Signs of Spring

I’ve been watching the Farmers Market for the first signs of spring. People is sleeveless tops don’t count – in California you can see them any time. What I wanted to see was some exciting spring produce. Well, anything besides cabbages and potatoes.

Here comes:
Asparagus

And morels

Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and grilled over medium heat for about 4 minutes, turning once.

Maccheroncini pasta with morels, asparagus and shallot.

I found too late that I'm out of white wine, so the liquid in the sauce is a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. All the better. The asparagus and the 'shrooms taste so fresh and bright that wine would actually interfere with their character.

And more piroshki, same dough as in the previous post, this time filled with beef and with shitake mushrooms.

Beef filling:

2 Tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, minced
1 lb ground beef (I hand-minced a large New York steak, a lot of work, but tastes great)
4 sprigs oregano, minced
Salt, pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and golden. Add the beef. Cook, stirring, until almost no pink color remains. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Let cool.

Mushroom filling:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
½ large onion, minced
¼ lb shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
salt, pepper
a few drops of truffle oil (optional)

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Add the onion, sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and golden. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the mushrooms soften and begin to dry. Add a few drops of truffle oil to intensify the mushroom flavor. Let cool.