large parties or any small gathering. There is no mayonnaise, so it won't go bad if left out on the table for awhile. When I have a large summer party, I usually make this salad (or my Chinese noodle salad), both go well with salmon, chicken or any other protein. It makes a stunning presentation.
Here are some important things to remember :
Use firm white potatoes (russet potatoes are not good for this).
When you use larger potatoes, you need more dressing because these kind of potatoes absorb more dressing.
Steaming the potatoes and beans makes for a better salad.
The amount of vinaigrette depends on the texture of the potatoes. Sometimes, I double the vinaigrette so that I have some extra if needed. You will have quite a bit of leftover vinaigrette if do this. Extra vinaigrette will keep in the fridge and is good for different salads.
I keep everything in separate bowls and assemble the salad before serving.
I use different grainy mustards
Ingredients 2 lbs. yellow potatoes 1 lb. green beans (the skinnier the better) 2 cups mixed greens 3-4 TBS chopped cornichons (small pickles) 2 TBS chopped chives sweet peppers and radishes for garnish coarse sea salt Vinaigrette ½ cup olive oil 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 cup finely chopped red onions 1 ½ tsp. mustard ½ tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp fresh ground pepper 1+ TBS cornichons (pickle) juice | Directions While the potatoes are steaming, put the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small, heavy pot. Mix well and add the onions. Very slowly, warm the vinaigrette until it is hot (but not boiling). Add sugar, salt and pepper while the vinaigrette is heating up. Wash and steam the potatoes in a covered pot for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Test for doneness with a sharp paring knife. Do not overcook the potatoes. Peel the potatoes while they bare still hot. Use a fork to hold the potatoes, while peeling them with a paring knife. Put the potatoes in a bowl and pour 3/4 of the vinaigrette over the potatoes. Mix gently so that all potatoes are covered with the vinaigrette. You might have to add some extra. Cover the bowl and keep it room temperature. I have kept marinated potatoes refrigerated for a day or longer. Steam the washed and trimmed green beans in a covered pot for 3-4 minutes. I love my beans al dente. When finished steaming, put the beans in a bowl of ice water. This way they will keep their nice, shiny green color. Dry them with a paper towel, put in a bowl and add some of the vinaigrette to the beans. Cover the bowl, and keep at room temperature if you are serving it the same day. Otherwise, refrigerate the beans. Before plating, taste the potato salad and add extra vinaigrette, salt and pepper if needed. Mix in the cornichons, juice and chives. To assemble, put the lettuce on a large plate. Mound the potatoes in the middle of the plate, adding the beans around them. Decorate with radishes and sweet small peppers. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Guten Appetit! recipe © Sunnycovechef |
Life continues, it goes on and it is beautiful. I have so many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my dear friends, Diane and George, and their beautiful serene mountain retreat. It is a dream, even when it rains on the day of a big party. We were celebrating a birthday and a soon-to-be-married beautiful granddaughter. It was the only rain we had in months here in California, so nobody was complaining. An old spinnaker sail was hoisted over the picnic tables and it kept out most of the precious rain drops. There was a big, beautiful, smoked ham from the Corralitos Meat Market local butcher, and much more delicious food.
It was a lot of work, a labor of love.
If you are looking for a refreshing drink for a lunch or party, try my strawberry punch or Erdbeerbowle as we call it in Germany. This is a wonderful way to drink your fruit. |
Ingredients Serves 4-6 14 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles (the thinnest available) The Marinade 7 TBS dark sesame oil 7 TBS soy sauce 3 TBS balsamic vinegar 3 TBS sugar 2 ½ tsp salt 1 TBS red pepper oil 8-10 scallions, the whites & some of the greens (thinly sliced into rounds) 1 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 3 TBS cilantro, chopped The Vegetables 1 pound or more asparagus ½ pound mung bean sprouts (optional) 1 cup snow peas, strings removed 1-2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal 3 TBS sesame seeds handful of radishes, thinly sliced and then slivered ¼ cup toasted pistachios, cashews, or roasted peanuts (optional) cilantro leaves for garnish | Directions The Marinade and Noodles Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl, and stir them together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and store in a jar with a lid. I keep mine in a mason jar, so I can shake the marinade before using. The marinade will keep in the fridge for several days. Bring a large pot of water to a roiling boil. While the water is heating, gently pull apart the the strands of noodles with your fingers, loosening them and fluffing them as you do so. Add the noodles to the boiling water and give them a quick stir. Cook them briefly, a few minutes at most. Immediately pour them in a colander and rinse them in cold water. Shake the colander vigorously to get rid of as much water as possible. Put the noodles in a bowl, stir your marinade and add about one third or more to the noodles. Spread the noodles on a baking sheet and toss them with your hands to prevent any sticking. If you want to refrigerate the noodles, put them back in the bowl and cover them with plastic wrap. Allow them to come to room temperature before adding the vegetables. The Vegetables Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the snow peas until they are bright green, no more than 30 seconds. Immediately remove them with a strainer and put them in ice water. Let them dry on a towel and cut them into diagonal strips. Blanch the sprouts in the same water for 30 seconds, rinse them in cold water and spread out to dry on a paper towel. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and blanch the stalks in boiling water for a few minutes (do not overcook them). Put the drained asparagus in ice water and spread out on the kitchen counter to prevent any further cooking. Cut the cooled asparagus into serving sizes. Roast the sesame seeds in a cast iron frying pan until they are lightly colored and smell toasty. Assembling the salad Carefully toss the salad using most of the vegetables with more marinade. Leave some of the veggies to decorate on top. Sprinkle the salad with cilantro leaves and sesame seeds. Recipe from the Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown adapted by ©sunnycovechef |
Why Do We Cook?
