Ben Collver wrote to Dave Drum <=-

Hooray, you're okay... :)

Yeah, it was my fibre optic cable tht the neighbour's yap-yaps chewed
into loss of signal. AT&T has repaired/spliced things back to workability and buried the cable *deeper* than just under the sod.

They've been doing utility work in our neighborhood. Two days ago the Internet went down. Yesterday the power went down for much of the day. After it came back up, we received a notification that it was a planned power outage. Due to the timing, my reaction is to think "Just because they call it planned doesn't mean it actually was."

My local utilities are very good about notifications and "work-arounds".
Last 'planned' outage was done on a schedule and well-communicated so
that only those who "never get the word" were surprised. It was a 30
second deal whilst they switched electric substations in order to shut
one down and replace transformers with updated units that weren't past
their "use-bt" dates. Then another 30 second outage a few weeks later
after the upgrade was completed.

And I know you probably won't approve of my next favourite
asparagus snack ... but I like it.

Title: Bacon-Wrapped Sriracha Asparagus

Asparagus AND Bacon... the nerve! ;)

Well sure. Bacon makes anything taste better. Bv)=

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Garlic Asparagus
Categories: Asparagus, Vegetables
Yield: 1 Batch

1 tb Unsalted butter
1 ts Olive oil
1/2 md Onion; finely diced
2 tb Garlic; minced
Salt
Black pepper; freshly-ground
1 lb Fresh asparagus;
- trimmed of tough ends

That looks tasty. Gassy, too. Not something to eat when you are going
to be in "tight quarter". Bv)=

That "3 servings" is accurate. Every time I've made this three people
have finishedd the pot. It's *very* tasty.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Creamy Asparagus Soup
Categories: Vegetables, Poultry, Herbs, Dairy
Yield: 3 Servings

2 lb Asparagus; trimmed of woody
- stem bottoms if present
1 lg Yellow onion; chopped
1 ts Minced garlic
+=OR=+
1 tb Minced green garlic
3 tb Butter
4 c Chicken broth
1 c Water
2 Sprigs fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/4 c Chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c Heavy cream
+=OR=+
1/4 c Full-fat sour cream
1 tb Dry vermouth
+=OR=+
1 tb Version *
1 ts Lemon juice
1/2 ts Black pepper; or more
1 ts Salt; or more

* Version is a non-alcoholic vermouth substitute made
with a blend of spices such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger,
and citrus, to mention a few. The drink is naturally
sweet because of the combination of ingredients and
natural sugars that are generally digested during
fermentation.

Cut tips from the asparagus 1 1/2" from top and reserve.
Chop the rest of the asparagus stalks in 1/4" rounds.

SAUTE ONIONS, GARLIC: Melt the butter in a 4 to 5 quart
pot on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until
translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic (or green garlic) and cook a minute more.

ADD ASPARAGUS: Add the chopped asparagus (not the spear
tips) to the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to
taste. Cook another 5 minutes.

Add the broth, water, thyme sprigs and bay leaf to the
pot. Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to a
simmer. Simmer, covered, until the asparagus are tender,
about 10 minutes.

At the end of cooking, stir in the chopped parsley.

BLANCH ASPARAGUS TIPS: While the soup is cooking, blanch
the asparagus tips in a small pot of boiling, salted
water, until the tips are just tender, about 2-4 minutes,
depending on the size of the asparagus.

Drain. Rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set
aside.

PUREE THE SOUP: Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Use
either an immersion blender or an upright blender
(working in batches) to puree the soup. If you use an
upright blender, work in small batches, fill no more than
a third the blender bowl at a time, and hold down the lid
while blending.

For a creamy texture, if you want, press the pureed soup
through a sieve or food mill.

Stir in cream, vermouth, lemon juice: Stir in the cream
(or full-fat sour cream). Stir in the vermouth and lemon
juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with asparagus tips.

RECIPE FROM: http://www.simplyrecipes.com

Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen

MMMMM

... The 2nd Law of Thermodynamicism is observed in my home!
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