I love this time of the year at the farmer's market. Every time I go, there is something new making its appearance for the season. When I first saw asparagus there a couple of weeks ago, I nearly did a little dance. Local, fresh asparagus are so delicious. There are so many different things that you can do with them, and I hope to offer a few more recipes before the season ends, but the first time I have them for the season, I really want to savor the pure taste of asparagus. One of my favorite ways to do this is to quickly blanch them and serve them at room temperature with a vinaigrette. This dish is perfect for a dinner party because you can do it in advance and asparagus are always a treat.
We bought both green and purple tipped asparagus at the farmer's market. Olivia wanted to try white asparagus too, so I picked up a bunch of those when I saw them at Whole Foods. The purple color turned to green when cooked so we couldn't tell whether there was any difference in flavor between the purple and green asparagus. The white asparagus were milder in flavor, crisper, and jucier than the green.
There are lots of different theories out there about how best to trim asparagus. In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child recommends peeling them with a knife to penetrate deeper than a potato peeler would. Harold McGee wrote a fascinating piece for the New York Times saying that his research showed that the most effective method was to cut the asparagus 6 to 7 inches from the tip. He then cut all but the very end of the stalk into very thin rounds and cooked and ate those too. Personally, I have always been a snapper, and I just can't break myself of the habit. There is something organic about bending that stalk and letting it snap on its own that feels right to me. Coincidentally, it seemed that I did get about 6 or 7 inches of tip left. And I saved the stalks to try cooking them later.
The dressing that I made is a favorite basic vinaigrette. The recipe makes more than you need for the asparagus, but I just keep the extra on hand and we use it for other salads. It was perfect to drizzle over the asparagus. Everyone tried them and the girls were definitely won over, although Oscar still needs a bit more convincing. Fortunately we made a huge plate of asparagus and, when no one was looking, I polished them off. Aaaaah, spring!
Serves 5 as a side dish
15 minutes preparation and cooking time
approximately 1 pound fresh asparagus
1 medium shallot, minced (3-4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (red or white wine vinegar may be substituted)
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Set a large pot of water to boil. Snap off the ends of the asparagus and reserve then for another purpose. When the water boils, generously salt the water and add the asparagus. Let the asparagus boil for 4-6 minutes, until you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together all of the ingredients except the olive oil. Continue whisking while you slowly add the olive oil. It is important to add the olive oil very slowly so that it emulsifies (incorporates into the vinegar mixture).
When the asparagus have finished cooking, drain them in a colander and immediately run cold water over them to stop the cooking. Arrange them on a platter and drizzle some of the dressing over them. Reserve the remaining dressing for another purpose.
marley loves asparagus...at parent day at her school a couple of weeks ago, we packed asparagus. all the other moms and dads were like, "WTF? your kid actually eats asparagus?" it was a proud, proud moment for this mama...
Posted by: rosana | May 19, 2009 at 03:17 PM
I LOVE that!
Posted by: Margy | May 19, 2009 at 10:50 PM