Spring Vegetable Blanquette

Put unpeeled onions in a small saucepan with enough water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Peel onions.

Trim and peel asparagus stalks, cut off tips, and cut stalks into 1-inch lengths. Cook asparagus in 2 quarts of boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water.

Trim carrots, cutting any large ones in half crosswise. Quarter the mushrooms. Shell the peas.

Bring stock and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the carrots, cover, and simmer over medium heat until just tender, about 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove carrots from the pan and put in a large bowl. Add mushrooms and onions to pan, cover, and simmer until onions are just tender, about 10 minutes.

Transfer mushrooms and onions to the bowl. Add the peas to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook, uncovered, just until tender, about 4 minutes. (Cook 1 minute if using frozen peas.) Transfer peas to the bowl, and drain any liquid from the bowl into the saucepan.

Bring vegetable cooking liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Whisk cream into cooking liquid, bring to a boil and cook, whisking often, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Recipe can be made to this point a few hours ahead. Cool and cover sauce with plastic wrap touching its surface; set sauce aside at room temperature.

To serve: Bring sauce to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add vegetables to pan and simmer over medium heat, stirring gently, until just warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Add the tarragon, chives, parsley, and lemon juice. Toss gently, season to taste with salt and pepper.