What a treat Gerry & I had going to Drummond House Garlic to pick new season asparagus! Listen here and see the recipes below:

Clogher Head Prawns with Drummond House Asparagus & Saffron Aioli

No Hassle Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Pasta (Forgot to get a shot before Gerry tucked in!)

Drummond House New Season Asparagus & Clogher Head Prawns

Ingredients:

Asparagus, cut in half, woody ends removed

Prawns

Lemon

Garlic

Mayonnaise

Saffron

Chives (if possible)

For the Asparagus: Arrange all the asparagus on a tray or platter & drizzle with oil & season with salt & pepper

Place on the BBQ or griddle pan and allow to cook for a few minutes on each side until charred and cooked through. Splash a little water or lemon juice on if they are becoming too charred before they have softened.

For the Prawns: Place the prawns in a pot and cover with cold water and add a slice of lemon.  Bring to the boil and remove to a colander immediately. They should have just turned opaque with a pinkish colour. Be careful not to overcook. Cool immediately by pouring cold water over.

For the Aioli:  Toast the saffron in a pan and grind down into a powder in a pestle & mortar. Mix with the mayo,garlic & a splash of lemon juice)

Place an asparagus spear on top of a prawn and use a chive to tie the two together. You can either dip in to the aioli or dollop a little on top.

No Hastle Smoked Salmon Pasta

Ingredients

1200g pack of Smoked Salmon

150 ml Crème Fraiche

150g Peas or Asparagus

200g Penne or Tagiatelle

Squeeze of lemon juice

Method

Boil the pasta according to the pack instructions keeping a ladle full of cooking water to one side before you drain the water.

Return pasta to the still warm cooking pot and add the crème fraiche, smoked salmon and asparagus with the cooking liquid.  Turn the heat on gently and stir to ensure all the ingredients are wound through.

Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

If using asparagus add it to the pasta for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time.