Now, this was an early 5's Kindergarten class. He's no Doogie Howser, M.D. I had to help him spell every damn word.
Speaking of Doogie Howser, M.D., because I speak of him often (?), there's a kid who did it right. No Corey Feldman there. What's his name? Neil Patrick Harris? He went from child star to Broadway to an ABC hit and back to Broadway as the host of the Tony Awards. And he's a father of twins. Listen, I give any parent of twins props. It's no joke.
Anyway, this year I figured they had learned enough to do it on their own. Or not. Here is H's:
So H's teacher has been amazing. We love her. She just 'gets' H and inspires him and reigns him in at once. So his letter, which is translated as: "You are good at rainbows" cracked me up. She has been a constant cheerleader and motivator in his life for the past nine months and that's his takeaway? Oh no he dinnn't. But, do you know what? She does make killer rainbows. And if that's what most impresses him at this point, we're okay.
We're also okay with asparagus pasta, which I've been making since I first read the recipe in Gourmet magazine in the years before email and cellphones. I still miss Gourmet magazine, although I love that its last Editor-in-Chief, Ruth Reichl, is on Twitter and tweets fabulous missives every morning that make me wish I were her. Example: "Late spring. Damp green grass beneath my feet. A flock of tiny yellow birds. Local strawberries, so sweet, drenched in thick Jersey cream." Come on. I'm going to practice doing mornings like Ruth Reichl. Right now my tweet would read: "Leftover coffee. F'ing Mourning Doves. Cheerios." Doesn't quite have the same ring.
But back to the pasta. It's good. Unique in that the stems of the asparagus are blended to make the sauce. I've been making it for 10+ years and it's a go-to dish each spring. Unfortunately I've been making it so long that there's no longer a recipe and I've long ago lost my torn page from Gourmet, so here's going back to the drawing board:
Asparagus Pasta
1 large bunch asparagus, tips and stems divided
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lb dried pasta, such as penne or farfalle.
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Heat a stockpot of water to boiling. Add a drainer insert if you have one.
2. Rinse asparagus well and chop and discard the tough 1 inch off the bottoms of the stalks. Then chop the tips and the next 3/4 inch off the stalks and add to the stockpot. Boil the top bits for one minute and then drain and reserve in a bowl.
3. Chop the remainder of the asparagus into approx. 1" pieces. Add to boiling water and let it go longer than you would think. Like 7-8 minutes at a rapid boil. Turn that business to mush. Remove asparagus and drain.
4. Add pasta to pot for recommended cooking time. Deliver the removed asparagus to a blender with about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, the zest and juice of a lemon, and 2-4 tablespoons olive oil. Blend it up.
5. Drain the pasta. Return it to the stockpot on low and add the contents of the blender along with a good 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan. Add reserved aspargus tips. Stir to combine and serve with extra grated parmesan.
Speaking of Doogie Howser, M.D., because I speak of him often (?), there's a kid who did it right. No Corey Feldman there. What's his name? Neil Patrick Harris? He went from child star to Broadway to an ABC hit and back to Broadway as the host of the Tony Awards. And he's a father of twins. Listen, I give any parent of twins props. It's no joke.
Anyway, this year I figured they had learned enough to do it on their own. Or not. Here is H's:
So H's teacher has been amazing. We love her. She just 'gets' H and inspires him and reigns him in at once. So his letter, which is translated as: "You are good at rainbows" cracked me up. She has been a constant cheerleader and motivator in his life for the past nine months and that's his takeaway? Oh no he dinnn't. But, do you know what? She does make killer rainbows. And if that's what most impresses him at this point, we're okay.
We're also okay with asparagus pasta, which I've been making since I first read the recipe in Gourmet magazine in the years before email and cellphones. I still miss Gourmet magazine, although I love that its last Editor-in-Chief, Ruth Reichl, is on Twitter and tweets fabulous missives every morning that make me wish I were her. Example: "Late spring. Damp green grass beneath my feet. A flock of tiny yellow birds. Local strawberries, so sweet, drenched in thick Jersey cream." Come on. I'm going to practice doing mornings like Ruth Reichl. Right now my tweet would read: "Leftover coffee. F'ing Mourning Doves. Cheerios." Doesn't quite have the same ring.
But back to the pasta. It's good. Unique in that the stems of the asparagus are blended to make the sauce. I've been making it for 10+ years and it's a go-to dish each spring. Unfortunately I've been making it so long that there's no longer a recipe and I've long ago lost my torn page from Gourmet, so here's going back to the drawing board:
Asparagus Pasta
1 large bunch asparagus, tips and stems divided
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lb dried pasta, such as penne or farfalle.
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Heat a stockpot of water to boiling. Add a drainer insert if you have one.
2. Rinse asparagus well and chop and discard the tough 1 inch off the bottoms of the stalks. Then chop the tips and the next 3/4 inch off the stalks and add to the stockpot. Boil the top bits for one minute and then drain and reserve in a bowl.
3. Chop the remainder of the asparagus into approx. 1" pieces. Add to boiling water and let it go longer than you would think. Like 7-8 minutes at a rapid boil. Turn that business to mush. Remove asparagus and drain.
4. Add pasta to pot for recommended cooking time. Deliver the removed asparagus to a blender with about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, the zest and juice of a lemon, and 2-4 tablespoons olive oil. Blend it up.
5. Drain the pasta. Return it to the stockpot on low and add the contents of the blender along with a good 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan. Add reserved aspargus tips. Stir to combine and serve with extra grated parmesan.
Lemony lemoness.
Blended sauce, pre-pasta. Gorgeous spring color.
Finished dish.
I like this dish because it makes a lot out of a little. It's very simple and I feel a very Italian dish. And it is gooooood.
What is also good is calling any offshoot of the University of Michigan Hospital. You will get a recording that says, "You've reached such and such, if this is an emergency, hang up and dial 911." I always laugh and think, really? if my kid were choking would my first call be to my pediatrician? Who would do that? I think the recording would be so much funnier by adding one simple word: fool. "You've reached the Ann Arbor West Clinic of the University of Michigan Hospital. If this is an emergency, hang up and dial 911, FOOL."
The end. And I am also good at rainbows.
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