gmhTODAY 25 gmhTODAY April May 2019 | Page 109

Like many vegetables, asparagus is delicious roasted. Toss trimmed asparagus in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on baking tray in 425-degree oven and roast until browned and tender, about 10-15 minutes. I like to drizzle with a good reduced balsamic, or fresh squeezed lemon and shaved parmesan. We Californians are used to grilling year-round, and asparagus is delicious when grilled. Parboil about one minute, drain, toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, turn- ing every few minutes. Serve with olive oil, fresh chopped herbs, or your favor- ite aioli. No matter how you prepare it, don’t overcook asparagus. It becomes stringy and sad! Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart 1 pie crust, can be store bought 2 bunches asparagus (about 1¼ pounds total), trimmed, peeled if thick 12 scallions 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp butter 8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup heavy cream 1 tsp minced flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp minced fresh chives 2 tsp minced fresh tarragon 3 large eggs ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surface to a 12” round. Transfer to tart pan and press onto bottom and up sides. Bake crust until golden brown. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut off top 1½” of aspar- agus tips; reserve. Slice stalks into ¼” rounds. Cut white bulbs from scallions. Slice pale-green parts into ¼” pieces. Toss asparagus tips and spring onion bulbs in a small bowl with 2 Tbsp oil; season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on baking sheet; roast, turn- ing once, until onions begin to brown, and asparagus is bright green and ten- der, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced asparagus, pale-green parts of spring onions and garlic; sea- son with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, and aspara- gus is bright green and tender, 6–8 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan. Spread evenly over bottom of tart crust. Whisk goat cheese and next 5 ingre- dients in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in eggs. Pour over vegetables and sprinkle with par- mesan and roasted asparagus tips and onions. Bake tart until edges of crust are golden brown and filling is set, 20–22 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes or up to 4 hours. Remove sides of pan. Serve tart warm or at room temperature. 4 slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise 4 slices Havarti cheese, cut in half Balsamic syrup (Cook balsamic vinegar over low heat until thick and syrupy). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Parboil asparagus in boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and cool slightly. For each bundle, lay strip of pro- sciutto lengthwise. Place piece of cheese on top of prosciutto. Lay several stalks of asparagus across bottom of prosciutto and roll up tightly. Place all bundles on lightly oiled baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 min- utes until asparagus is tender, cheese is melted, and prosciutto is slightly crispy. Remove to serving platter, and if desired, drizzle with Balsamic syrup. Chilled Asparagus with Saffron Aioli This sauce beautifully complements asparagus, whether you choose to grill, roast or blanch the asparagus. For Aioli: ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp honey 1 pinch saffron 1 cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced Asparagus 2 lbs asparagus, trimmed 3 tsp olive oil ¼ cup diced red bell pepper Combine vinegar, honey and saffron in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and cool completely. Mix mayonnaise and garlic. Add cooled vinegar mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Asparagus, Prosciutto and Havarti Bundles For asparagus: This is great served as a side dish or lunch entrée. I like Havarti in this recipe but other cheeses like provolone or gruyere work well too. 32 thin or 16 thick asparagus stalks, trimmed to equal lengths GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN april/may 2019 Roast, grill or blanch asparagus until tender. Chill. Toss with olive oil. Transfer to platter, drizzle with aioli and sprinkle with red bell pepper. gmhtoday.com 109