IN-SEASON RECIPES

I'm writing this a few weeks before publication with a huge amount of snow on the ground and biting cold weather. Since the best part of winter cooking is having something hearty and simmering on your stove, we start with a great Korean spiced beef stew. But since spring is, hopefully, truly around the corner, I'm also including a recipe for asparagus. If you have been daunted about making hollandaise, fear not. It's so easy and much less fussy than mayonnaise. And banana cake helps solve the past-prime banana issue that plagues many homes. =============================== Korean Beef Stew This delicious stew will warm the house and emit a fabulous fragrance. This is great with a seasonal variation of fried rice. Yield: 6-8 servings Vegetable oil 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes 3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion 3/4 cup scallions, cut into 1" pieces 1/4 cup coarsely chopped ginger 1/4 cup minced garlic 1 cup soy sauce 1 Asian pear, peeled and cored 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into little sticks 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into little sticks 2 cups pearl onions, peeled 1 teaspoon rice vinegar Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour a thin layer of oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add half the beef cubes and brown well on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to an ovenproof casserole and repeat with the remaining meat and a bit of oil if needed. As meat browns, blend onion, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Asian pear, mirin, maple syrup and pepper. Add meat to the casserole dish. Add two cups of water to the blender and blend to capture any remaining sauce. Add to the casserole, stir sauce into meat, cover and bake for an hour, stirring once or twice. Test meat for tenderness with a cake tester. When fully tender, stir in squash, carrots, onions, and a bit more water if needed. Bake until vegetables are tender, another half an hour or so. Stir in rice vinegar and adjust seasoning. Local ingredients: beef, onion, scallions, garlic, maple syrup, carrots, squash —-------------- Speedy Hollandaise Sauce for Fresh-Picked Asparagus On a recent family vacation, I realized two family members are major eggs Benedict enthusiasts, so I have revived my long-unused hollandaise-making chops. Of course, I prefer this on fresh-picked asparagus! Yield: 6 servings 2-1/2 pounds asparagus, ends peeled 6 ounces butter 3 egg yolks at room temperature 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice from 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind 1/2 teaspoon salt Pinch white pepper Steam asparagus until just tender Drain well and keep warm. In a small skillet, melt butter until it sizzles but doesn't brown. Pour into a small measuring cup with a spout or a small pitcher. Put egg yolks, 2 teaspoons of warm water, lemon juice and rind, salt and pepper in a narrow container. Using an immersion blender at high speed, beat well. Pour in hot butter in a thin stream, beating until mixture is well emulsified. Adjust seasoning. Local ingredients: asparagus, butter, eggs ------------------------------------- Banana Maple Walnut Pound cake I usually have bananas in the freezer. Just as they are getting overripe on the counter, I toss them (peel and all) in a bag in the freezer, saving them from the compost for a higher purpose — like this cake. Yield: 12 servings 1-1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 8 ounces butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing pan 2-1/3 cups flour, plus extra for greasing pan and adding to walnuts 1/3 cup cornstarch 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1-1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup light brown sugar 3/4 cup maple syrup 4 eggs, at room temperature 3/4 cup milk at room temperature 3 cups mashed ripe bananas Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toast walnuts in the oven until just fragrant. Remove, cool, and mix with a sprinkling of flour. Generously butter a large Bundt pan, then sprinkle with flour to cover all nooks and crannies and dump out excess. Beat butter in a stand mixer for several minutes, scraping sides once or twice. While mixing, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add brown sugar and maple syrup to butter and beat for several minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating a minute after each addition. Combine milk and banana and add three additions, alternating with flour mixture while mixing at low speed until combined. Scrape the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula, add walnuts and stir mixture a few times until smooth. Pour batter into the cake pan, level it and put in the oven, lowering oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cake tester comes out just dry, about an hour. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack and unmold onto the rack to cool completely. Drizzle a bit of extra maple syrup on each slice as you serve. Local ingredients: butter, maple syrup, eggs, milk