Roasted Asparagus

Last night was the first night of the BBQ season. Since the weather was nice enough, I fired up the BBQ to roast a bunch of asparagus to have with dinner. The inspiration was the latest email newsletter from the Splendid Table radio show where author, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, wrote about roasting spring vegetables:

Roasting may be the easiest way to cook asparagus (or just about any vegetable) and it deepens flavors like no other method. Just toss the spears in a shallow pan (a half sheet pan is ideal) with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Slip into a hot oven for a few minutes and you're done.

When buying asparagus, choose uniform sized spears. I prefer pencil-slim ones because they don't need peeling, and cook faster and more evenly than thick stalks. Check for tightly closed tips and stalks that appear plump and fresh. Trim away tough ends by bending one stalk to find the natural break point then line it up with the remaining stalks and cut.

If you like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on asparagus and other green vegetables, hold off until right before serving. Acids like lemon juice and vinegar take green vegetables from bright to olive drab in a few minutes.

I've been roasting asparagus lately since reading Alice Water's "The Art of Simple Food" where she recommends:

To roast asparagus, place uncooked peeled spears in one layer on a baking pan with sides. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roll the spears back and forth to coat them with oil and salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven until tender, about 9-11 minutes.

In the winter I do the Alice Waters' recipe. In spring and summer I like to roast them in the BBQ. Either way, it's all good. In addition to the lemon juice option mentioned earlier, other options include: a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, furls of Parmesan cheese, or a generous sprinkling of Penzey's FoxPoint Seasoning--my favorite vegetable seasoning.