When I’m in the throes of creativity I have a tendency to play the same music over and over.
Especially if a painting or piece of writing is heading in the right direction. Whatever album starts me down that road becomes a crucial element in the process. Switching tunes just might take me out of the groove.
But the effect such behavior can have on others simply hadn’t occurred to me until I was four days into a Sinatra jag.
My sweetie appeared at my studio door. Walking over to the music source, he squatted down in front of the CD player and tapped on the front of the tuner.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Hello in there! Hello in there! Can you play something different, please?”
When it comes to seasonal foods, I’d exhibit the same tendency except for the obvious fact that too much of a good thing isn’t, well, good. It can get downright boring.
And so, even though a lot of cooks think that the best and only way to enjoy our fabulous Northwest asparagus is simply steamed with a drizzling of butter, or simply steamed with a dollop of mayo, let’s explore some alternatives.
These days, folks are discovering that vegetables take on an entirely different character when exposed to a bit of dry heat, be it over a grill or in a roasting pan.
Asparagus becomes sweet and toasty from such treatment.
The following recipes are based on the simple process of roasting.
What you choose to serve alongside your roasted asparagus is up to you.
Although I can certainly recommend a dandy Sinatra CD for background. Just don’t be having my sweetie over for dinner.
Roasted asparagus salad
12-14 thin spears asparagus, fibrous ends trimmed
2sweet bell peppers (any color), seeded and quartered
1sweet onion (such as Texas 1015 or Vidalia), peeled and quartered
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4cups mixed baby greens
1cup toasted and coarsely chopped hazelnuts
Prosciutto and chevre medallions (recipe follows)
White truffle vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Whole basil leaves for garnish
Chives blossoms (if available)
To prepare the vegetables, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (Use convection if you have it.)
Place the asparagus, peppers and sweet onion in a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat the vegetables. Add the basil, salt and pepper and toss again. Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread the veggies out so they will brown instead of simply steam. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender yet crisp.
To assemble the salad, toss the mixed baby greens with a little of the vinaigrette. Divide the greens between six salad plates. Arrange the roasted vegetables and 4 of the chevre medallions artfully over the top of each. Drizzle the entire plate with more of the vinaigrette and garnish with the hazelnuts, whole basil leaves and chives blossoms if you have them.
Makes 6 servings.
White truffle vinaigrette: In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon white truffle oil, 2 cloves finely minced garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.
Prosciutto and chevre medallions: In a bowl, combine 4 ounces of chevre cheese and 4 ounces of softened cream cheese. Stir in 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion. Lay 6 slices of prosciutto out on a work surface. Divide the cheese mixture evenly among the 6 slices and spread on each of the slices.
Roll each slice up pinwheel fashion, starting at the narrow end. With a sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts, cut each roll diagonally into 4 medallions each.
Grilled halibut with asparagus, arugula, feta cheese and pine nut salad
1/4pound button mushrooms, halved
1sweet onion, stem and root ends removed, then cut into 1-inch chunks
4tablespoons (divided) extra-virgin olive oil
3/4pound slender-stalked asparagus, tough end trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste
1tablespoon red wine vinegar
1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4pound fresh, young arugula, stemmed
1/3cup lightly toasted pine nuts
6 3-ounce pieces of fresh halibut
Arrange the mushrooms and onion in a single layer in a roasting pan measuring about 11 by 17 or larger. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and toss to coat the vegetables, then salt and pepper lightly. Place in a preheated 450 degree oven and roast for about 20 minutes.
Add the asparagus and toss the vegetables again to coat the asparagus with the oil and seasoning. Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting for about 10 more minutes (the vegetables should be tender and slightly browned).
While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and arrange them on a large platter. Toss the vinaigrette with the arugula, feta cheese and pine nuts and arrange this mixture on top of the roasted vegetables. Serve immediately, along with the grilled halibut and a simple mashed potato or risotto.
Makes 6 servings.
For the grilled halibut: Brush the halibut pieces with olive oil and fresh-ground black pepper. Place the fish on the cooking grate of a pre-heated grill and cook 7 to 8 minutes, or to desired doneness (general rule of thumb is 10 minutes total cooking time per 1-inch thickness of the fish), turning once halfway through cooking time.
Somewhat like a tartar sauce, gribiche has ties to the early Romans. In its classic form, it contains shallots, parsley, the baby sour pickles called cornichons, capers, egg yolks, oil and vinegar.
Other ingredients such as fresh tarragon aren’t out of line.
Grilled asparagus with gribiche sauce
4hard-cooked eggs
1tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
2tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
8cornichons, finely chopped (see note)
1cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4cup white wine vinegar
Additional salt to taste
11/2pounds fresh asparagus, fibrous ends trimmed
Olive oil (for the asparagus)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To prepare the sauce, first remove the cooked yolks from the egg whites and place the yolks in the work bowl of a food processor (reserve the whites for another use). Add the tarragon, capers, cornichons, salt, and pepper and pulse until just combined and coarsely chopped.
With the processor running, slowly add the oil in a slender, steady stream. Keep running the motor until the sauce has thickened, and then add just enough of the white wine vinegar to make the sauce thin enough to drizzle.
Scrape the sauce into a small bowl and adjust seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium. Place the washed and trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet and brush the asparagus spears with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until just barely tender.
Remove the spears from the grill and arrange them on a serving platter. Drizzle the gribiche sauce over the asparagus and serve immediately.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Note on cornichons: These tiny pickles have just the right zest for this recipe. You can often find them in the pickle section of a well-stocked supermarket.
Garlic-roasted asparagus
2pounds asparagus, fibrous ends trimmed, rinsed and patted dry
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11/2tablespoons minced garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large glass baking dish, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss. Bake until the asparagus are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the stalks, stirring twice.
Remove from the oven and toss with the lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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