Hands Off My Veggies!

When doing (almost) nothing is the right approach

I’m writing this on a perfect Paris morning. With a perfect Paris breakfast of scalding café crème and a croissant that scatters crumbs all over my sweater. The café is empty; exhausted city folk have fled for the long weekend. The sun is just peeking out. It was supposed to rain – it’s always supposed to rain in Paris – then you get to be pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t.

It’s one of those moments when things are falling into place. New writing is going well. When my writing is going badly, it’s ugly - like having a fist fight with myself.

Like the statue of Jacob wrestling with the angel at the Tate.

And the best news: This week, after years of struggles with dyslexia and dysgraphia, our 14 year old son was accepted into a selective art program at the high school he really wanted – and into the boarding program, which after 7 wonderful years at a small alternative day school, he is so excited to try.

While I’m in Paris for the weekend, spring has truly sprung in the South of France.

Snappy, sprightly green things are all over the market in Arles right now: basil plants to make almond pesto, fresh peas that don’t even need to be cooked, just stirred into the pasta at the last minute.

I’ve been eating a lot of steamed artichokes with a simple sauce (1 small plain Activia yogurt, juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon or two of tahini paste, salt to taste).

But for me, the true soldiers of spring are the asparagus. Standing tall and straight, they demand a place at the table. This is the season when my cooking becomes more hands off. More minimalist than the stirring, stewing and simmering I do all winter.

Spring ingredients need very little help. Asparagus are particularly low maintenance – a hot oven, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and you’re good to go. Add a poached egg or a few slices of prosciutto and dinner is done.

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about a light-handed approach to cooking – and how it relates to parenting. My parenting. I’m a recovering control freak, and I know this much: the moments I step back and let our son find his own way are the moments when he shines. More on how I learned that lesson see my post Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

He’s currently working on an animated film for his end of the year project. It’s about his relationship with school, with writing, with all the testing we put him through for his learning disabilities. And the solutions, that came, ultimately, not from labels or drugs or therapies, but from him. From him. From teachers who believed in him. From an intellectual curiosity that never left him. From a school, Le Domaine du Possible, that believes learning is more than input/output. I know I had something to do with all this, but I’m not sure it was much more than a hot meal, a sprinkle of Shel Silverstein poems, and love.

When I went away to boarding school at 15, my mom wrote me a letter. I keep it framed in my desk drawer. This is part of what she wrote:

Life is an adventure. Always have the courage to challenge yourself with those scary unknowns.

Always ask for advice. Always listen to opinions. Always make your own decision, one you think you’ll be proud of later.

Mistakes happen. If you make a mistake, make another decision, one you think you’ll be proud of later…

Now that I’m a parent myself, I know this letter was a wish and prayer. A set of crossed fingers and toes. But it was also a vote of confidence. My mom believed in me. I believe in my son. He’s a good person. A thinking human being. Everything I could ever wish for.

So, light touch, for dinner – and parenting. This week, the results have been spectacular.

Roasted Asparagus with Feta, Herbs, Lemon Zest and Nora Pepper

This is more of an arts and crafts project than cooking. Layers of pretty colors and contrasting textures. Hardly an exact science.

Making asparagus is also an excuse to use my mother’s favorite piece of pedantic table wear – individual sterling silver asparagus tongs. The one in the photo above is extra special; it comes from the Ritz in Paris (Gwendal found them at a flea market). There would have been one of these at every place setting, so the ladies could delicately lift the asparagus without mussing their gloves. Divine!

1 pound asparagus (thin is best)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse sea salt to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Zest of ½ lemon

A small handful of fresh cilantro, torn

A tablespoon of fresh mint, finely chopped

Nora or other red pepper flakes

Heat the broiler to 450F.

Trim tough ends off the asparagus. Line a baking sheet and spread the asparagus, tossed with the olive oil, in a single layer. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Roast 2-3 inches from the heat for 5-7 minutes until bright green but cooked through (the exact timing will depend on the thickness of your asparagus – this cooking method works best with thin ones).

Remove asparagus to a serving platter. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Layer the crumbled feta, herbs and lemon zest on top. Sprinkle with pepper flakes (hot or mild – I use Spanish Nora). Serve warm or at room temperature. Bon Appétit!

What’s your favorite easy spring dish?

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