Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
This recipe is adapted from Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches, Second Edition, by Damon Lee Fowler (Globe Pequot Press/2014). The original had parsley, salt, and pepper as seasonings, but the herbs and lemon essence blended into The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend are perfect mates for spring asparagus, new potatoes, and leeks. It really adds a boost the flavor and condenses the condiments into a single ingredient that requires only a few shakesr.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ pound small red new potatoes, scrubbed under cold running water
- 1½ pounds fresh, fat-stemmed asparagus
- Green tops of 2 large leeks, washed and trimmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt Table Hotess City Southern Hospitality Blend* or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
- 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley, optional
How to make it:
- Bring at least an inch of water to a boil over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Put the steaming basket or insert in or over the pot, add the potatoes, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Steam until the potatoes are just tender and can be pierced easily with a sharp paring knife, about 8-10 minutes. Let them cool, and if making them ahead, cover and refrigerate. They can be precooked as much as a day ahead.
- Meanwhile, wash and trim the asparagus, peel the tough lower part of stem, and cut it into 1-inch lengths, keeping the tips separate from stems. Slice the leek greens crosswise into 2-inch lengths, then cut into thin strips. When ready to finish the sauté, cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces (halves if small, quarters if larger, eighths if really large).
- Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the asparagus stems. Stir-fry, tossing frequently, until they’re bright green and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue tossing until beginning to turn golden, about 3 minutes longer.
- Add the leek greens and asparagus tips and season well with several grindings of Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend. Stir-fry, tossing frequently, until the asparagus is crisp-tender and beginning to brown, but still firm and bright green. Stir in the parsley if using and turn off the heat. Taste and correct Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend and serve at once.
Suggested Seasonings
Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
* Other appropriate blends would be The Salt Table’s Southern Herb Garden Grinder Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Grinder Blend