As I mentioned at the end of last week’s blog post, The Kitchen Scout celebrated its first birthday on May 11, 2015.  Every Friday morning at 7AM for the past 52 weeks, you have graciously welcomed me to your inboxes and shared a few moments with my musings about recipes, restaurants and real life.

My children like to joke that the blog has taken priority over everyone (and everything perhaps) with the possible exception of our dog.  I don’t think it has gone that far, but truth be told, my kitchen often looks like it is under attack.

At any moment you may see piles of recipes and miscellaneous props strewn across my island.  If it’s a cooking day and I am photographing the results, my kitchen table is most definitely wedged next to a window in search of the best light.  The marble backdrop that appears in almost every blog post is most likely on top of a stool at a different window.  Heavy as heck, that slab of white and grey was one of my best purchases of the year.

All kidding aside, my children have been very supportive of my new “job” as a blogger, and my husband has been my chief taste tester and biggest cheerleader, sending me encouraging emails every Friday morning after he reads my post.  And of course, my friends – those who have appeared on the blog with me, and those who haven’t (and will, I promise!!!) – you have all been so incredibly generous with your positive thoughts and constructive feedback.

The only constant in life is change.  When I set out to do this blog, I was threading a needle between a real loss and an anticipated change in my life that will happen this fall (aka, the empty nest).  I knew the only way I was going to survive either was to find a lifeboat to hang on to, something that would support me and keep me buoyed.  The blog has done that for me, creating a rhythm to my weeks.  It has also opened up my world in so many unexpected and interesting ways.

So, I am going to re-up and see where The Kitchen Scout takes me this coming year.  Will I do this forever?  I don’t know, but for now I am looking forward to starting fresh and truly hope you will continue to spend some time with me on Friday mornings!

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So, let’s begin TKS Year 2 with a new recipe.  Grilled Asparagus and Beet Salad was inspired by a dish that was served at a luncheon I attended.  Vibrant green asparagus spears were nestled among arugula and topped with golden hued slivered beets.  I was struck by the colors, but thought the salad needed more pizazz.  I thought to merge this Food Network recipe (that I have never made) with the inspiration dish and came up with my Grilled Asparagus and Beet Salad.  I have since brought it to two events and it seems to be a crowd pleaser, not to mention very lovely.

The first time I made it, I dressed the salad with a white balsamic vinaigrette which was tasty.  On my second attempt, I made a champagne vinaigrette and added some minced shallot which I preferred.  The salad can really handle almost any vinaigrette you wish and the cheese and nuts can easily be swapped with other options such as goat cheese and almonds or feta and pine nuts.

Asparagus is in season right now and our local farms have started harvesting their crops.  If you can find some local asparagus, it’s worth it!  Here’s a shot of the freshly picked asparagus at one of the farms in my town…

The asparagus spears are trimmed, tossed in a little olive oil and seasoned with some kosher salt and pepper.  They are grilled for about 6 minutes until tender…

Golden beets are sweet and more mellow in flavor than their ruby relatives…

They are trimmed, rubbed with a little olive oil, packed in foil and roasted in the oven until tender. Once peeled and sliced, the beets are tossed in a champagne vinaigrette while still warm…

To assemble the salad, a few handfuls of arugula go down first, followed by the asparagus, beets, some goat cheese and toasted pistachio nuts.  The salad is finished with a drizzle of champagne vinaigrette and a garnish of crispy proscuitto…

The light is wonderful for taking photographs at this time of year.  Although the picture above has shadows, I thought it was so pretty and wanted to show you.  The one below shows the dish after I moved it away from the direct sun…

The salad is really a complete meal and would work well for vegetarians if you left out the proscuitto or served it on the side…

You could make the dish with red beets, but I just love how the yellow plays off the bright green asparagus.  It also contrasts nicely with the white goat cheese and the red proscuitto.  If you have a Memorial Day BBQ to attend this week, why not offer to bring a salad?!

Happy Birthday to me!  And just for fun…

I read this thoughtfully written article by Corby Kummer this week.  He poses the question, Is it Time to Table Farm-to-Table?

I need to try this recipe for ice cream using one ingredient!  If you try it before me, let me know how it goes!

See you next week!