Asparagus Appetizer Spread
The first time I made this spread was for a potluck get-together. It was such a hit that I've been making it ever since. My husband and I have two children, 15 and 12. We live in a country home. Every year, we grow a garden, and we're both 4-H advisers.
The first time I made this spread was for a potluck get-together. It was such a hit that I've been making it ever since. My husband and I have two children, 15 and 12. We live in a country home. Every year, we grow a garden, and we're both 4-H advisers.
- Carbohydrate 7.79791561289333 g
- Cholesterol 47.7393005466667 mg
- Fat 14.2177273614405 g
- Fiber 1.65928155671361 g
- Protein 12.2773467579605 g
- Saturated Fat 7.72962394566699 g
- Serving Size 1 1 - (149g)
- Sodium 583.36908548145 mg
- Sugar 6.13863405617973 g
- Trans Fat 1.68141420831982 g
- Calories 201 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook asparagus in a small amount of water until tender. Drain, reserving one quarter cup liquid. Cool.
- Puree asparagus until smooth. Add 1 cup sour cream and the cream cheese; blend well.
- In a saucepan, combine gelatin and reserved liquid; heat slowly until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in the asparagus mixture, ham, chives, salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 1-qt. round-bottom bowl. Cover and chill until set, about 6 hours.
- Unmold onto a plate and spread with reserved sour cream. Garnish with additional chopped ham and cooked asparagus if desired. Serve with crackers.
While a hot dip relies on thermal energy to maintain a loose consistency, this cold molded spread depends entirely on proper structural gelling. Unflavored gelatin requires precise handling; sprinkling the powder over cold liquid allows the proteins to hydrate evenly before heat is applied. Direct heat without prior blooming creates clumps that will prevent the mixture from setting uniformly in its round-bottom mold.
Assessing vegetable doneness accurately requires abandoning timing guidelines in favor of physical cues. Simmer the trimmed stalks in a minimal amount of water until a paring knife slides through the thickest base with zero resistance. Overcooking strips the spears of their vibrant green hue, turning the puree a dull olive drab long before it reaches the blender.
Incorporating dairy into a warm gelatin base demands temperature management to prevent curdling or premature setting. Cool the cooked asparagus puree and sour cream mixture slightly before folding it into the dissolved gelatin, ensuring the dairy fats do not separate. Chilling the assembled components for at least six hours gives the collagen networks sufficient time to form a rigid matrix that holds its shape upon unmolding.
Scaling this formulation up or down requires maintaining precise ratios between the setting agent and the total liquid volume. Doubling the batch necessitates a larger mold but does not change the proportion of gelatin per cup of base ingredients. Leftovers should be tightly wrapped and consumed within three days to maintain optimal texture and prevent moisture separation.
