Recipes for filing

Good morning! We all know what day this is — the day Uncle Sam requires us to file our tax returns by midnight.

Each December, my husband Edward begins to nag me about getting my taxes in order. I tune him out for about a month until the nagging becomes so relentless I have to begin going through my receipts, deductions, charitable donations, etc. But by mid-March, after days of going nuts, our returns are back from our accountant and in the mail.

Since some of us might be writing big checks today, I think it pertinent to put together a dinner that won’t tax our wallets.

It can be tough to single out the foods of the season. April is an iffy month weather-wise. It can snow, then we have cold rain, the sun comes out unexpectedly and — whammo! — a cold front comes through. Just last week, Edward lit the fireplace.

April brings us asparagus in season even though we can purchase it all year. Jimmy Iovine in the Reading Terminal Market was selling spring asparagus for $1.99 a pound. Tiny spring peas are in season as well. If you can’t find fresh peas, the frozen variety is just as tasty. I prefer Trader Joe’s tiny frozen spring peas.

Pork is always a good buy. Pork chops or loin roasts go on sale after Easter. Like chicken, pork adapts to myriad recipes and sauces.

Have you noticed the low price of strawberries lately? I adore our Pennsylvania berries, which debut in June. But strawberries from California are at a very low price. Whole Foods runs a special on organic strawberries — two quarts for $5. The Reading Terminal Market produce stands sell regular strawberries for $1.49 a quart. The City Tavern Baking & Dessert Cookbook (www.citytavern.com) includes a recipe for rhubarb-strawberry crisp.

A recipe for that dessert and other tax-day dishes follows.


Asparagus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 small lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut off the tough, woody ends of each asparagus. If you wish, you can peel the ends with a vegetable peeler.

Place the asparagus, in a single layer, in a large skillet. Cover them with cold water. Bring the asparagus to a boil, lower the heat to a rolling simmer and cook until tender, about three to seven minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain well.

Wrap the well-drained asparagus in a clean kitchen towel. Place them in the refrigerator to chill.

When ready to serve, place the asparagus on a pretty platter. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the asparagus. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: You can prepare the asparagus the night before. If you are in a hurry and want to serve them an hour after they have cooked place them, wrapped in a towel, in the freezer to chill. Just don’t forget where they are. If you have a jar of roasted red peppers on hand, drain them well and cut them into strips. Drape them over the asparagus.


Pork Loin with Apricot Jam

Ingredients:

1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin roast
Apricot jam
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Whisk the jam, mustard and white wine together in a small bowl. You will probably need about 1 cup of jam. Taste the mixture before you smear the jam over the pork loin roast.

Place the pork loin roast in a shallow baking dish. Smear on the jam mixture. Roast the pork loin for 45 minutes to one hour. Place the pork loin on a cutting board and slice.

You can deglaze any brown bits with a little more white wine. Just set the baking dish over high heat, pour in the wine and, using a wooden spoon, loosen up any brown bits. Pour sauce into a gravy boat.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: I always use pure fruit preserves. They have no added sugar. I particularly like Whole Foods and the Trader Joe’s brands, but any jarred pure fruit will do.


Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp
From City Tavern Baking & Dessert Cookbook by Walter Staib

For the streusel:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 cups chopped walnuts

For the crisp:

1-1/2 pounds fresh rhubarb, leaves removed and diced
1 pint (2 cups) fresh strawberries, stems removed and halved
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

To make the streusel, in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon until combined.

Add the butter and mix well, until the texture becomes crumbly. With a wooden spoon, stir in the walnuts.

Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crisp, grease a 1-1/2-quart shallow baking dish with butter.

In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb and strawberries. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, water and lemon juice. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the fruit. Gently toss together.

Place the mixture in the baking dish. Spread the streusel all over the fruit. Place the baking dish on a baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble. Serve warm.

Serves eight.

Note from Phyllis: City Tavern Baking & Dessert Cookbook ($29.95, Running Press, hardback with color photographs) is hot off the press. The foreword was written by David McCullough, who received the Pulitzer Prize for his biographies of John Adams, who dined frequently at the original City Tavern, and Harry S. Truman. I will feature the cookbook in a future column. The book is a real gem and the perfect gift for anyone who loves to bake.