Asparagus Food

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a baking sheet or a baking dish large enough to hold the asparagus in one layer. Place the asparagus in the dish, and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the stalks begin to shrivel and color lightly.
• Remove from the heat, toss with the thyme and season with lemon juice if desired.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; season with 2 teaspoons salt. Add asparagus tips and blanch until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath with a slotted spoon; reserve for topping. Add trimmings, 1/2 shallot and 1/2 clove garlic to the same pot and return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer the asparagus stock 20 to 25 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
• In another saucepan, heat olive oil over medium. Add sliced shallot and chopped garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in potato and enough of the asparagus stock to cover the vegetables (about 1 cup), and simmer until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain remaining asparagus stock directly into saucepan with the potatoes. Add remaining asparagus and cook until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree in a blender until completely smooth; remove 1 cup and reserve. Slowly stir in cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper; thin with reserved liquid as needed. Serve hot or chilled, topped with asparagus tips and a drizzle of oil.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Cut off the woody bottom part of the asparagus spears and discard.
• With a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin on the bottom 2-3 inches of the spears (this keeps the asparagus from being all "stringy" and if you eat asparagus you know what I mean by that).
• Place asparagus on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Sprinkle with salt.
• With your hands, roll the asparagus around until they are evenly coated with oil and salt.
• Roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your stalks and how tender you like them.
• They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
• The tips of the spears will get very brown but watch them to prevent burning.
• They are great plain, but sometimes I serve them with a light vinaigrette if we need something acidic to balance out our meal.

ASPARAGUS APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Trim crusts from bread, and flatten slightly with a rolling pin.
• In a bowl, stir blue and cream cheeses together with the egg until well blended and creamy. Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture over each slice of bread. Roll one asparagus spear inside each, and fasten with a toothpick.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan. Roll each asparagus wrap in butter to coat. Place on a baking sheet small enough to fit into the freezer, and freeze for one hour, or until butter hardens and wraps are somewhat firm. Remove pan from freezer, discard toothpicks, and cut each wrap in half crosswise. Store in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer until ready to use.
• To serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• Arrange frozen asparagus wraps on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Check occasionally, and turn if necessary, for even browning and to prevent burning. Enjoy!

GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Trim off the tough bottom of the spear by grasping each end and bending it gently until it snaps at its natural point of tenderness-usually two-thirds of the way down the spear. If the spear is less than 6 inches long, chances are it has already been trimmed for you. Alternatively, you can cut the ends off with a knife.
• Coat each spear with olive oil by placing clean, dry spears in a resealable plastic bag, pour in the oil, and massage spears to coat each one. Sprinkle with salt and massage again. Leave the asparagus in the bag until ready to cook.
• Place on the cooking grate crosswise so it won't fall through. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the stalks), turning occasionally to expose all sides to the heat. Asparagus should begin to brown in spots (indicating that its natural sugars are caramelizing) but should not be allowed to char.
• Remove from grill and serve immediately-eating spears with your fingers enhances the experience.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice (about 1 Tablespoon for the whole batch) and red pepper flakes (if using) just before serving. You can also add shredded parmesan cheese.

OVEN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• After you wash the asparagus thoroughly, stack a bunch together and lop off the tough/thick bottom an inch or so.
• Spread out the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pat it as dry as you can, as you don't want any water to "steam" the asparagus in the oven.
• Begin by generously drizzling olive oil all over the asparagus and then sprinkle the asparagus generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Roast the asparagus for about ten minutes. The secret here is for the oven to be very hot so the asparagus can begin to brown on the outside without overcooking and getting too flimsy. You want the finished asparagus to still have a bite to it. Enjoy!