"A Spare A Gus" ....Asparagus!

      If you didn't already know, Stockton CA is actually the home of the asparagus festival and my home town. Growing up, I would volunteer at the Asparagus festival each year and spend hours upon hours breaking the bitter ends off of asparagus spears. My friends and I would be huddled around a 12 foot by 12 foot crate of asparagus gossiping and chatting as we worked. While I was in jazz band our ensemble would also perform at the festival as well. I think the reason why I cook with asparagus so often is because of all my fond memories of the Stockton Asparagus festival. Keep reading for a quick roasted asparagus recipe as well as a few ideas on different ways to eat it!

Magic Ingredients:

-1 lb of asparagus

-1 tablespoon garlic olive oil

-1 tablespoon meyer lemon olive oil 

-Salt and pepper to taste

Let's get started:

1: Break off the end of an asparagus spear and let that be your guide of where to cut the rest of the bunch:

2: In a mid sized mixing bowl toss together garlic and lemon olive oils (or whatever you prefer but Olivas de Oro is my favorite local brand) as well as the salt and pepper:

3: Lay asparagus on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes:

Should look something like this:

      Garlic and lemon roasted asparagus is the perfect side dish for most any meal but check out these yummy options as well:

 Roasted asparagus with spicy fennel aoili:

Quadrefiore pasta coated with butter and olive oil served with a topping of asparagus spears and gruyere cheese (simple dinner that sounds fancy!):

Or try adding chopped roasted 

asparagus to mini individual quiches:

      Roasted asparagus is something I try to make in large batches. The left overs are perfect for throwing into any recipe for quick and easy week night meals!

Yours,

Nico