INGREDIENTS
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp butter
2 potatoes
1 onion
3 1/2 tbsp butter
2 bunches asparagus
8 stalks asparagus
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tsp rice vinegar
3 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
Olive oil
4 large Digby scallops, room temperature
1 tbsp butter

For the soup, dice all vegetables except asparagus. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook vegetables until soft. Add enough water to cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Very finely chop the two bunch of saparagus, add to soup and bring to a boil. Put the hot soup in a blender and mix until smooth. Pass through a fine strainer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

For the salad, with a vegetable peeler shave long slice of aspargus from the stalks and place them in cold water so they curl. Whisk vinegar, oil and shallot together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss sald with asparagus just before serving.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a cast iron pan until it smokes. Sear scallops for 3 minutes each side. Right before serving, add butter and once melted use a spoon to glaze each scallop.

To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls, put a scallop in the centre of each, top with orange cream (recipe follows) and dressed asparagus salad. Makes 4 servings.

Orange Cream
1/4 cup yogurt
2 oranges
3 tbsp whipping cream

Whip cream until firm. zest oranges with a fine grater and mix with cream and yogurt.