Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Asparagus, Pecorino and Red Onion Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch pencil asparagus, tough bottom stems removed
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup coarsely grated aged pecorino
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Directions
Cut the asparagus, including the tips into very thin slices, crosswise and place in a medium bowl. Add the red onion and pecorino and toss to combine. Dress with the vinegar, olive oil and salt and toss again. This salad should be fairly heavily dressed. The vinegar will sort of "cook" or tenderize the asparagus.

It is best to do this about an hour or so in advance to let the flavors "marry".

My way is to just cut the asparagus in short inches rather than as slices in above recipe.

On Edit: Merlot and nekkidness would definitely improve the situation.

My only 'complaint?' GORGONZOLA! HATE the bleu cheeses! SORRY, love YOU!

Not really one for my daughter though.

Willing to consider some variety though. Thx for the suggestions.

and dressed with minced garlic and citrus juice or citrus-flavored oil. Yum!

I haven't actually tried it (I'm not a fan of asparagus) but I've been saving the recipe to make it for my wife. I was going to make it last month but when I went to the store they didn't have any decent looking asparagus.

http://ohboykarencooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/asparagus-crepes-with-lemon-butter.html

I'm making spinach soup tomorrow and now might add this as a side. I do have bit of parma that I could use if I didn't want to go totally veg but looks good as is.

sometimes a bit of crumbled bacon on top or just veg.

CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP
Source: Southern Living/1982 Annual - page 38)


1 large onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine (I use 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
1 pound fresh spinach, washed and drained
1 medium potato, peeled and quartered (I cut a bit smaller)
1/4 cup finely chopped ham (I use turkey ham)
2 beef-flavored bouillon cubes (I use one Knorr large veggie cube)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups hot water
1/2 cup milk (I use skim or 1% - whatever I have)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Saute onion in butter in a large Dutch oven. Add next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 10-15 min. until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.

Spoon half of spinach mixture into container of electric blender; process until smooth. Repeat procedure w/remaining spinach mixture (thank goodness for immersion blenders)!

Pour spinach mixture back into Dutch oven; stir in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until heated. Ladle into bowls; add croutons and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Yield: 6 1/2 cups.
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=53753

also have done this one and it's pretty good
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Spinach-Garlic-Soup-Allrecipes

Hope that helps! Now I'm on the search for a really good bleu cheese and spinach soup recipe.

and my kids loved it because they got to have chocolate and strawberry stuffed crepes. I 1/2'd it but still have some sauce left over so might do some again tomorrow. You should try it and you might just end up liking asparagus.

no chance of me trying the asparagus. I can't even stand the smell

Just coat it with olive oil, and roast like you would other veggies. Good as cold leftovers, too. Even better if you pour on some olive oil, garlic and lemon, like eridani suggested.

I have a bunch in my refrigerator waiting to get eaten. Hopefully, this head cold, allergies, or whatever the heck I have goes soon. Don't want to eat it now, because I can't really taste it.

Nice change of pace.

Cut into short sections, soak in cold water at least 1 hr, drain, sprinkle with salt and let stand for a few minutes, then blot dry. Stir-fry in whatever oil you favor, but add a teaspoon or two of sesame oil (from oriental grocery). Done when color is bright green.

Haven't made this for a long time, but I don't think any of the details are really crucial ...

But rather than drizzling with olive oil, I spray with a spray oil. The sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.

The drizzle with 2 TB melted butter (could be olive oil), 1 tablespoon low salt soy sauce, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.

Even my husband who generally doesn't like asparagus likes it this way.

Cook cheese tortellini until al dente, toss together w/the asparagus in some pesto. Grate some Grana (or Pamesan) over the top. Serve and enjoy!

You can also chill this and serve as a cold salad. Add slices black olives and fresh red pepper strips, if you like.

And apologies that, even after two edits, I STILL have a typo in there.

