The Springiest Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise

Plus: Rhubarb Relish, Dinner at Jupiter, and New Plants.

Hey everyone,

I always start these emails talking about the weather and/or the season… who do I think I am, Alice Waters?

Well, apologies, but it’s finally springing outside and I’m loving it. Spring hits so different in New York: especially when it’s been in the thirties and you’re wearing your winter jacket in April and then suddenly it’s seventy-six degrees, there are tulips everywhere, and everyone’s sitting outside sipping Aperol spritzes.

And then there’s the food. Spring might be my favorite season for eating: there’s something so hopeful about tasting the first asparagus, sugar snap peas, ramps, and rhubarb. It’s a harbinger of all the fresh produce that’ll arrive with summer.

So in the spirit of spring, I made a dish of steamed asparagus with poached eggs and hollandaise. Here’s the video that shows you all the steps:

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My only regrets: (1) Craig hated the steamed asparagus and said it reminded him of steamed vegetables from his childhood (but I think that might be a Craig issue); and (2) my plating looks so sloppy here. This is a case where you just want to spoon the hollandaise over the eggs and let it flow over everything else. I need to go back to plating school.

Continuing the springy vibes, I didn’t see rhubarb at the farmer’s market, but I did see it at K & Y Fruit and Vegetable — a neighborhood bodega across the street from Union Market with everything half the price.

I love love love rhubarb. It’s like nature’s Starburst/Skittles/SweetTarts aka sweet and sour candy.

Instead of making dessert or a pie, however, I stumbled upon an intriguing recipe in Diane Henry’s Plenty. The jist? You cook rhubarb with sugar, cider vinegar, star anise, onions, and ginger until you have a tangy, sweet, tart relish to serve on fish.

Here’s the recipe: bring 1 cup cider vinegar with 1 1/2 cups of sugar to a boil, add 2 star anise, 1 shredded globe preserved ginger in syrup (I just used a knob of fresh ginger which I cut into matchsticks), a small fresh red chile seeded and shredded (I left this out). Cook at a simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 red onion thinly sliced and simmer for another 10 minutes. Finally, add 12 ounces rhubarb cut into “short, even lengths” and cook for just 4 minutes. Leave to cool.

This is meant to be served with mackerel but my friend Matthew came over and I gave him some and he served it with cheese and crackers and said it was a “ten out of ten.”

On Saturday night, Craig and I had tickets to go see our friend Isaac Oliver’s show Just in Time starring Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin. Here’s Craig and Isaac in the lobby:

This was moments before Steve Martin and Martin Short came waltzing through the lobby. I don’t get too starstruck these days (after over a decade in L.A.) but these guys are not only my childhood heroes, Martin Short’s Jiminy Glick is (for my money) the funniest thing that’s ever happened in comedy? So that was definitely a thrill.

And the show itself was an absolute delight — good job, Isaac! — and Jonathan Groff has more energy than anyone I’ve ever seen on stage. It’s like watching someone run a marathon without breaking a sweat (though there is lots of spit).

Beforehand, Craig and I had dinner at Jupiter in Rockefeller Center.

That’s their frozen strawberry rhubarb Negroni, a springtime treat that’ll only get more and more appealing as the weather gets warmer.

And their tagliatelle with asparagus and fonduta? As the kids say, no notes.

In case you can’t tell, we sat outside with a great view of the famous Rockefeller Center sculpture of Prometheus.

Jupiter might be my new favorite pre-theater restaurant.

Finally, it being spring, I decided to plant some plants. This year I’m less interested in growing vegetables (last year’s tomatoes were pretty but didn’t taste very good). So I’m sticking to herbs: currently thyme, rosemary, and mint, with some purple flowers thrown in for good measure.

On a walk with Winston the other day, I saw these dahlias and fell in love… but with the chilly weather (especially at night), I hope they can hold up.

Hey if you have a few minutes, I created a survey for you passionate Amateur Gourmet newsletter readers to help make this newsletter better. Click the button to fill it out!

Now let’s look at some links:

• Inside Le Creuset’s VIP Factory-to-Table Sale (Eater);

• 10 Things I’ve Noticed in Brooklyn (featuring Craig! Big Salad);

• Tahini Tiramisu? Color me interested (The Guardian).

In case you missed it, I announced my Food Person Book Tour on Thursday. Be sure to get your tickets for the events before they sell out!

That’s all for today, folks….

Until next time!

Your pal,

Adam