SPRING GREENS WORK FOR ME March 3, 2004 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

There's a beach music song about having the "fever." In the musical case, it's the fever of love. At my house, we also have "fever" -- spring fever brought on by the recent warm weather. When I saw my 22-pound cat outside in the grass trying to dance, I knew spring fever was raging.

While I'm as excited as Doodle is about spring, I decided not to dance in the front yard. I didn't think the neighbors could handle such a sight. The dancing fat cat without a tail is probably amusing enough. Instead, I headed to the grocery store for spring veggies.

Some of my favorite vegetables arrive with spring -- asparagus, garden peas, and sugar snaps (peas). In addition to fresh spring taste, these green delights give us vitamins A and C and iron.

Asparagus season begins in February and lasts through June. When purchasing asparagus, look for firm, bright green stalks with tightly closed tips. Because asparagus is grown in sandy soil, rinse it well to ensure there's no grit in the tips. It's best to cook asparagus the same day it is purchased. However, it can be kept tightly wrapped in plastic for three to four days in the refrigerator.

The English or garden pea arrives in March. Select fresh peas that have plump, unblemished, bright green pods. The peas inside should be sweet and crunchy. Because the sugar in peas begins to convert to starch the moment peas are picked, buy peas as fresh as possible. Refrigerate peas in their pods in a plastic bag for no more than two to three days. Shell peas just before using.

The same rules apply to sugar snap peas, except no shelling. With this pea, you eat pod and all.

My first spring fling upon returning home from the store to the now sleeping cat was asparagus. I was trying to duplicate the "Spaghetti with Asparagus and Prosciutto" I had seen on a television cooking show. I say "duplicate" because the cooks in TV land apparently shop some place that carries a broader selection of ingredients than I can find.

The recipe obviously called for prosciutto. This is a ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured, and air-dried. True prosciutto hails from Italy, though some is now being produced in the United States. Wherever it comes from, the stuff is expensive. I discovered that prosciutto at the store I typically shop is now running $19 a pound. Needless to say, I made a change. Plain ole American country ham (thinly sliced) is a great substitute. (I did find prosciutto for "only" $10 per pound at another store.)

Country ham may not seem to fit a column on healthy cooking. Though high in sodium, it is fairly lean. Also, because country ham is strongly flavored, a little goes a long way.

The recipe also called for smoked mozzarella cheese. I could only find plain mozzarella. I did purchase unsliced mozzarella, because the recipe called for dicing the cheese.

Alterations and all, the results were great. In fact, the results were so good I made the recipe again using what I had on hand. I think I came up with an even better -- and less expensive -- version. See the garden pea recipe that follows.

The final recipe in today's trio is for Brussels sprouts. This green vegetable is on its way out of season, so enjoy it quickly. Now the cat and I will have winter fever.

Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling water till tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove asparagus from boiling water with tongs and transfer to bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces; set aside.

Meanwhile, return the water to boiling and cook pasta till tender, but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 20 seconds. Add asparagus pieces to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and sauté about 3 minutes. Add pasta to skillet and, if needed, some of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat. Add prosciutto, mozzarella, and parsley; toss to combine. Remove from heat. Season with more salt and pepper as needed. (Note - Overcooking will toughen prosciutto so just barely heat it.)

Yields 6-8 servings.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Italian on the Food Network.

Instead of asparagus, I used frozen garden peas. I placed the frozen peas in a colander and ran water over them for a couple of minutes. I increased the sautéing time to 5-6 minutes to be sure the peas were well heated. Also, I added some diced, mild red onion to the peas as they cooked.

I used medium egg noodles, because I had found the original version a little difficult to eat. The asparagus and spaghetti noodles just would not get on my fork at the same time. And, besides, I had egg noodles on hand.

Instead of diced mozzarella, I used shredded which did a better job of distributing throughout the dish. Also, in the shredded version, you can find part-skim mozzarella which will reduce the fat and calories some.

I skipped the parsley and added just a touch more olive oil to the finished dish (I did not add any cooking water).

Obviously, pasta dishes are much like Spanish paella -- just use what you have on hand.

The original version of this recipe called for prosciutto. For once, I preferred a dish minus the prosciutto. Plus, it's way cheaper without the prosciutto. I can use the money for a spring wardrobe -- or dancing lessons for the cat.

Cook Brussels sprouts in boiling water about 3 minutes or till tender crisp; drain (I do this step in the microwave using just a couple of tablespoons of water.) Heat nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts and sauté 3-4 minutes or till lightly browned. (I like mine really brown and slightly crispy around the edges, so I use a little more heat.) Add butter, salt, and pepper, stirring till butter melts. Remove from heat and drizzle with lemon juice.

Yields 6 servings.

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

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Date Created 3/3/04