Enjoy Asparagus

It's asparagus season in Michigan! At this time of year, fresh asparagus is regularly on the breakfast menu at White Swan Inn. Grilled chicken and asparagus quiche, asparagus and red pepper tart, ham and asparagus crescent, asparagus and spinach strata... so many delicious options.

Here's a recipe that's quick and quite tasty; great for breakfast/brunch or for an alternative add a salad and you've got a yummy dinner.

Ham and Asparagus Crescent

1 tube (8 ounce) refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 tablespoons honey mustard
¼ pound smoked ham, chopped
1 cup trimmed asparagus, small pieces
2 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

Unroll dough onto ungreased baking sheet; pinching perforations together. Spread honey mustard lengthwise down center third of dough. Place ham and asparagus on top of mustard, top with shredded cheese.

With sharp knife, make diagonal cuts to each side of the dough (approximately 1-1½ inches apart). Crisscross dough over ham and cheese filling, sealing ends by pinching dough together.

Bake in preheated 350° oven 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to serving platter, enjoy. Serves: 2

For your own taste-test, book a reservation during asparagus season at White Swan Inn in Whitehall, Michigan.

Christmas Cookies

As the innkeeper at White Swan Inn, I bake numerous batches of cookies throughout the year. I make dozens and dozens of chocolate chip cookies annually. But when the holidays approach, I like to bake something even more special.

Everyone has a favorite Christmas cookie; a cookie that evokes memories of family traditions and childhood dreams. One of my favorites has to be Thumbprint Cookies (I've included the recipe) filled with either jam or buttercream icing. And cut-out sugar cookies are fun to decorate when there are helpers around. Of course, chocolate and peppermint are perennial favorite ingredients.

This season I have decided to try out some new recipes. Just made Red Velvet Cookies (pictured) , yeah kinda like the cake. Wonderful! And I have dough chilling for Viennese Crescents which will be dipped in chocolate once they are baked. Both recipes came via Allrecipes.com Cookie Countdown and TasteofHome.com Cookie Countdown.

A cookie tray filled with a variety of textures, flavors and colors is a holiday treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds. Search a re-sale shop for a unique plate or tray and combine with an assortment of holiday cookies and you have created just the right gift for a neighbor, co-worker, or special friends.

This holiday season, guests at White Swan Inn B&B will enjoy cookies with tea or hot chocolate following an afternoon of holiday shopping in downtown Whitehall and Montague.

Thumbprint Cookies

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
favorite flavor of jelly

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Work in flour and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough by teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls.

Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white; roll in nuts. Place one inch apart on an un-greased baking sheet; press thumb deeply into center of each. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack. Fill thumbprints with jelly.

Yield: approx 3 dozen cookies.

Strawberry Season Signals the Start of Summer

For me, the start of summer is when the first strawberries appear at the local farm stands and the Farmer's Market. Sure, you can purchase strawberries in produce section at the grocery store all year long but the real strawberry taste comes from those lovely berries nestled in the wood berry boxes. Even better is the taste of sun-warmed strawberries right from the plants at a u-pick strawberry patch!

Just a short drive from White Swan Inn, Stu Scholl's farm in Montague is the place to go for u-pick strawberries. Or head early to the Montague Farmer's Market on Saturdays for freshly picked local strawberries. Wherever you find them, enjoy the fresh taste. The season is short and is meant to be savored!

At White Swan Inn, strawberries take center stage during their brief season. Served freshly sliced with a dollop of organic yogurt is heavenly. Mixed with other fresh fruits for a colorful presentation. Baked in a tasty muffin or nestled in a stuffed french toast. Balsamic vinegar enhances the strawberry flavor in a fresh spinach salad. Who can resist strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream! And, strawberry freezer jam is an easy way to enjoy that summer taste all year long. My mouth is watering as I am writing this blog!

Here's a recipe that was enjoyed by recent guests at White Swan Inn:

Strawberry Streusel Muffins

Muffins:
2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted

Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop strawberries and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt in large bowl. In a small bowl, blend egg, yogurt, milk and butter. Stir into dry ingredients; batter will be thick. Gently stir in chopped strawberries. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Sprinkle with topping.

For topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, almonds, cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture comes together in large crumbs.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Yield: 12 muffins.

Asparagus Time in Michigan

It's prime season for asparagus in Michigan. Just north of Whitehall in Oceana County is the largest concentration of asparagus farms in the state. In fact, Michigan ranks third in asparagus production in the nation. So, it's only natural that asparagus will be on the breakfast menu at White Swan Inn B&B during the growing season.

When the first asparagus stalks show up at the local farm markets in late spring, I am always excited to introduce this wonderful vegetable to my B&B guests. Occasionally, I will note that a guest seems to be unsure about trying a dish featuring asparagus. Usually it is due to the fact that they’ve never enjoyed really fresh asparagus or have only been served some that has been “cooked to death.”

Asparagus and Red Pepper Tart

½ (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crust, room temperature

1 Tbs. olive oil
½ lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut in one inch pieces
½ cup chopped red pepper
¼ cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. dried basil
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, lightly sauté asparagus, red pepper and onion in olive oil, season with salt, pepper and basil. Unroll pie crust and place on ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on pie crust within an inch of the edge. Spread cooked vegetable mix evenly on top of mozzarella. Top with feta cheese. Fold edge of pie crust over vegetable/cheese mix. The crust will not cover completely vegetable mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until dough is lightly browned.

Remove from oven, sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the crust and exposed vegetables and bake for 5 more minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 2-3