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Fatter asparagus will be easier to shave than the ultra thin ones, although the thin ones still work. I like to leave the shavings long because they look pretty curled into a tangle in the bowl. They are too long to be bite-sized, however and if you'd like to save your dinner guests some work, cut the lengths into thirds or quarters after shaving them.
Because the asparagus shavings are more sturdy than lettuce greens, they can be tossed with the dressing ahead of time and they will not wilt. I'd wait to add the pine nuts and cheese, though, or they will lose their texture.
Serves 4 as a side dish
20 minutes preparation time2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 bunch asparagus (about a dozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresm lemon juice
1 tablespoon chives
chunk of pramesan for shaving
Put the pine nuts in a single layer in a pan over medium-low heat. Toast until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden, 3-5 minutes.
Rinse and drain the asparagus. Leave the ends on. Lay an asparagus stalk on a cutting board. Using a potato peeler, begin shaving the asparagus lengthwise from the base, beginning where the aspargus stalk starts to change color from white or pale green to a deeper green. Depending on the shape of your potato peeler, as the stalk gets flatter, you may need to shift it to the edge of the cutting board to get a better angle. Continue all the way to the tip so that the result is a long thin sheet of slightly curled asparagus. Discard the handle end of the stalk (or save it for stock).
Keep shaving until the asparagus is too thin to yield another piece. Repeat with the remaining stalks. Toss the curled asparagus pieces into a shallow bowl. If there are any short pieces or tips that didn't get curled, toss then in as well.
Put the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk it together and, while you are whisking, slowly add the olive oil. Using a pair of scissors, snip the chives into the dressing, pour the dressing over the asparagus, and mix gently.
Just before you are ready to serve, sprinkle the pine nuts over the top of the salad. Using that same potato peeler (rinse it if you must), shave some parmesan over the salad. Use as much as you like, but I'd count on at least 12 to 16 pieces to ensure that each serving gets three or four pieces of parmesan.
With tongs, gently mix the salad a couple of times. Serve.