An Éclair to Remember

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¹/₂ cup toasted pine nuts
¹/₄ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Preserved Lemon Dressing
Preserved Lemons

Method:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¹/₂ cup toasted pine nuts
¹/₄ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preserved Lemon Dressing
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
1 lemon from Preserved Lemons
7 to 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¹/₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Rinse lemon in water, drain, and cut in half. Remove seeds and flesh from half of the lemon and chop rind into little pieces; set aside.
Remove seeds from remaining lemon half and add to the bowl of a food processor along with olive oil, cumin, coriander, and pepper; process until pureed. If dressing seems too thick, add water to reach desired consistency. Stir in preserved rind.

Preserved Lemons
Yield: Makes 8 preserved lemons

Ingredients:
8 lemons, plus more as needed
Juice of 4 lemons, plus more as needed
Coarse salt
¹/₂ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:
Leaving one end intact, cut lemons lengthwise into quarters. Using your fingers, stuff about 2 tablespoons salt inside each lemon, close them, and transfer to an 8-cup, sterilized, wide-mouth jar.
Measure juice in a liquid measuring cup, add to jar along with half that amount of water, making sure liquid almost covers lemons. Add more freshly squeezed lemon juice, if necessary.
Loosely cover jar and let stand, at room temperature, for 2 days, shaking the bottle each day.
If there is room, add more cut lemons with salt and add to jar, covering with more lemon juice, if necessary, and olive oil. Cover jar and let stand at room temperature at least 3 weeks.
To use lemons, rinse with water. Remove seeds and pith and discard. Use peel as desired.