{"id":4390,"date":"2011-03-23T13:32:45","date_gmt":"2011-03-23T20:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/?p=4390"},"modified":"2011-03-23T13:32:45","modified_gmt":"2011-03-23T20:32:45","slug":"roasted-asparagus-shallot-and-goat-cheese-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/roasted-asparagus-shallot-and-goat-cheese-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Asparagus is here at last!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The wind howled and icy showers turned to hail here last week as winter refused to loosen its grip on our weather.\u00a0 But the first fat bunches of beautiful green asparagus showed up in the local farmers markets and spring could not be denied.<\/p>\n

After months of eating root vegetables and bitter greens,\u00a0 it was almost a religious experience to bite into the first tender stalks from Hog Farm in Hollister and revel in their sweet, grassy flavor.<\/p>\n

There is no vegetable I anticipate more eagerly than the first asparagus of spring, in part because it’s the harbinger of fabulous produce to come.\u00a0 If asparagus is here, can peas and strawberries be far behind?<\/p>\n

The first spears of the season are so tender and fresh-tasting, they require little more than properly timed cooking and perhaps a drizzle of melted butter or good extra virgin olive oil. They should still be a little crisp when you serve them.\u00a0 A moment too long on the heat and they’re likely to turn mushy and stringy.<\/p>\n

I like to roast asparagus for a short time at a high temperature, which caramelizes the natural sugars and concentrates the flavors.\u00a0 The color remains a vivid emerald green and the taste is bright and true.\u00a0 Although I use an oven at this time of the year, a grill also works well when the weather warms up.<\/p>\n

To dress them up, slice up a few shallots and roast them with the asparagus.\u00a0 Anoint the roasted vegetables with a slick of mustard-laced vinaigrette and sprinkle them with curds of tangy goat cheese.\u00a0 The shallots offer a delicate, onion accent while the vinaigrette and goat cheese serve as gentle counterpoints to the sweet stalks.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can cook asparagus stalks in a single layer with about half a cup of water in a wide skillet.\u00a0 Bring the water to a boil, cover and cook for just a couple of minutes, until the thick part of the stalks is easily pierced with a small, sharp knife.<\/p>\n

I never peel asparagus but I do snap off the tough ends, taking care not to lose too much in the process.\u00a0 I know there are fans of thick, meaty stalks and those who prefer the pencil-thin variety.\u00a0 I’m not that picky, though, especially early in the season when I’ll take any freshly picked local asparagus I can get.<\/p>\n

There’s no denying that fat spears are the easiest to roast or steam to the proper texture. They take a little longer to cook through and timing is not so critical.\u00a0 On the other hand, the skinny ones are better for a risotto or a tart.<\/p>\n

Look for firm stalks with tightly furled tips and cook them as soon as possible.\u00a0 Just be careful not to overcook them.\u00a0 No one wants soggy asparagus.<\/p>\n

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SHALLOTS AND GOAT CHEESE<\/strong>
\nServes 4<\/em> <\/p>\n

1 pound fresh asparagus, medium or fat stalks
\n\u00bd cup thinly sliced shallots
\nExtra virgin olive oil
\nSea salt and freshly ground black pepper
\n2 ounce soft goat cheese, crumbled
\nMustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.\u00a0 Wash asparagus and trim ends.\u00a0 Place stalks on a large baking sheet.\u00a0 Scatter sliced shallots over asparagus, drizzle with olive oil and gently toss until vegetables are lightly coated with oil. Spread stalks out in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast just until a small, sharp knife easily pierces the thickest part of the stalks.\u00a0 It should take about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Transfer roasted vegetables to a serving platter and drizzle with vinaigrette.\u00a0 Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.\u00a0 Serve warm or at room temperature.<\/p>\n

Mustard vinaigrette<\/strong>
\nMakes about \u00bd cup<\/em><\/p>\n

1\u00bd teaspoons minced shallots
\n1 tablespoon mustard
\n\u00bc teaspoon salt
\n2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
\n6 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
\nFreshly ground black pepper<\/p>\n

Shake all the ingredients together in a small jar with a tightly fitting lid. Or whisk together shallots, mustard, salt and vinegar in a small bowl until well blended.\u00a0 Slowly whisk a thin stream of olive oil into the mustard mixture until a smooth emulsion forms.\u00a0 Stir in black pepper to taste.\u00a0 Shake or whisk again just before serving if the emulsion begins to break.<\/p>\n

Aleta Watson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The wind howled and icy showers turned to hail here last week as winter refused to loosen its grip on our weather.\u00a0 But the first fat bunches of beautiful green asparagus showed up in the local farmers markets and spring could not be denied. After months of eating root vegetables and bitter greens,\u00a0 it was … Continue reading Asparagus is here at last!<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4390"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4417,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4390\/revisions\/4417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}