Savoring the Season of Spring: Recipes by Laurie Wolf

Images by Bruce Wolf

April is a lovely time of year for eating seasonally. Asparagus, peas, baby arugula and wonderful wild salmon—no heavy sauces required.  Let’s let the freshness and flavor of these natural ingredients shine through this spring. We suggest a teaspoon of canna-butter or canna-oil per person, going for a dose of about 10 percent THC. The CBD percent is your call.  There seems to be no question that those two cannabinoids, along with lots of others, can work wonders on what ails you. Less is more, and have fun.

Laurie Wolf is a regular recipe developer and edibles contributor to The Cannabist, High Times, Oregon Leaf, and Cannabis Now. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked as a chef, caterer, and food stylist in New York before relocating to Portland. She is a published author—recent works include A Food Lover’s Guide to Portland and The Portland, Oregon Chef’s Table. She is currently co-authoring two cannabis cookbooks including HERB, a crowd-funded cookbook from the folks behind The Stoner’s Cookbook. Laurie has been a trained chef, food stylist, food editor, recipe developer and cookbook author for over thirty years. Her company, Laurie and MaryJane, is dedicated to producing high-quality medicated food. Laurie’s passion for cannabis as treatment stems from her exposure to her father’s end-of-life care as well as her own successful management of a seizure disorder.

Seared Salmon with Pea Puree

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 teaspoons canna-olive oil*

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 sprigs of thyme

8 scallions, trimmed, halved and cut in thin strips

2 cups fresh peas (or 10-ounce package frozen)

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 6-ounce pieces of salmon

In a large skillet, heat the canna-olive oil. Add the garlic, thyme, scallions and peas. Sauté for 7-9 minutes, until the peas are tender and the scallions have softened. In a food processor, process ¾ of the pea/scallion mixture. (You just want to have enough left in the pan to garnish the salmon pieces). Add the yogurt and lemon juice to the pureed mixture and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a skillet, heat the canola oil. When hot, place the salmon, skin side up in the skillet. Cook over medium high heat, for 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Spread the green sauce over the bottom of four plates. Place a piece of salmon in the center of each. Top with a sprinkling of peas, scallion and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.

Brown Canna-Butter Asparagus

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 tablespoons butter

6 sage leaves, chopped

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

4 teaspoons canna-butter*

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Sage for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the butter. Add the asparagus and sauté over medium heat, shaking the pan gently to cook evenly, 5-7 minutes. Place the canna-butter in the pan, sprinkle with the lemon zest and cook an additional minute or two. Garnish with the sage.

Arugula Bruschetta

Ingredients (Serves 4)

8 slices bread, toasted

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups baby arugula

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

4 teaspoons canna-oil

Salt and coarse black pepper

Place the toasted bread on your work surface. Take the garlic cloves and rub the cloves on one side of the bread. Drizzle with the olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, onion, tomatoes and goat cheese. Place the lettuce mixture on the bread slices. Drizzle with the infused oil.