 
Any food52 member is welcome to help us test our Editors' Pick candidates, so go call dibs on the recipe you'd like to test in the comments section below! Don't forget to email us your notes (about 100 words) to [email protected] by next Tuesday at 5pm.
We'll collect your comments, decide the official list of Editors' Picks and publish your evaluation in the headnote if the recipe is selected as an Editors' Pick (with credit, of course!). And even if the recipe you test isn't chosen as an Editors' Pick, please feel free to leave your testing notes in the recipe's comments section. Constructive criticism is always encouraged!
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Click here for more details on how our community-tested Editors' Picks system works.
- Editors' Picks (these are the ones we've tested -- congratulations!)
- Asparagus with Crispy Prosciutto and Tarragon Aioli
- Asparagus, Fava Bean and Pea Shoot Salad
- Savory Pumpkin Rosemary Bread
- Cool Rise ChallahÂ
- English Country Bread
- Editors' Pick Candidates (these are the ones we'd like you to test)
- Asparagus Wrapped in Phyllo and ProsciuttoÂ
- Asparagus alla Carbonara
- Springtime Asparagus Pizza
- French Bread Eggs Benedict with Asparagus
- Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Crumbs
- White Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Pickled Rhubarb
- Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Lemon Dressing
- Asparagus & Radish Salad with Spring Herb Dressing
- Smoky Pickled Asparagus
- Catalan Asparagus With Chorizo
- Â
- Savory Saffron Brioche with Rosemary and Vermont Ham
- Pain a l' Ancienne
- Garlic Herb Batter Bread
- Rosemary Foccaccia
- Savory Carrot Bread
- My Great Grandmother's Challah
- Icebox Oatmeal RollsÂ
- Leftover Mashed Potato Flatbread
- Tashkent Non (Soft, fluffy Uzbek bread)
- Kummelweck
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We've also added some incentives to reward your hard work and make things interesting. The three people who test the most Editors' Picks candidates by June 1, 2010 will be entered in a drawing to win one of these fabulous prizes:
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- 1. A weekend stay on a small-scale working family farm with Feather Down Farm Days
- 2. A snazzy food52 tote from L.L. Bean
- 3. Three selections from Rick's Picks' line of delicious pickled goods
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Written by: Food52
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56 Comments
coffeefoodwrite
April 18, 2010
Hi LTC! Just got back from the store and was able to procure all the ingredients for the White Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad and found your post -- so if you are not able to find the ingredients -- I will be making it today. Just let me know so I know where to post my comments. Thanks!
Lizthechef
April 18, 2010
Found your comment on my email - I will pass on testing since you will be doing so. I owe you lunch after calling WF and hearing what they charged for white asparagus - good luck;)
coffeefoodwrite
April 18, 2010
Strangely enough the WF's here in LA did not have white asparagus or rhubarb - go figure -- ended up getting it at Ralph's!
Lizthechef
April 18, 2010
I am back on line after computer crashed and was repaired. If the white asparagus/goat cheese/pickled rhubarb is still up for grabs, I will test it and throw my grocery budget out the window for the week;) Please let me know before 3:00 pm EDT Monday? Thanks - I'm sure WF has everything I will need.
Loves F.
April 16, 2010
Aside from the Food 52 site, @Food52 on Twitter immediately posts when recipes are ready for testing, winners are announced, etc. From what I can see, the Food52 crew is working around the clock to test recipes, post articles, entertain us, and keep us informed (in addition to their 'day jobs')... editors pick community testing was probably a good way to lighten their load and get us involved, but the more and more testing notes we send them to read through and judge, the less time they'll have to provide all the other wonderful services we see here daily.
kaykay
April 15, 2010
As the community grows, maybe it would be interesting if more than one person tested a recipe. It may be too much to manage on the back-end, but there's a reason there's three judges on American Idol and Dancing with the stars and five people on the View-- it's fun to see the varying opinions or unanimous enthusiasm!
