As a child growing up in Lancaster County, PA, there was nothing I hated more than asparagus.
Asparagus — boiled so fast and hard that the color turned from crisp green to Army fatigue olive. Asparagus — leeched of all of its nutrients and tastes until all you could do was put a pat of butter on it and munch away at the soggy, wooden stalks.
Gulp!
And if I couldn’t get it down — something that happened often — I might just put it in that earthenware jug in the corner and hope mom doesn’t find out.
Well, she didn’t find out until a couple of years ago, when she discovered a little cesspool of dried goo in that earthenware jug while we were preparing for a yard sale.
You meet something like boiled asparagus and it takes about 30 good impressions to make up for that first bad one. I’m a pretty open-minded gal, and I give people a chance to make good, so asparagus and I have been friends for a long time.
Roasted asparagus, with just a little olive oil — and if you have some on hand, sliced truffles. I generally roast a pound of asparagus (and that’s for two people!), drizzled with a little olive oil, at 375 for about 18 minutes. Last night, I added the sliced truffles with about one minute to go.
They make the asparagus taste like it has just been pulled out of the earth and walked on a plate through the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles .
Or, thinking about it another way, this is absolutely the most decadent and charming version of ants on a log that I’ve ever encountered.
I LOVE roasted asparagus!
Although, I’m still a bit of a weenie – while I don’t overcook, I do feel the need to add rosemary, balsamic vinegar and goat cheese.
The only vegetables I enjoyed for the first 2 decades of my life were corn and canned green beans. So I have come a long way, but not all the way to enjoying earthiness. Nuttiness I can handle . . .
We are veggie fiends. Unfortunately, we are also cheese fiends, so all the health benefits are counteracted.
Which reminds me . . . have you seen the cheese cookbook at Costco? I’ve been afraid to even look at the index.
We don’t go to Costco. With two people it’s just not worth it. But I will drive 40 minutes to buy cheap(er) French brie at Trader Joe’s in Lake Oswego. Haven’t done my cheese tour of Oregon yet, but plan to.
True about the two person thing! Our main Costco items are produce, meat, rotisserie chickens and big gifts. In order to make some of the food purchases you practically need a walk-in pantry.
I imagine gas to Trader Joe’s is kind of like having a membership. :>(
Have you heard about Rogue Creamery’s blue?
[...] 1 sprinkled on asparagus [...]