About Those Asparagus

I used to loathe asparagus. I mean, I really didn't like them and wanted nothing to do with them.

Ever.

Fresh, canned, it didn't matter. YUCK!

Then, I don't know...

Something happened. I LOVE them--fresh that is. You can keep those nasty, mushy canned ones. Ick.

I love them steamed or baked. I love them chopped in a salad, dressed with garlic and balsamic vinegar, dressed with lemon juice and hint of EVOO and some coarse sea salt, or even just plain. They are a divine green veggie. :o)

I had a request for the recipe for the browned butter and balsamic vinegar and you know I'm always happy to share. ;o)

I mostly made this up after having had it with Nana and Pop. I have no idea what their recipe was, so here's mine:

• 2 bunches fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
• EVOO
• Sea Salt
• 3 T butter (NOT margarine, it won't work!)
• 3 T balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 420 degrees. While oven heats, trim asparagus (I snap the ends off where they want, thereby getting rid of the hard, fibrous part). Place on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for about 20 minutes, rolling them around on the pan about halfway through.

While the asparagus bake, brown the butter. Put butter in small skillet and cook until nutty and brown. Add vinegar and cook a bit until fully blended.

Remove asparagus from oven, put in/on serving dish and drizzle with brown butter balsamic glaze.

Enjoy! :o)

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It's been an incredibly long and tiring day so I'm off. There are sparklies, but I'm too beat to list them and I have a friend's resume to review and I swear, my bed is singing a siren's song...