Friday, April 07, 2006

Asparagus Bruschetta with Goat's Cheese



Sugarapsa. Wondering what that is? It’s just asparagus written backwards. :)
I bought Asparagus for the first time the other day. I have eaten it before, but have never tried cooking with it. That’s because it’s a spring/summer vegetable and I am in Germany only since November last year. Last week was the first time I saw asparagus in the supermarkets. It’s not the German produce yet. That will come out only around May and the first batch will be celebrated the way first mangoes are in India. Germans’ passion is for white asparagus, though I have chosen the green variety for my experiment.

I have already tried using it in three different dishes. I want to blog about all of them, but for starters I have chosen an appetizer recipe. (Got the joke? Hee hee hee) It is based on a recipe by the same name (without the goat’s cheese part) by Tarla Dalal, but I have changed it in the procedure as well as in the ingredients section. Here it goes.

Asparagus Bruschetta with Goat’s Cheese

Makes 16 pieces.


Clockwise from right: goat's cheese, asparagus spears, readymade herb butter, ready-to-bake baguette, yellow pepper

Ingredients:

1 long ready-to-bake baguette (or two short ones as I have used)
3-4 asparagus spears
1 tiny yellow pepper (I used half of a large one)
approx. 40 g./ 4 tsp readymade herb butter (or you could make it at home by mixing butter with some garlic and dried parsley)
approx. 50 g. goat’s cheese (mozzarella should be fine too)
1-2 tsp crushed dried chillis/paprika

Method:


From left: plain baguette slice, with herb butter, with all toppings

1. Prepare the herb butter, in case not using readymade product.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (395°F?).
3. Cut the asparagus spears in 1 to 1.5 inch long pieces.
4. Put them in a microwave safe dish and sprinkle some water over them. Microwave them on HIGH for about a minute.
5. Cut the yellow pepper into strips.
6. Cut the ready-to-bake baguette vertically into slices. Spread the herb butter on them.
7. Arrange the slices butter side up on a baking tray. Arrange the asparagus pieces, yellow pepper strips and pieces/slices of the goat’s cheese on the buttered baguette slices. Sprinkle the crushed dried chillis/paprika on them. Your raw bruschettas are ready.
8. Now bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve them as appetizers. In case offering red wine to go with it, I would recommend the ‘Vin de Pays d’Oc Grand Sud Grenache’. I think it goes well with all Indian, Italian, Mediterranean dishes, basically dishes with a robust flavour.

By the way, I would like to send this recipe as my entry to My Dhaba's Virtual Cooking Competition.

11 comments:

Priya said...

the bruschetta looks YUM ! can we substitute goat cheese with any other cheese. I have never tried to make bruschetta at home , but pic is so tempting.

Vaishali said...

Thanks, Priya. Apart from goat's cheese, this Bruschetta can be made with mozzarella. I have mentioned that in the recipe too. I don't think any other cheese will be suitable because it may then mar the suble taste and fragrance of the asparagus.

Anonymous said...

i had eaten goat's cheese only as an uncooked sandwich in-between thing. This variant was lovely!! Ideal with red-wine.

Vaishali said...

Thanks, Anon. Was lovely?

Vaishali said...

They are indeed yum, SH. Try them out and let me know. I am sure you will like them.

StaceyBelle said...

Oh I love asparagus! This bruchetta looks really good. Smart combination. Asparagus soup (I notice you made that a few days later) is such a great summer soup when served cold. I often just make it lightly sauteed with butter in a pan. Removed just when it darkens (I like it crisp and firm). A little Parmesan sprinkled on top or a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar is good too. Mmmmsparagus.

Vaishali said...

Hi Stacey, welcome to my blog. Your way of making Aspi soup sounds good, too. Must try it out.

Anonymous said...

FunctionBuy Diablo 3 Items them while party foods. In case offering dark wine to select this, I would suggest the actual ‘Vin delaware Will pay d’Oc Grand Sud Grenache’. It will go nicely with all of Indian native, Italian,GW2 Cd key Mediterranean dishes, essentially food having a robust flavour.

Anonymous said...

Pour tirer le meilleur parti wow gold voie serait de trouver les foules qui laissent tomber le butin le plus cher ou beaucoup d'or quand ils sont tués. l'utilisation de la stratégie d'agriculture, vous devriez pour savoir où le meilleur endroit pour l'agriculture est. Vous devriez pour chercher ces endroits. Pour garantir que vous pouvez revenir à la région pour être fermier quand vous avez besoin de plus d'or, achat po vous pouvez prendre note que ces foules sont. Il n'est pas assez que vous savez juste où l'endroit que les foules réengendreront, vous doit aussi savoir que la foule est la plus de valeur. Si c'est possible que vous puissiez demander aux joueurs connus de partager leur connaissance avec vous. Aussi, vous pouvez lire les guides qu'écrit par le professionnel hou la les joueurs.Dans le monde de warcraft, il y a quelques endroits que les acheter world of warcraft foules réengendreront dès qu'ils sont morts.

qiongzhang55 said...

Howdy! I just would like android phone cheap to give a huge thumbs up for the great information you may have here on

ada3martin said...

Chickens love rice adore life-spring normal water that's needed, certainly best cheap android phone not love; hyacinth is always that fascination with no reason, to be able to strong to chop enjoy