WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?

What an exciting day! I was making coffee this morning and out my kitchen window I saw the largest fox I have ever seen. He was in the driveway checking out the birdseed Betty puts out, but I guess he didn’t like it, because he trotted off to the next yard, where we got to watch for about 20 minutes while he dug a deep hole in the snow there.  He seemed to be playing. He’d dig for a little bit and then come out of the hole and jump straight up in the air a few times, and then go back into the hole and dig some more. My friend Tony says he was hunting mice under the snow.  What a treat to see him so relaxed. He had no idea he was being watched, and so acted very much at ease.  Finally, he just trotted off, maybe to try mouse hunting somewhere else. Thank the Goddess for our wildlife! I’m so blessed to live in a place where I can watch!

They had gorgeous asparagus at the Stop & Shop yesterday, so I got some and made the following pasta dish:

Makes enough for 2

10 spears of young asparagus  (Try to use pencil-thin spears)

12 raw shrimp, cleaned and de-veined *

The zest and juice of one lemon

4 TBLSP olive oil

2 TBLSP unsalted butter

3 med cloves of garlic, diced

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Hot pepper flakes (optional, but delicious-just don’t overdo it)

Whole wheat linguini

Freshly grated parmesan cheese**

In a medium skillet, heat 3 TBLSP olive oil. Add diced garlic and toast, stirring frequently, until golden. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Reserve.  Chop the asparagus into ½ inch pieces and sauté until al dente. Season it to taste. Meantime, cook pasta to taste in 2 quarts of boiling, salted water.  When the asparagus is nearly done, add the shrimp and lemon zest to the skillet and cook until the shrimp are pink and firm.  Add the butter, hot pepper flakes and lemon juice, and about ¼ cup of the pasta water. When the pasta is nearly cooked, transfer it to the skillet and toss well. Cook until the pasta is done to your taste. Finally, add the freshly grated cheese, toss and serve.

*My brother taught me to always have a bag of frozen, de-veined shrimp in the freezer. I get the 21/20 size, and when I need some I just shake some out of the bag into room-temperature water and let them de-frost.  If you really want to enhance the shrimp flavor, cook the shrimp in hot water until they are pink. Reserve the water. Shell the shrimp and put the shells back into the water and boil for about 3 or 4 minutes, then strain and discard the shells. Use the water in place of the pasta water mentioned above. If you do it this way, add the cooked shrimp to the skillet at the same time you add the linguini. Love those frozen shrimp.

**Feta cheese can be substituted if you prefer.

Remember to get some good books on your ereader and charge it up in case the power goes out in the coming storm….

Blessed be,

Phoebe