(I'm using a borrowed laptop this evening, so we will call that my excuse. )

And most of these sound simple (which is my favorite way to cook). I'll have to try them all out. Perhaps I can find several ways to serve it that won't make my daughter look disappointed when she finds out asparagus is for dinner.

basil and black pepper. Makes a good, quick lunch.

I finish this salad when serving by shaving parmigiano reggiano cheese over the asparagus with dressing

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_467282_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

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Chilled Asparagus Salad

Recipe courtesy Alex Guarnaschelli


Ingredients

6 quarts water
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
32 stalks small to medium-size green asparagus, washed and ends trimmed
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil

I like asparagus al dente, slightly crunchy. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over medium heat. Add salt until it tastes like mild seawater. How will you know? Take a little water with a spoon and taste it, then add the sugar.


Prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl, large enough to hold the asparagus, with cold water. Add some ice cubes. Plunge the asparagus into the ice bath before cooking. This will help to bring any limp stalks back to life. Remove from the ice bath, plunge them into the boiling water and allow them to cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, transferring them immediately to the same ice bath. Allow them to sit in the ice bath for a few minutes, swirling them gently in the water to assure they are all cooling quickly in the cold water.


The most important step for this dish? Drying the stalks once they are removed from the ice bath. Taking care that no water gets into the final salad is the best way to assure that the maximum flavor will be enjoyed! Transfer the asparagus to a large plate or platter lined with a kitchen towel and refrigerate.


In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey and mustard. Stir to blend. Whisk in the olive oil in an even, steady stream. When all of the oil has been integrated, taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.


When ready to serve, remove the kitchen towel from the asparagus and simply toss the asparagus in the dressing to coat them completely. Arrange the stalks on plates and serve.

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I make a great soup great hot or cold. Roasted garlic, asparagus, veg broth, and cream & butter if your not vegan. Cook, puree and top with sour cream and basil oil. Great served with fresh tomato basil crostini
Let me know how it goes over with the kids. You can add some chedder instead of sour cream.
Carrie (brads gfriend)

She said she made a generic 'fritter' dough and cut the thin asparagus into 1" pieces. Then she fried them in olive oil. She served them single layer on a plate sprinkled with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and roast---low fat and delicious.

I just clipped this recipe to try:
1T olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 lb asparagus
1 14-oz sheet puff pastry, defrosted
1/2 c whole milk ricotta
1/2 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 t sea salt
Black pepper,
1 lg egg yolk mixed with 1/2 t. water
Oven 450. Saute shallot in oil. Add asparagus & cook til crisp tender.
Roll out pastry inot 10x16 rectangle on lightly floured parchment paper in baking sheet
Spread ricotta evenly over pastry leaving 1" border. Spoon asparagus over ricotta.
Sprinkle parmesan over all then salt & pepper.
Brush edge of tart with egg mis.
Bake until pastry is golden brown, 25 min.

I love baking and I love tarts!

I added some spinach, mushrooms and thyme. Plus I put it in a pie crust (because I didn't have puff pastry), but everyone loved it. I can't wait to try it on my selective daughter!

I goggled Asparagus and Parm Tarts and found this variation! A couple reviewers suggested adding cherry tomatoes too!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3551/asparagus-and-parmesan-tarts

It's still has some crunch and tastes wonderful.

sliced bell peppers, and crushed garlic lightly roasted and served with a lemon butter sauce over toast. Mostly because it is what I had in the available. Two of my girls and my husband loved it. The daughter that doesn't care for asparagus won't be home until the end of the semester. But I'm going to be trying out a lot on the two that are home to let them pick what they think their sister will like most.
I've certainly been inspired by all the ideas.

We had a cold spell and sprouted a bit more slowly than I anticipated at first, but now I'm cutting daily from the patch. Problem is, I can eat it raw as soon as its cut, so a lot less makes it in for the family to taste!

rubbed with oil, salt, balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast. And I like it all other ways too, but I'm on a kick for that combo of flavors on roasted veggies currently.

I love nutritional yeast on popcorn. Along with a little Old Bay seasoning.