Soup and Sandwich Night

The bottom vegetable bin in our new fridge is just too cold. James says it's because I stuff them too full. Maybe true.

None the less we ended up with some partially frozen asparagus -- a shame to waste but too frosty to serve as a side dish. Soup was the only way to salvage it I figured. And so it seemed like a night for soup and sandwich dinner.

I chopped the asparagus (2 bunches), 1 large shallot, and 2 cloves of garlic and added them to a sauce pan along with chicken broth to cover, and a pinch of crushed red peppers. I brought the mixture up to a boil and allowed it to simmer for about 15 minutes until the shallots were tender. I put the contents of the saucepan, along with 2 TB of olive oil and a large handful of fresh spinach into the blender and pureed. I served James' soup with a dollop of fresh ricotta.

On the side some dressed up grilled cheese. Rosemary bread, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, butter and a extra thin layer of honey toasted in a pan and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.