raw white asparagus salad

April 12th, 2013

white asp salad

spring sun throught the curtains and inspiring lunch 

raw white asparagus salad 
with parmesan and baby spring greens

For France it has been one of the coldest winters in recent history. While the Parisian snow long disappeared, it remains chilly especially for this California native. The remodeling of my apartment was nearing an end and although it was primarily a grey week, one morning the long-awaited sun shone through the window, through my newly hung curtains, and the illumination called me from the warmth of my tiny place to the still-chilly open air market. It was this morning which inspired this week’s simple pleasure: raw white asparagus salad with parmesan and baby greens.

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white asparagus as large as logs and lighting your fire: roasted white asparagus with browned butter

June 19th, 2012

white asparagus as large as logs

white asparagus as large as logs and lighting your fire:
roasted white asparagus with browned butter
(asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette)

Greetings from Paris where it is raining off and on but quiet as the tourists have not yet arrived and the children are still in school. The calm before the storm. It is business as usual and joyfully I am left to pick up where I left off and nothing here – the daily urban Paris life that I so love  – has changed except for the market displays. Every market, from the neighborhood and open air markets to the Casinos (grocery stores), is prominently displaying end of the season white asparagus. They cannot be ignored. It is a combination of these hand-picked treasures and a cover of a Door’s song which inspired this week’s (very) simple pleasure: roasted white asparagus with browned butter (asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette).

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roasted white asparagus with browned butter (asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette)

June 19th, 2012

roasted white asparagus with browned butter

roasted white asparagus with browned butter 
(asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette)

serves 4-6

what you need:

4-6 large white asparagus (or 12 smaller asparagus)
olive oil (as needed)
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground white (or black) pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley Read the rest of this entry »