Asparagus Season
People generally either love or hate asparagus. I love it. I’m about to roast these ones for dinner. I used to always steam them, but a few years ago I read a post that said to roast them in the oven instead. So I tried it and yum — it deepens the flavour and adds a roasty tinge (official cookery term) So these days I always roast them.
Years ago a friend of mine had an elderly aunt who lived in country Tasmania, in the heart of asparagus growing country and, knowing her niece loved asparagus, every year would send her a huge parcel through the post. Seriously, it was a parcel almost the size of a pillowcase, stuffed full of asparagus.
Of course, no single household could get through that much asparagus, so my friend would share handfuls of spears among her friends and we’d have these wonderful asparagus feasts. So many things you can do with asparagus — in soup, in salads, in pasta and risotto dishes, in quiches, and so many more, but my fave is simply to roast the spears with a drizzle of olive oil and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and fresh ground pepper. So simple but it’s a feast in itself. That’s what I’m doing tonight.
And do you know the “correct” way to eat asparagus (according to my mother, who was drilled in etiquette at a posh private boarding school) is to pick up the thick end in your fingers and eat it bite by bite. Debrett’s agrees.
Are you a lover of asparagus or not? If you are, how do you like to serve it?