On this particular night, I roasted some fresh asparagus coated with walnut oil sprinkled with sea salt in a preheated oven at 375˙degrees for about 8 minutes. The cabin is at a 6000-foot elevation, so the cooking time increases. I made my citrus vinaigrette for my green salad and pulled out my sauces and condiments that everybody loves with the lamb. Mint jelly is a must, however, my mountain fridge had some wonderful treasures—like the cranberry ketchup I made for our Christmas dinner and never used, and my green sauce that I made a couple of days before to go with salmon cakes. This green sauce had more garlic than normal and was mostly yogurt with some chives. We had a great dinner, and the wine and conversation was flowing. Everybody seemed to enjoy the food. I covered my little creamy potatoes and pieces of lamb with the different sauces—and it was divine. Some of the little lentils from my lentil salad were swimming in the sauce–and oh what flavor! Every bite brought more joy.
Ingredients 1 cup French lentils 3 cups water 3 small sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme 2 cloves garlic 2 bay leaves 1 small carrot (for cooking) 3/4 cup finely diced carrots (to add to the salad) 1 tsp. salt The dressing 1 TBS Dijon mustard 2 TBS champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar ¼ cup walnut oil or olive oil ¼ cup chopped chives 1 TBS chopped fresh tarragon 1 small shallot (peeled and minced) Additions to the salad freshly ground pepper to taste coarse sea salt to taste 1 TBS vinegar 1 celery rib (finely diced) goat or feta cheese lettuce | Directions Rinse the lentils and put them with the thyme, garlic, bay leaves, the carrot, water and 1 tsp. salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add the diced carrots and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook, as the lentils should still have a light crunch. While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk the oil to emulsify. Add the shallots and fresh tarragon. Drain the lentils well, discarding the thyme branches, the garlic, the whole carrot and the bay leaves. Combine the dressing with the warm lentils, mixing well, and let it cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally. Add the chives and the celery. Then add additional vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add goat or feta cheese before you serve the salad. The salad will last in the fridge for several days, but you may have to season the salad again. Guten Appetit! Recipe by © sunnycovechef.com |
Mixed Green Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing
The dressing gives the salad a fresh citrus flavor.
Ingredients The Dressing 1 TBS honey 3/4 TBS chopped fresh tarragon 6 TBS good olive oil ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice ¼ or less cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I use Meyers lemons) The Salad 6-8 cups mixed green lettuce 1 cup roasted walnuts or pecans (optional) ¼ -½ cup dried or fresh blueberries, pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries 1 peeled and sliced apple or other fruit 1 cup crumbled soft goat cheese | Directions Roast the walnuts at 350° for 8 minutes and cool. For the dressing, put the honey in a jar and heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds or less. Stir in the olive oil until well combined. Add the orange juice and tarragon and shake in the jar. Any leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for several days. Put the mixed lettuce in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the salad. Toss the salad with half or more of the dressing and serve immediately. Guten Appetit! recipe by©sunnycovechef |
Ingredients: 2 TBS tamari or soy sauce 2 TBS Oriental sesame oil 2 TBS olive oil 2 tsp. sugar 12 shiitake mushrooms | Directions: Combine the tamari sauce, sesame oil, olive oil and sugar. Preheat the broiler. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Place them cap side up on a baking dish. Brush dressing on the mushroom caps. Position the dish 4-6 inches from the heat. Broil until the mushrooms look brown and crusty, 2-3 minutes. They cook very quickly so keep an eye on them. Keep the mushrooms with all the juices in a glass container or use them right away in a salad. I made a salad with mixed greens, baked tofu, and some feta cheese. I used the warm juice from the mushrooms as salad dressing and I squirted some balsamic vinegar reduction over the salad. Guten Appetit! by©sunnycovechef |

But let's get back to my drawer. Those recipes are special, they are my favorites. Some of the pages are full of stains , some of them are handwritten , some of them are torn out of magazines or newspapers, and I have made them over and over. One of them is a recipe for Lemon Cesar Salad that my friend Linda Ristow send me years ago. It is a vegetarian version of a Caesar salad. My family and friends have enjoyed this salad over and over.
Ingredients: Lemon Caesar Salad Serves 6 4 Tbs. Olive oil 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Juice of one or more lemon ( a matter of taste) 1Tbs. Lemon zest 1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard 1 tsp. Worcester sauce 1 tsp. Crushed garlic ( vary the amount to your taste) 1 Head Romain lettuce - washed patted dry, and torn into pieces Croutons ( recipe follows ) Additional Parmesan cheese | Directions: Combine olive oil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, Worcester sauce, and garlic in a bowl or jar if you don't plan on using all of it. It keeps well in the fridge for several days. Whisk vigorously until combined thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving , place the torn letters in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to coat . Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with croutons and additional cheese. I've been known to add some chopped anchovies to the salad. Croutons Cut several pieces of your favorite bread into cubes. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil . Season with garlic salt and pepper. Bake at 350* Fahrenheit for about 5 to 10 minutes until all sides get browned . Toss occasionally. My husband makes great croutons by browning the cubed bread in a frying pen with butter, adding garlic salt. Rich and yummy. I prefer crusty bread for my croutons sprinkled with mixed herbs or spices I bring from abroad . I once bought a mix to sprinkle on bruschetta in Italy. That was the best, unfortunately I could never find it again or duplicate it. |
WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEF
Thank you for visiting my blog. My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time.
If you have tried any of my recipes, snap a photo and tag me @sunnycovechef I'd love to see your creations!
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