Nothing says spring cooking to me more than asparagus. Roasted asparagus stalks simply drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper are close to perfection. But
To infuse flavor and texture by wrapping asparagus in bacon to place over the grill is practically a meal in itself. Prosciutto works well, too.
I remember the asparagus my grandmother grew in her backyard when I was a child. That may be my earliest recollection with regard to gardening. (That, and the mint my mom had growing by the back of the house that she liked to put in her sweet tea.) I also remember the dull green, mushy asparagus that come in a can. These days, if anything, frozen would certainly be better. But it seems fresh asparagus is readily available year round. Although, like tomatoes, we know we can get them anytime, but when any fruit or vegetable is “in season” it will be at its optimum flavor.
Years ago, we served asparagus wrapped in puff pastry at our wedding reception; I believe it was the one with parmesan on top. It’s a beautiful dish to serve for an elegant plate. But it can easily transport to a fun finger food, no fork or plate required.
You may have noticed my love of “everything bagel” seasoning in some of my other recipes. Pastry-wrapped asparagus looked like the perfect opportunity for me to enjoy the mixture of this seasoning. It typically consists of dried garlic and onion, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and salt, to name a few of the ingredients. There are different versions; I’ve even had some containing caraway seeds. It’s a treat to buy it in one handy container on the spice aisle now.
I typically use Pepperidge Farm’s puff pastry sheets. For this recipe I used half a box, which is usually found in the frozen case at the grocer near the frozen pie shells. Each box contains 2 sheets. Each sheet makes approximately 14 asparagus spears.
Enjoy food made fresh!
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.
