Spring Is In the Air and The Real Invisible Chef Springs Forth

With a Great Spring Dinner

The first pale yellow jonquil is enough to bring your Chef joyfully to her feet, bounding recklessly around looking for tiny new flowers to exclaim over, admiring the bits of green peeping out on tree branches and on dull brown lawns and generally celebrating the arrival of her favorite time of the year.

They don’t call Spring the mating season for nuthin’. Even the bugs are going after it. It’s a time for romance, and what could be more romantic than somebody really really good looking with eyes only for you chasing you around in a field of wildflowers? And then sharing a wonderful meal?

While Spring all the world over is lovely, there is no place prettier than in the Hill Country of Texas. In your Chefs humble opinion, anyway. I think that God created the wildflowers of this state on that first Saturday because when He was done there was just no way left to top Himself. And He had something to enjoy on Sunday. Driving through the heart of Texas, at the height of the wildflower season, is something everyone ought to experience just once.

Imagine miles and miles of wide open vistas, rolling green hills carpeted with brilliant bluebonnets, accented with swaths of vivid red-orange Indian paint and artfully dotted here and there with tiny yellow and white and purple wild flowers. It’s truly a sight for the soul, the heart and the mind.

Still when one is done with the day’s drive one must complete the festivities with the proper springtime meal. What else than a starter of the best olives you ever tasted and fresh crispy/tender stalks of new asparagus, succulent roast Cornish Game Hens, and a wonderful salad/side dish. For a grand finale, break down and buy a carton (or two) of Godiva Dark Chocolate Ice Cream and some expensive crunchy cookies. Let’s begin, I think I hear the call of a daffodil right now.

Menu

Spiced Black & Green Olives with Lemon & Orange
Tiny Toasts to Dip in the Juices
Asparagus Just Right
The Invisible Chef’s Texas Bean Salad
A Matched Set of Cornish Game Hens
Godiva Dark Chocolate Ice Cream & Crunchy Cookies

Recipes

Spiced Black & Green Olives with Lemon & Orange

Serves 2 with leftovers
8 oz. green olives (plain, no seasonings)
8 oz. green olives (plain, no seasonings)
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons orange juice.
3 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh spearmint (read the Chef’s rant in the recipe below before you buy mint)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
Pinch of ground cinnamon
A package of those cute little square toasts

This is so delicious you’ll be glad you have leftovers. However, first, we have to talk. It’s time you know the truth. If you are old enough to cook (not to mention fool around) you probably already know there is no such thing as Santa Claus, or the Tooth Fairy. But here’s something I seriously doubt that your parents ever told you, even though they should have. The truth is there is no such thing as MINT. Nope…that stuff you see in the stores labeled “Mint” is Peppermint. It is not Spearmint…and don’t let that Doofus at the store tell you any different. If it doesn’t say Spearmint on the label (I’m talking the fresh herbs here) it’s not. If you are puzzled about the difference, buy a pack of Spearmint gum, and a pack of Peppermint gum. Chew a stick of each…you sure won’t be puzzled anymore. Your Real Invisible Chef gets really red in the face when she sees all these recipes for stuff with “mint” without ever telling you which mint they mean. And this recipe is a case in point. Make it with fresh spearmint and you’ll love it. Make it with store bought “mint” and you can use it to brush your teeth. If you can’t find spearmint in your grocery store go to your nearest garden shop and buy a small pot. Keep it in a sunny place and you’ll have spearmint for the rest of your life. There. That oughta do it. On with the recipe at hand.

Dry fry the cumin and fennel seeds in a small heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat, shaking it gently until the seeds begin to pop and give their mouthwatering aroma. Remove the seeds from the pan immediately and set aside to cool.
Place the olives, orange and lemon rinds, minced shallots, cinnamon, and toasted seeds in a bowl. Whisk the juices, vinegar, spearmint and parsley together and pour over the olives. Pour everything into a heavy duty zip lock bag, press out as much air as you can and let chill for a couple of days. You won’t be sorry you went to the trouble to make this. Trust me.


ASPARAGUS JUST RIGHT
Serves 2

First trick is to pick just the right bunch of asparagus. And that is entirely up to you…do you like big fat juicy stalks? Fragile little finger stalks? Or nicely in between. I’m one of the in-betweeners, but it’s entirely subjective. Look for fat green heads, not dried out, or brown tips. Stalks should be firm and not limp. Bring a big pot of water to boiling. Put a strainer in the sink so you can drain the cooked asparagus immediately.
Snap the bottom of the stems off the asparagus, allowing the break to happen where it naturally occurs. Rinse well, and when the water is at a full rolling boil toss the asparagus in. Do not salt the water! Depending on the size of the stalks the vegetable will cook in just a very few minutes. For skinny young stalks test after barely two minutes. Fish out a stalk, run it quickly under cold water and bite into it. It’s done when it is just crispy tender, not soft or soggy.
Overcooked asparagus is slimy and stringy and nasty. This is one pot that needs watching, and I don’t care what your mother said about pot watching. The minute it’s ready, pour it into the strainer and immediately run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. If you don’t do this you will end up with the aforementioned slimy stuff. And yes, I know it cools it off, but this is one vegetable that does not need to be hot to be wonderful.
To an asparagus purist’s way of thinking, you cannot go wrong serving it bare nekkid on a pretty plate. But for you fussy types you may set a small dish of melted butter mixed with a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon for dipping. .

The Real Invisible Chef’s Texas Bean Salad
Serves 6 and keeps a couple of days.

Salad mix
1 large can Ranch style beans (the Black Ranch Beans label) partially drained
1 cans Niblets sweet corn, drained
1 large vine ripened tomatoes, diced
1 large sweet red peppers, diced
1 bunches green onions sliced thin
1 medium zucchini, julienne, or sliced thin
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing mix
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 large clove fresh garlic crushed
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin

Drain just the watery liquid off the beans, but not the thicker gravy. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl…shake the dressing in a small container or whip with a wire whisk, and pour over the salad. Blend well. If you want more intense flavor try adding more balsamic vinegar, chili powder, and/or cumin…a little at a time, please…and taste, taste, taste…there are no rules. Use your creativity, if it tastes good to you it will taste good to your guests. Probably. Unless they are like my son-in-law who doesn’t believe in vegetables. And he hates this salad. So I make it a lot.

A Matched Set of Cornish Game Hens
Serves 2 Preheat oven to 450° then reduce to 350°to roast

2 Cornish Game hens
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons melted butter

Tuck the wings under and truss the legs with string. If you don’t know how to do this, take the package to the butcher standing there behind the meat counter probably doing nuthin’ anyway and ask him to prepare the bird for roasting. Tuck the wings and tie the legs. Too embarrassed? Hold up your right arm, wince, and say “My wrist is all messed up. Darn computer, y’know.” Next time, you’ll know. Mix the butter and olive oil, and rub it well all over the birds. A dash of salt, a very light dash of pepper and you are ready to roll. Place trussed bird in a small roasting pan. Pre-heat the oven to 450° when you put the pan in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 350° Roast, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, basting often. Just the way Og and Oggette ate them in the earliest Spring gardens. Two toasty brown cute little mini-chickens all snuggled up together. Kinda romantic don’t you think? Wait…don’t think about it too long, or you won’t be able to eat them.


Serve the ice cream in stemmed wine glasses. Cut crystal is best. Your honey will be astounded by your great culinary skills. And if you see a ghostly presence grinning at you from a corner of the room, pretend you don’t notice.