Spring Market Report

17th St. Farmers' Market: Springtime at the Farmers' Market is a little lean, comprised mostly of greens and an excessive amount of bedding plants.  Nonetheless, the little jewelry and handbag stalls are there too, as well as assorted t-shirt vendors, coffee sellers and, of course, the librarian.  Still, it's worth making the trip for--fresh eggs are available (for $2.50!), the pork people of Double A Farm are a definite presence, and you just might find, as I did this Thursday, an entire stall of verdant, pencil-thin, picked-that-morning fresh asparagus.  Cook it just for a few minutes to preserve each spear's springtime snap (nothing at all like the woody crunch of the out-of-season, grocery store variety).  Or, since the weather's  still cool, roast it carefully in the oven to bring out its full, green flavor.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch of fresh asparagus

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

coarse salt to taste

1-2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Snap off the inedible ends of each asparagus spear and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and roll so that each spear is thoroughly coated.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.  Roast for approximately 8 minutes, turning with tongs after 3-4 minutes (don't overcook!).  Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with the Parmesan.  Serve.

{I think I'm going to rename my site, "Easy Recipes for the Mentally Lazy"}

asparagus aspirations

Comments

[brandon]

Another great and very simple way to capitalize upon and intensify the flavor of asparagus is to cook them the way the legendary Southern cook Edna Lewis does:

Melt a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet; when bubbling, add asparagus. Put a lid on top of the pan and cook over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally, for five minutes without lifting the lid. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with coarse salt. Voilà! A taste of spring!

[Susan]

I raise my asparagus in the garden. Between my job and gardening the quick recipes are a great resource. I have tried to duplicate a simple dried curry asparagus recipe I once tried with limited success. Any suggestions?