Asparagus Niçoise with Pesto Dressing

Artichokes can be somewhat intimidating. But once you’ve made your way past its spiky exterior and removed the thistlelike choke, there lies a tender heart with a sweet flavour. The meaty bases of artichoke leaves are also edible and make perfect dipping vehicles to scoop up sauce or, in this case, a stuffing with just a touch of Spanish serrano ham and Marcona almonds. Artichokes take a bit of care to prepare—and to eat—but they present a wonderful opportunity to slow down and savour flavourful ingredients. Don’t be afraid to use your hands! How to clean an artichoke Fill a bowl large enough to accommodate artichokes with water. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into water, and drop lemon halves into water. Cut a second lemon in half and set it aside. You’ll use this to brush the artichoke as you trim it to prevent the blackening that occurs as the artichoke is exposed to oxygen. You can also rub your hands with lemon, which will stop your hands from blackening. Wash and dry your artichoke. Remove tough leaves around the base of the stem by pulling them away from the body of the artichoke, rubbing artichoke with lemon as you do so. With serrated knife, cut through artichoke crosswise, about 1 in (2.5 cm) from the top. Rub exposed part with lemon. With kitchen shears, remove spiky tips of remaining outer leaves. Use peeler to remove small leaves near the stem and the tough outer layer of the stem. Rub peeled stem with lemon. Using serrated knife once more, cut through artichoke lengthwise, severing the bulb and stem. Again, rub all exposed parts with lemon. Use small paring knife to cut around the spiky, hairlike choke and then use spoon to scoop it out. Rinse artichoke quickly under water and then place in bowl of lemon water while you prepare the remaining artichoke.

Eggs and asparagus are so quintessentially spring and nothing could be easier to prepare than this simple yet elegant dish that works as well for breakfast as for a light lunch. The earthy flavours of asparagus are complemented by a light dressing of licorice-scented tarragon and a little dash of heat. To make this dish more filling, choose a hearty whole grain bread as the base of your sandwich. One with a blend of ancient grains including spelt or khorasan wheat (Kamut) is particularly nice. Springtime presents a wonderful opportunity to experiment with a host of different microgreens. Spicy radish microgreens or bright, young pea shoots work equally well in this dish. Dry your eggs Ensure you won’t add any extra moisture to the dish by carefully drying eggs before placing on your plates. Using slotted spoon, remove eggs from water, allowing the bulk of the water to drain over the saucepan. Lay slotted spoon on a kitchen towel and gently roll the spoon to allow each egg to come to rest on the towel. Pat the top of the egg gently and lift the towel to roll each egg back onto the spoon and place on your dish.

Wild salmon is by far the best salmon you can get — it is sustainable and is more healthful than farm raised. Over-fishing, pollution, and the damming of rivers have depleted populations of wild salmon around the world, but in the Pacific Northwest locals are fiercely active in their efforts to protect the wild salmon population. A few years ago my sister surprised me with a chartered fishing trip out of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, which was a great opportunity to learn about the native species of fish in the area, including salmon. Sadly, the salmon evaded us that day, but we did accidentally catch a bald eagle that snatched a cod we were reeling in. The bird got tangled in the line and for a minute we were really concerned we would have to remove the line from an angry bald eagle. Lucky for everyone it managed to free itself and we were all spared.

Many of us have heard stories of bygone days when lobster was considered poor man’s food. Now the price of lobster makes it a special occasion treat, no longer something fishermen use as bait or garden fertilizer, which is all the more reason to avoid waste and use it entirely — antenna to tail. Ask your fishmonger to choose females for this recipe, only the female lobsters will have the roe (eggs) needed to flavor the butter for the sauce. (Raw lobster eggs are dark green and called roe, when the eggs are cooked they turn red and are called coral.) Making fresh pasta is easier than you think. If you’re not ready to take the leap, substituting your favorite dried pasta will still yield delicious results. This recipe requires you to work with live lobsters in order to get the roe and extract the maximum flavor from the shellfish. If this is something you object to, I encourage you to skip this recipe.