WinnieAb
April 16, 2010
I agree...If there are enough willing testers, why not have 2 people test each recipe? Seems to me that two "thumbs up" means more than one. I understand there might not be enough recipes/testers for this to work, and it might be too much work on the Food52 end, but it would be a better system, I think.
lastnightsdinner
April 16, 2010
I totally agree - peoples' palates are so varied, I think that having a couple of people test each prospective Editors' Pick would provide for a more fair and balanced system. If it works for A&M, of course. :)
Food52
April 16, 2010
We agree that multiple testers' opinions on recipes would be ideal,
but have hesitated for a few reasons: 1) We want to make sure that as
many recipes are tested as possible (promising recipes have gone
untested in past weeks; that would likely happen more often if testers
doubled up on other recipes) 2) Multiple reviews would make publishing tester's
comments in the recipe's headnote tricky 3) Calling dibs in the
comments section is already somewhat chaotic; administering second and
third dibs would be even more so. We will definitely discuss -- let us
know if you have any suggestions on how to get around these concerns!
but have hesitated for a few reasons: 1) We want to make sure that as
many recipes are tested as possible (promising recipes have gone
untested in past weeks; that would likely happen more often if testers
doubled up on other recipes) 2) Multiple reviews would make publishing tester's
comments in the recipe's headnote tricky 3) Calling dibs in the
comments section is already somewhat chaotic; administering second and
third dibs would be even more so. We will definitely discuss -- let us
know if you have any suggestions on how to get around these concerns!
NakedBeet
April 15, 2010
Oh Man! I missed the editor's picks announcement in time. All those lovely breads... Yes, I agree with GFL and Shayma, little sticky on the side of the home page (so it's static) for when things are due/when things are going up would be a lovely little reminder to us who oh, say, go on vacation for 2 weeks and then return to find things have been swooped up-as they should be! ; ) I might be be a 2nder for the Tashkent Non or the L'ancienne.
Food52
April 16, 2010
There's actually one recipe left that anyone is welcome to claim -- the White Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Pickled Rhubarb -- which looks promising and actually quite simple, if you have access to white asparagus and rhubarb.
thirschfeld
April 15, 2010
I really like that everyone jumps in and has a go at it attitude towards each weeks editors picks, I was one of the first to pick a recipe this week. On the same note I also notice it is the same folks testing each week. Don't get me wrong I have picked one each week, except last, because there is always a recipe I really wanted to try. What am I getting at? Well, I think there are lots in this community who want to be involved but are maybe to shy to jump into the mix. I see lots of cooks who don't post recipes and many who just post recipes but don't always submit them to contests. Once again I have noticed new people jumping into the editors picks mix, fantastic, but maybe those of us that are eager beavers should hold back a day and let others give some of these recipes a go round. Then if no one claims a recipe, well then maybe we should claim it. Just a suggestion to get others involved, strength in numbers, ya know. But lets try this next week because I really want to make the Tashkent Non.
gluttonforlife
April 15, 2010
Maybe not everyone is so clued into the schedule of when the editors' picks are posted (I know I'm not). Maybe there could be a place on the site that tells not only when to submit recipes for contests (the current listing is a bit vague and incomplete), but when the editors' picks and winners are posted, when the reviews are due, etc. Or have I missed this somewhere?
shayma
April 15, 2010
i agree with gluttonforlife- i am a bit lost- i try to memorise the deadlines/due-dates, but would love for there to be a timeline on your most excellent site, Amanda and Merrill. You used to have one before (forgive me if it is back on again, in which case I am just babbling for no reason), and would love to see it back again.
drbabs
April 16, 2010
I bet you're a really good dad--look at you,trying to get us to share and play nicely together! I'm one of the first ones to jump in, too--I LOVE testing the recipes--but I think your suggestion is a good one.
drbabs
April 16, 2010
Oh, and just in case you're not convinced that I'm OBSESSED, I'll tell you that the finalists are usually announced between 12 N and 1PM Eastern time on Thursday, and the Editors' Picks candidates are about an hour after that. (I know this because I have the page up on my computer on Thursday and I check constantly!)
Merrill S.
