Who's Cooking: Linda Slezak of Jamesport

Linda Slezak

She and her husband, Jim, own the Red Barn B & B in Jamesport (redbarnbandb .com). She serves a three-course breakfast to guests each morning.

How did you get interested in cooking? I come from a family in which cooking and eating was very important. I remember gravitating to the kitchen, watching my grandmothers and trying to help.

Has the food culture on the North Fork changed over the years? We have only been here for 10 years, but it has changed demonstrably. There were always farms - potato farms. Then the potato farmers starting selling their land to the vineyards - the wine culture is almost Napa Valley-like. But the farmers also started diversifying their crops. Now during the growing season you get the freshest of the fresh.

Does that make your job as a cook a lot easier? You can go to any farm stand out here and get wonderful produce. Now we're in asparagus season, and you get excellent, locally grown asparagus. I put it into crepes, frittatas, and on and on. We're coming into strawberry season. There's no comparison between the ones grown out here and the ones shipped in from California. They're smaller, they aren't sprayed with pesticides. They are absolutely scrumptious. I make strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry shortcake. It's a short season, so you try to make the most of it.

Are there restaurants that you particularly like? The North Fork Table & Inn in Southold, Scrimshaw and Noah's in Greenport, and Annona in Westhampton [Beach] are some of my favorites.

ASPARAGUS FILLED CREPES WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE

CREPES

1 cup flour

1 1/3 cups milk, room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pound fresh asparagus

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour.

1 cup milk

Salt and white pepper to taste and freshly grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp)

1. Whisk flour and milk together. Add eggs and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Whisk again until all ingredients are well blended.

2. Heat crepe pan on medium heat and brush with some of the remaining melted butter. Pour in 1/4 cup of the batter and rotate pan to spread it evenly.

3. Cook until lightly browned and turn crepe over to cook other side until lightly browned.

4. Remove crepe from pan to a platter and repeat process until batter is used up. Set aside and keep warm.

5. Steam or poach asparagus until crisp cooked. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the final 2 tablespoons flour to make a roux and continue stirring while adding in the milk.

Simmer and stir until thickened. Season and add more milk if sauce becomes too thick.

Place three or four asparagus on each crepe. Fold crepe over the asparagus and pour some of the béchamel on top. Serve two filled crepes for each person.