Asparagus Canoe Hors d'oeuvres Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Asparagus Canoe Hors d’oeuvres Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

I loved finding white asparagus (spargel) at the Edeka (Gebauer’s) Supermarket where I shopped when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany.  I knew warmer weather was coming when I saw the spargel for sale.

This hors d’oeuvres is easier to make with canned asparagus, because it is soft.  Green asparagus is easier to find in the United States, so that is what I use here.  If you use fresh asparagus, steam it for ½ hour before using it.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large, peeled, and chopped onion

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-1 (15-ounce) can drained green asparagus which should be chopped into ½-inch segments

-1 cup sour cream

-8 washed celery stalks with the bottom cut off so the stalks can lie flat on a serving tray

Steps:

1-Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes.

2-Put onion mixture in a bowl and add chopped asparagus.

3-Add sour cream to the onion-asparagus mixture.

4-Fill the celery cavities with the asparagus-onion mixture. 

5-Cut the celery into 2-inch segments and place on a tray for serving.

Serve with carrot-beet juice.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Asparagus Points Hors d'oeuvres Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Asparagus Points Hors d’oeuvres Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

This hors d’oeuvres was inspired by French cocktail food, but is not the same.  The asparagus in the United States is green and that is what I use in this recipe.

In France and Germany, asparagus is white.  It is a harbinger of spring.  Both countries bottle it to make spring flavors available all year round.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-2 (16-ounce) bottles drained asparagus

-3 tablespoons mayonnaise

-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

-4 slices white toast with the crust removed

Steps:

1-Mix mayonnaise and mustard together.

2-Cover toast with the mayonnaise-mustard spread.

3-Place asparagus on top of toast and press down a bit. 

4-Use a sharp knife to cut the toast with asparagus into fourths.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Asparagus Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Asparagus Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

The only kind of asparagus available in Germany is white asparagus (spargel) I discovered when I lived in Stuttgart for five years.  When it is fresh, I steam white asparagus and serve it with a vinaigrette with crumbled hardboiled eggs like the French.

I loved it that the Germans bottle white asparagus for their harsh winters, so you can taste summer in a blizzard.  You can make this soup with green asparagus in the United States.

You will need an immersion blender to make this asparagus soup recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon butter

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large peeled and chopped onion

-2 (6.5-ounce) jars bottled asparagus

-1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

-32 ounces water

-1/4 cup quinoa

-1 cup milk or cream

Steps:

1-Sauté onions in butter and olive oil for 5 minutes in a soup pot.

2-Add chicken broth, water, asparagus, and quinoa flour.

3-Bring soup to a boil and let it boil for 30 minutes.

4-Remove soup from heat and let it cool.

5-Insert immersion blender and purée to a smooth consistency.  Add cream or milk and serve.

Serve with your favorite toast.

Bon Appétit!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Ruth Paget Selfie