Asparagus and Snapdragons

This week's farmers market featured asparagus, strawberries and tiny pots of herbs for one's kitchen garden...

And, oh my! big tubs of white snapdragons. So adorable, so old-fashioned and frilly. I was being very budget conscious and passed them up. See me looking idiotically virtuous?

My roses from last week are still so gorgeous, I just couldn't justify buying more cut flowers..

Instead I dithered over the herbs.
Last summer's garden was not a success. Oh, it grew well but I found a big green caterpillar on the parsley. My kids thought the monarch caterpillar was cool (and gently relocated it to a hydrangea in the yard!) but I just couldn't eat those herbs after that. Now...try again? Hmmm..I walked away.

Back at the snapdragon farmer's stand I got fresh cut asparagus and fragrant strawberries.

So sweet, so pretty...

And at the Italian market booth I got a big chunk of Parmesan cheese and a tub of fresh ricotta.

I'll make a dessert with the ricotta: whipped with Splenda, a dash of liqueur or vodka, Ghirardelli chocolate chips, vanilla and almond extract. I'll add the strawberries, sliced, at the last moment. Serve very chilled in tiny bowls. (This is more or less cannoli filling, of course.)

I made the asparagus just now.

...steamed then tossed in a pan with browned butter, a minced garlic glove, juice of half a lemon, black pepper.

I shaved big curls of the asiago parm on top.

With a big green salad the asparagus makes, for me, a main course, but I also made chicken tenders marinated in sesame and soy marinade [store bought] and the n sauteed quickly, deglazed with white wine.

Easy. Fast. And so fresh and yummy...

Have to show you a couple beach pix!

See!? I am not exaggerating when I say I am the only person on the miles and miles of sandy white beach.

Just me and my birds....

black skimmers and arctic terns,
playing in the puddle

love

   

                 lizzy

gone to the beach....

 PS I didn't have a white snapdragon photo so I was looking on Google images, just for fun. [I almost never use any pix except mine here on the blog, just occasionally some from friends...]. Anyway, I was scrolling down...oooh, I love that! Looked closer.....lol, it was MY photo! What a thrill. So here it is. Again.

love

lizzy