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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Lemon-Tarragon Spring Bowl

Chef Sara

Celebrate spring, that short but beloved season, by making this Lemon-Tarragon Spring Bowl. Quick pickled radishes, roasted asparagus, and a zippy lemon-tarragon dressing make this dish extra-special and seasonal. There are several components to this recipe, but they come together quickly and with minimal effort. The pickled radishes need about 24 hours to marinate, so plan to make them the day before. The dressing and marinated white beans can also be made the day before to allow the flavors to blend. From there, it's just a simple matter of roasting the asparagus and cooking your grain of choice. And a bonus, the leftovers taste wonderful!

New to tarragon? Give it a try! This tender herb has a sweet, grassy taste that brightens up dressings and sauces. I love it in this simple French-style dressing. This light, bright spring dish is perfect for a healthy Mother's Day lunch, or anytime!

Ingredients

For the Quick-Pickled Radishes
 1 pound radishes, washed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
 1 cup apple cider vinegar
 1 cup water
 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
 2 teaspoons salt
 10 whole peppercorns (or a few grinds of freshly-ground black pepper)
For the Lemon-Tarragon Dressing
 Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
 2 tablespoons minced shallot or red onion
 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 1 teaspoon maple syrup
 ½ cup olive oil
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Marinated White Beans
 3 cups cooked white beans, such as Great Northern beans, or 2 (15 ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
 ½ recipe Lemon-Tarragon Dressing
For the Roasted Asparagus
 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1-inch diagonal slices
 2 teaspoons olive oil
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Serving
 3 cooked grain of your choice (I used farro)

Directions

1

First, make the Quick-Pickled Radishes: Pack the thinly sliced radishes into a wide-mouth, quart-size mason jar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, maple syrup, salt, and peppercorns until the salt is dissolved. Pour this brine over the radishes, screw on the lid, and give the jar a shake to distribute the peppercorns. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 24 hours.

Next, make the Lemon-Tarragon Dressing: Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl until well-blended. Reserve half the dressing for the white beans, and store the rest in the refrigerator until needed.

To make the Marinated White Beans: In a medium bowl, combine the white beans and the reserved dressing, then mix gently until the beans are evenly coated with dressing. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24. (The longer the beans marinate, the more flavorful they’ll be!)

To make the Roasted Asparagus: Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together the asparagus pieces, oil, and salt, and pepper, then transfer to the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green, a little browned at the tips, and just tender when pierced with a fork.

To serve the Springtime Bowl: In each bowl, portion out a serving of the radishes, beans, asparagus, and your grain of choice. Drizzle with the extra dressing, and enjoy!

Lemon-Tarragon Spring Bowl
IngredientsDirections

Lemon-Tarragon Spring Bowl

DifficultyModerate
YIELDS
Makes 6 to 8 generous servings, plus extra Quick-Pickled Radishes for later

INGREDIENTS

For the Quick-Pickled Radishes
 1 pound radishes, washed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
 1 cup apple cider vinegar
 1 cup water
 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
 2 teaspoons salt
 10 whole peppercorns (or a few grinds of freshly-ground black pepper)
For the Lemon-Tarragon Dressing
 Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
 2 tablespoons minced shallot or red onion
 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 1 teaspoon maple syrup
 ½ cup olive oil
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Marinated White Beans
 3 cups cooked white beans, such as Great Northern beans, or 2 (15 ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
 ½ recipe Lemon-Tarragon Dressing
For the Roasted Asparagus
 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1-inch diagonal slices
 2 teaspoons olive oil
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Serving
 3 cooked grain of your choice (I used farro)

DIRECTIONS

1

First, make the Quick-Pickled Radishes: Pack the thinly sliced radishes into a wide-mouth, quart-size mason jar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, maple syrup, salt, and peppercorns until the salt is dissolved. Pour this brine over the radishes, screw on the lid, and give the jar a shake to distribute the peppercorns. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 24 hours.

Next, make the Lemon-Tarragon Dressing: Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl until well-blended. Reserve half the dressing for the white beans, and store the rest in the refrigerator until needed.

To make the Marinated White Beans: In a medium bowl, combine the white beans and the reserved dressing, then mix gently until the beans are evenly coated with dressing. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24. (The longer the beans marinate, the more flavorful they’ll be!)

To make the Roasted Asparagus: Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together the asparagus pieces, oil, and salt, and pepper, then transfer to the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green, a little browned at the tips, and just tender when pierced with a fork.

To serve the Springtime Bowl: In each bowl, portion out a serving of the radishes, beans, asparagus, and your grain of choice. Drizzle with the extra dressing, and enjoy!

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