April 16, 2010
We did have a timeline, but we changed the schedule so it became obsolete. We promise to try to get something up as soon as possible. Sorry for any confusion!
dymnyno
April 16, 2010
I agree that anything that gets more people to participate in testing is definately a good thing. The incentive prizes are also an incentive for the same people to do all the testing. There also seems to be a ghost segment of the Food community who have opinions and also probably vote. When ID is looked up they have no history/biography and no recipes. The positive side of the same people doing the testing is that we have come to know the testers, ie, Antonia is precise, the lawyer of the group, Shayna is the vegetarian, I'm the gadfly, etc. The biggest unkown is the A&M support group (A&M employees) . We can read about them (bios) and how they got their jobs but we don't get to hear their individual voices and opinions...it all filters through A&M. So, it has never been explained how much weight their opinion carries (all?) and how much hands on they are vs real time A&M. We get to see A&M doing videos on Tuesday, but what else? Food52 is a fun project and sometime it would be interesting to hear about the rest of your professional lives. The Food52 family that you have created love you two !!
Food52
April 16, 2010
Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions for Editors' Picks and
the site. We are extremely grateful for the dedicated group of
food52ers that swoops in each week to test recipes for us and, judging
by the feedback we've received so far, everyone seems to be enjoying
the testing process. That said, we would love for more of the
community to be involved, and will do our best to make sure they feel
welcome to do so. Thanks, thirschfeld, for looking out for the
community at large.
the site. We are extremely grateful for the dedicated group of
food52ers that swoops in each week to test recipes for us and, judging
by the feedback we've received so far, everyone seems to be enjoying
the testing process. That said, we would love for more of the
community to be involved, and will do our best to make sure they feel
welcome to do so. Thanks, thirschfeld, for looking out for the
community at large.
dymnyno
April 15, 2010
If no one has taken shaved asparagus I will do that one...it sounds like my kind of recipe ; simple quality ingredients and healthy method of prepartion...if it is taken...well I will do it anyway!
Food52
April 16, 2010
Hi dymnyno, monkeymom already has the Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad covered, but please let us know your take in the recipe's comments section. Thanks!
thirschfeld
April 15, 2010
There is a thing called pate fermente, which is what it looks like here starter is, a ball of dough and that is what most brioches use if they use it at all. So the second being a biga is probably to wet. Go with the first or the dough will be to hydrated. There is even a third starter, a poolish but it is similar to the biga. So the first one is probably right because basically you want "old dough" so the crust really caramelizes. Although all three will do that. Hope that helps but if it were me I would go with the ball of dough on this one.
mrslarkin
April 15, 2010
excellent. Thanks thirschfeld. Got a response from SueVT and she said it is supposed to be a ball of dough, just like you said, so I'm gonna go with it.
mrslarkin
April 15, 2010
i'm going to bite the bullet and try my hand at the brioche. wish me luck!
thirschfeld
April 15, 2010
You will never be the same mrslarkin, LOL, brioche is sooooo sooooo goooood. I actually bet that would make the best Sunday morning French toast. That sweet and savory thing going on. Just a guess.
mrslarkin
April 15, 2010
Thanks! I can't wait to make it! Hey, maybe you guys can help me. I left a comment for SueVT on this recipe re her starter. Haven't heard back from her yet. Not sure what I'm doing for that step. I made a starter with flour and water, as instructed on her blog. But it came out like a ball of dough. So I created another one with similar proportions to the biga in the Pumpkin loaf above, but only using flour and water. I'm baking on Monday. Let me know your thoughts.
Jennifer A.
April 15, 2010
The savory carrot bread sounds great - I would like to test this one.
AntoniaJames
April 15, 2010
I made this recipe, substituting parsips, over the weekend (having had some grated parsnips left over from a spring-produce-doldrums-induced marmalade rampage last week). It was out of this world. ;o)
Jennifer A.
April 20, 2010
AntoniaJames, I just made the savory carrot bread last night and it really is so good, especially warm with lots of butter, or Vermont cheddar. Congratulations on your finalist pick! Your loaf is in my short cue to try soon.
mrslarkin
April 15, 2010
looks like everyone swooped in once again. Anything left?
Food52
April 15, 2010
Yes, impressive dibs-grabbing today, but we still have 4 left: White Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Pickled Rhubarb, Savory Saffron Brioche with Rosemary and Vermont Ham, Garlic Herb Batter Bread & Savory Carrot Bread.
CatherineTornow
April 15, 2010
I'll take Asparagus Wrapped in Phyllo and Prosciutto!
CatherineTornow
April 15, 2010
Actually I would love to swap for Kummelweck bread. Anyone want to take Asaparagus wrapped in phyllo and prosciutto?
See what other Food52 readers are saying.