Recipe: Asparagus on Greens

I love vegetables.  One of my favorite vegetables is, and always has been, asparagus.  I used to love the way my mom prepared it, with butter and hard-boiled eggs and lemon juice, with the asparagus blanched in boiling water for about five minutes or so.  I rarely prepare it that way any more, although I still get nostalgic about that dish.  (Mom: this is a subtle hint the next time I come back to Syracuse.)  Now I'm more likely to roast my asparagus, whether in the oven or, as we do more commonly now, on the grill.  There's something so delightful about the way that roasting brings out the flavors of the asparagus! 

 

This is a variation on a dish that I've been serving for years.  It's nothing more than roasted or grilled asparagus served on top of a green salad.  The dish is amazingly easy to prepare, and supremely flexible to boot.  Whatever kind of greens are in season - within reason - can be used.  The cheese can be any type of cheese, as long as you can grate or slice it thinly.  I like gouda a lot, especially goat gouda (which is why I used it here), but I've used gruyere, halloumi, even cheddar.  You don't have to use a lot of cheese, either; just a little bit of cheese carries a long way with this dish.  The olives are new; Whole Foods had samples of lemon-marinated green olives when I was shopping and they just appeared in my cart.  I decided to throw them in on a whim, since the lemon would tie in nicely with the mussels I served this with. 

 

Asparagus on Greens (serves 4; approx. $2.05/serving)

1 bunch asparagus

3 - 4 cups salad greens; I used Mixed Spring Greens

1 oz (or less) goat gouda cheese, sliced thin or grated

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

A handful of fancy olives (optional)

Equipment:

• Grill

1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Trim the ends off your asparagus and clean them. 
3. Place the asparagus on a plate.  Drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper. 
4. Grill on high for 5 - 10 minutes, until tender. 
5. Meanwhile, arrange the greens on the serving plate.  Toss with the olives.
6. Mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the garlic powder and vinegar and pour over the greens.
7. Scatter the gouda over the greens.
8. When the asparagus is done, and while it is still hot, arrange the asparagus over the greens.
9. Serve! 

Technorati Tags: vegetarian dish,asparagus,salad,cheese

Comments

[Christie @ fig&cherry]

I love the sound of hardboiled eggs, butter, lemon and asparagus - your mum is a genius! It's pretty hard for me to pass up Goat's cheese, so I love your recipe too - I'd use balsamic vinegar though. Yum.

[Fearless Kitchen]

Christie,

Thanks for your comment. My mom did do a lot of creative things with food when we were kids, and invitations to dinner were much sought-after. (I asked my dad to show her your comment, which made her very happy.)

Goat cheese does make everything better. I even had goat cheese and chocolate truffles once, which is NOT a combination I would have thought of myself but was actually tasty! I like your idea of the balsamic vinegar. I sometimes hold off on using it because it has such a strong flavor, but you'd have to use an awful lot to drown out the flavor of asparagus!