Roasted Asparagus

Next time you go to market, you’ll see a bunch of people dancing a little jig in the produce department. Why? The season-ripe asparagus has arrived! Known as “Knitting Needle Asparagus” at our house, these long, slender veggies are divine steamed with just a dash of salt or roasted with a drizzle of olive oil. Because their season is short, we tend to have them a little too often for dinner, or so Dave complains. But that’s like complaining that you have too many strawberries (which will we will in a few short weeks!).

Here’s a quick recipe for roasted asparagus, a great side for grilled salmon or steak.

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound of knitting needle asparagus

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Process:

Wash the asparagus and trim the ends two to three inches. Put the vegetables cut end down in to a large glass water until you are ready to cook them. Asparagus are cousins of the amaryllis and should be treated like cut flowers!

When you are ready to prepare the vegetables, remove them from the water and pat them dry. Toss in a shallow Pyrex dish with olive oil, then dust with salt and pepper. Turn the asparagus onto a foil lined cookie sheet and spread them out into a single layer. Place in an oven preheated to 425 and roast for fifteen minutes. Check occasionally and stir them around a bit with a spatula so they’ll cook evenly.

Serve immediately with another twist of pepper.