Crawford Park cooking class with Cara Tannenbaum
Crawford Park will be hosting another free live-stream cooking class with professional chef, Cara Tannenbaum on March 13, 2025

The live stream is a two-hour class from 6:00 – 8:00 pm

The live stream can be viewed on Crawford Park Facebook and Crawford Park Instagram

During this session, Chef Cara Tannenbaum will be demonstrating easy-to-prepare spring dishes for home meals or entertaining – Recipes and Ingredient lists to come.

Don’t miss this amazing and FREE opportunity to learn from an accomplished and celebrated chef from our community!

Limited In-Person Free tickets are available on Eventbrite

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Shopping List

  • 1.5 pounds fresh asparagus
  • 1 large leek
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cups total any spring vegetables – quickly blanched, ie: fresh peas, snow peas, broccoli florets
  • 3 quarts vegetable stock
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs ie: parsley, thyme, tarragon, dill
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 ounces unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Equipment List

  • Cutting board/ knife
  • Blender or hand-held blender
  • Sauté pan
  • Soup pot
  • Small saucepan
  • Colander or strainer
  • Soup ladle

SPRING ASPARAGUS SOUP

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 large leek, white part plus a bit of the green, split and rinsed clean, sliced
6 cups vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste
  1. Cut the tough ends off the asparagus. Separate the tips of the asparagus from the middle, chop the middle, and set the tips aside.
  2. Over medium heat, add the oil to a soup pot. Add the leek, onion and rice, and sauté until the leek and onion are transparent, about 7 minutes.
  3. Add one cup of stock, lower the heat and cook until everything is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus middles, and the remainder of the stock and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  4. In a small pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus tips for 2 minutes. Strain, and run under cold water to keep the tips green. Set aside.
  5. Purée the soup with a hand held blender. Add a slash of lemon juice to taste, serve warm and garnish with the blanched asparagus tips.
This soup is great with a little fresh dill, basil or tarragon added before being puréed. It can also be served with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche on top.
Serves 4 to 6.

SEASONAL VEGETABLE RISOTTO

4 to 6 cups vegetable stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced small
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
2 cups blanched spring vegetables of choice, ie, peas, snap peas, mushrooms, broccoli.
Before the event, quickly blanch vegetables you choose in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, and set aside.
  1. Place the stock in a large saucepan over low heat.
  2. Add 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat entirely. The rice should get glossy after 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add the 1/2 cup of white wine. Stir and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  4. Using a ladle, add the warm stock 1/2 cup at a time, while stirring. When the stock appears to evaporate, add the next 1/2 cup. After 20 minutes, taste the rice. The end result should be creamy, but each grain should have a bit of a bite in the middle. If the rice is not tender enough, keep adding stock until it reaches the desired consistency.
  5. Add the remaining butter; it should be softened by now, and stir. Add Parmesan cheese to taste, season with salt and pepper, and stir in prepared vegetables. Serve immediately, with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Serves 4 to 6