Kayla resides in North Dakota with her husband Nick and her two children, Henry and Della.
As a family they spend their Springs harvesting asparagus, planting trees and sowing seeds. Their slow summers sipping lemonade in the garden, sailing a nearby lake, and swinging in a hammock amongst the butterflies.
In Fall, you’ll find them hunting, picking apples and canning the fruits of their labor. Winters will bring hauling wood for the stove, shoveling snow, wood working and reading up on all the homestead dream projects that commence again when the birds start chirping and the buds start blooming.
Kayla enjoys creating recipes, arts and crafts with her children, wandering the wonderful outdoors and her overall journey as an aspiring homesteader.
Sautéed, Pureed, Roasted or Raw.
Asparagus is perhaps the most versatile vegetable of all. Always eye-catching with a sophisticated stalk and an earthy shade of green, all the while presenting with a delicate demeanor. Sweet, salty or full of spice, there isn’t a flavor that doesn’t cooperate well with asparagus. Served in a salad, as a holiday side dish, a charcuterie show stopper, a bloody mary must have, pickled, paired with any meal of the day, it’s simply the most delectable vegetable.
Our creamy asparagus soup is a staple year round. In spring, on those drizzly days when we are pickling asparagus, we utilize the trimmed ends for soup. In winter, we take a couple pounds of blanched asparagus out of the freezer. Either way, fresh or frozen, this recipe is bound to create a rich and creamy, nutrient dense, crowd pleasing, dish.
This recipe is simple. Just a handful of ingredients. It’s basic, however you can add potatoes to make it hardy, shredded chicken for some texture, or a few more sautéed veggies like celery to play with flavor. Toppings are fun too, pictured here with sourdough croutons. Nuts for crunchiness, blanched asparagus for filler, shredded cheese for color… the options are endless.
2lbs asparagus
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tbsp butter
5 cups broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup cream
Salt + pepper
In a soup pot, simply saute asparagus, onion and garlic in butter.
Add broth, salt and pepper, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
Emulsify or blend ingredients in soup pot. And lemon juice, then cream.
Serve hot with toppings!
Please join us by sharing, continuing the conversation below, and connecting with Kayla at the following:
Asparagus, a perennial plant. One that requires patience, persistence and perseverance. Taking three years from planting to first harvest, asparagus can really test those three “p”s. But, once established, those three “p”s really pay off. An exquisite, delectable, versatile vegetable…
Like many in this homesteading space, this has been a completely unexpected journey for our family.
Even 10 years ago I would have laughed at the thought of getting up to milk a cow each morning and
canning endless amounts of tomatoes…
I am a Hopesteader. I haven’t always tried to look for the silver lining in most any situation. It’s a skill that has encouraged me to spur on and learn and read and do and gain experience by turning knowledge into wisdom…
The absolute best part of this cheese recipe-there’s no stove work involved, at all! So they’ll be no sweating over the stove, or heating up the homestead during these hot summer months, with this recipe!
Chèvre is my go to cheese! I milk the goats, go inside and filter it right into a jar, and start the cheese from that very point! The doe’s body temperature is just perfect for starting the cheese on your countertop. And it doesn’t get much easier than that!…
As the days grow longer and the hens pick up their laying again, the baskets on my kitchen counter begin to overflow with fresh eggs…
Simple Wheat Bread Recipe
This is a great, simple recipe that can be quickly thrown together multiple times a week for the perfect, from-scratch, whole wheat bread recipe. It’s a half wheat, half white flour recipe with a slightly nutty flavor, a hint of sweetness from the honey, and the perfect texture. I love that this recipe is so versatile that it can be sliced as an addition to a cozy soup dinner or hold perfectly for spread and sandwiches. I make this recipe multiple times a week in our home. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect recipe to jump into making bread at home, you’ve come to the right place.
Greetings! I’m Mandy Vander Kolk, a joyfully married mother of three, suburban homesteader, and sourdough enthusiast! From very early on, I have had a great love for the natural world.
Soon after I began my sourdough journey a few years ago, it quickly became very clear that one loaf was never enough for our family! Between my husband and I and our three children, we can easily devour an entire loaf in one sitting….
This recipe is nothing exciting, there I’ve said it. But I’ve got a lot on my heart and fruit I’m hoping to share will you; it may fill you in ways no dinner can…
