Recipes by June Allyson: Asparagus Vinaigrette; Beef Stew; Vegetables

June Allyson's Asparagus Vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette sauce:

1 tbsp. fresh lemon Juice
2 tbsps. wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 tbsps. olive oil (or melted sweet butter)

Combine lemon juice, vinegar and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add olive oil (or melted butter), beating with fork until sauce thickens. Keep in warm place until ready to use.

For the asparagus:

1 bunch of asparagus
1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped
2 tbsps. chopped parsley
2 gherkins, minced

Wash asparagus thoroughly. If sandy, scrub With vegetable brush. Remove any woody stalks (determine by breaking them rather than cutting stalks). Tie in bunch. Stand asparagus in deep, narrow pan filled With boiling water. Simmer gently 10-15 minutes (or until stalks are tender). Drain and serve hot or cold with vinaigrette sauce garnished with hard-cooked egg, parsley and minced gherkin. Makes a fabulous main luncheon course or side dish with steak or chops. Serves 2.

June Allyson's Beef Stew

2 lbs. lean round (or chuck steak)
3 tbsps. butter (or salad oil)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups potatoes, cut in large pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups green peas (or string beans)
1 cup corn cut from cob
2 cups water (or undiluted beef broth)
1/2 cup vermouth
1 1/2 tsps. salt (more if needed)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. tarragon
Pinch of thyme
1 bay leaf
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Brown beef quickly in melted butter (or salad oil). Remove beef to heated dish. Brown onion and garlic in pan drippings over low heat. Prepare vegetables and set aside. Return beef to stock pot with onion and garlic. Add carrots, potatoes, celery and water (or broth) vermouth, seasonings and herbs. Cover and simmer 1 1/4 hours (or until meat is tender). Add green peas (or beans) and corn. Cook 10 minutes (or until vegetables are tender). Taste to correct seasonings. Spoon into soup plates. Garnish with Parmesan cheese at the table. If desired, stew can be thickened with flour but tastes best using natural juice of vegetables and meat to flavor the stew. Serves 4-6.

June Allyson's Vegetables

June Allyson likes to glaze vegetables such as carrots, turnips or onions in brown sugar syrup. She also serves carrots with melted butter to which chopped parsley, chives, or mint has been added.

To make spinach attractive, she seasons it with crumpled crisp bacon, topping it off with a hard-boiled egg which has been put through a sieve.

For extra delicacy in asparagus tips, she boils them in milk.

June claims that cooked green beans are even more delicious when placed under the broiler rack to catch meat drippings.