Yesterday I was able to snag a bunch of asparagus from my Mommy's house. Apparently they are tired of the never ending supply of the stuff and are now getting ready to begin the age old "if you leave you car door unlocked, you might just find a garden treat inside" small town custom. Luckily, this time of year, it's a good custom for me. Now when it gets to cucumber and zucchini season, I'm going to start locking my car doors. Man, I hate that stuff! I don't care how it's cooked. There's not enough breading and butter in the world to make zucchini taste good...
Anyway, back to my asparagus I scored. Asparagus is tasty when you just boil it, but let me give you a new recipe to try out. For those of you who don't live in small town, or who don't live near Lisco...why live near Lisco? Did you know that people drive for over an hour every year to go to the pastures by the Lisco river bridge to pick the wild asparagus that grows there? In fact, one time we heard some of these people who drive over 60 miles to come actually complain because it isn't fair. By the time they get there to pick the asparagus, the "locals" have already picked most of it. Amazing-like it's our right and/or privilege or something to pick something that grows in our hometown...hmmm...
Again, back to my asparagus from my Mommy. Here is a recipe that will have you less privileged folk running to the grocery store in hopes of a good batch of the long green stems...
Oven Asparagus (that's what I'll call it until I have a better name)
Line asparagus on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with your favorite seasoning (ie garlic salt, seasoning salt, whatever toots your horn). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place in preheated oven at 325-350 degrees and bake until at your desired eating style.
I'm one of those people who doesn't like their asparagus to crunch, so I leave mine in longer than others might like. Just use a fork and test it every once in a while until it's how you like it.
This is so good that we nearly had a family meal revolt. It was the first time we had tried this and we didn't make much of it just in case it didn't taste so good (how could we have thought that???) The rest we just boiled (how boring, right?) My sister and her family were late getting to the meal and there were only four pieces of this oh-so-yummy recipe left, and I was just going to eat them. If they didn't see the empty plate, they would never know that they missed anything, right? But NO, my Daddy said I had to leave some for my sister to try. I say, you snooze, you lose. Daddy obviously isn't into the "you snooze, you lose" mind frame, so needless to say, I had to leave it, and my sister got to eat the rest. But I am happy to say that I have trumped her this time...I got to take ALL the asparagus from the patch yesterday...nanner nanner nanner! :)
LOVE your "blog"...not that I need a reason to miss living in Nebraska, but reading your fun stories (and of course recipes) makes me long for home and all that is familiar and good. I remember picking asparagus with Mom and Grandma every year in the pastures of Rush Creek in town there...I heard that they weren't letting people pick it anymore? Plus we had a few bunches around home. I tried to plant it and rhubarb when I lived in VA...but it didn't work (of course we were only there 2 years) and down here I didn't even try.
ReplyDeleteI liked your blog about going to Scottsbluff for groceries. We did the exact same thing except we never (or rarely) froze milk and I specifically remember you guys freezing milk. We would go to Bailey's and while Mom was shopping I would read Betty and Veronica comics over in the magazine corner...now people don't let there 6+ year old be by themselves in a store.
I think I will go to the store and buy some overpriced asparagus and try this. Thanks.
I have an asparagus patch with an abundance of the good stuff. I steam (not boil) mine most of the time, but recently I have been grilling it. Brush with olive oil, season with salt annd pepper and grill till desired doneness. Really yummy.
ReplyDeleteAllison, I finally was able to post on your blog. I tried every way available and think I've finally hit on one that will work!!!
ReplyDeleteAunt Marcia-steaming, that's what I mean. I steam them, not boil them! Ha! I'm SO glad that we finally figured out this commenting business! Grilling asparagus, now that sounds tasty.
ReplyDeleteDoreen-Thank you for remembering Bailey's. I tried and tried to remember the name of that store, but all I could come up with was what it looked like in my mind. Now there's nothing there but a gas station. The grocery store is closed down.
As far as the asparagus on Rush Creek goes, I'm not sure that there was any this year as that pasture is all under water!