Asparagus Gruyere Tart

If you make this tart, don't do what I did. Because even though I knew the bottom of my tart would be a little soggy, I went ahead and skipped baking the dough before I put the toppings on anyway. I thought there was a small chance the cheese & asparagus wouldn't be too wet/heavy and the bottom might puff a little and stay dry. So I did it, just to find out for sure. And yes, the bottom was a little soggy. So do make this tart (because if you like asparagus, you'll love it), but don't question Martha Stewart's procedure like I did (really, who the hell do I think I am?).

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

flour, for work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted

5 ½ oz. (2 cups) shredded gruyere cheese

1 1/2 lb. medium or thick asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.      Preheat oven to 400º F.

2.      On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1-inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

3.      Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

from Martha Stewart

asparagus

rolled puffed pastry on a sheetpan

Since I wasn't following directions, I just
pricked the dough all over with a fork.

I didn't use gruyere...this fontina was a nice substitute.

sprinkling cheese on the dough

My asparagus was shorter than the dough,
so I arranged some on the top and bottom too.

more cheese sprinkled on top
(not too much - you don't want to cover the asparagus)

asparagus tart

side view

sliced

close up

My daughter doesn't like asparagus, so I made
her the same tart, but with broccoli. She loved it.

.

Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

I've had these at parties for years and really enjoy their freshness and simplicity. So I finally decided to whip up a batch for myself. You can make these with steamed or blanched asparagus, if you prefer that to roasted (although I looove roasted asparagus and recommend you try it). You can also wrap these before you roast them (without the cheese) and serve hot. But I enjoy them cold (and let's not forget, with cheese). I want to say this is a really quick recipe, but the truth is that my prosciutto was sliced so thin that it was ripping like crazy. So I kind of struggled with peeling it out of the packaging. But I was able to patch up the rips with the cream cheese and in the end, it was worth the effort.

 

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN PROSCIUTTO

Yield: 12 to 16

1 lb. fresh asparagus (about 19 stalks), ends trimmed (stalks peeled if very thick)

6 to 8 thin slices good-quality prosciutto, halved

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

8 oz. cream cheese* or goat cheese, softened

* chive/onion and garlic/herb cream cheeses are nice too

1.     Preheat oven to 400º F.

2.     Place the asparagus on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and toss. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes (depending on thickness of the asparagus). Cool completely.

3.     Spread prosciutto slices with cheese.

4.     Wrap prosciutto around 1 to 3 asparagus spears (depending on their thickness), leaving the tips and bottoms exposed.

5.     Serve at room temperature or chilled.

adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

trimmed asparagus

Just bend each spear until the bottom snaps off easily.

oiled raw asparagus

I don't recommend seasoning it
with salt (the prosciutto is salty).

roasted asparagus

I know, it doesn't look much different
from the raw - at least not in the photo.
Up close there are some brown spots.

spreading cream cheese on prosciutto
(I used chive/onion.)

asparagus on the prosciutto

If your asparagus is very thick, you may only need one
spear (if it's very thin, you might want to use three).

I opted to leave my prosciutto wide and slice it in half
widthwise instead of lengthwise. You can do it any way you
like (it depends on how you want it to look and what you want
your asparagus to prosciutto ratio to be when you're eating it).

wrapping

roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto

.

Grilled Asparagus

I know what you're thinking...something along the lines of "lamest post ever". Or maybe you're thinking about hitting the 'unlike' button on my Facebook page. Well, do what you've got to do, but before you exercise that itchy trigger finger, try grilling some asparagus. I'm betting if you've never done it before, you'll be surprised at how incredible it is. If I'm wrong, go ahead and hit the button (that's right, you don't want to play poker with me).

GRILLED ASPARAGUS

asparagus (washed, dried and tough ends snapped off)

extra virgin olive oil

salt

_______________________________________________________________________

 1.      Preheat grill to medium-high. Drizzle a little olive oil over the asparagus (just enough to coat the spears). Toss until all the spears are coated and sprinkle with salt to taste. Spread asparagus out on a grill pan (or if you don't have one, you can place them directly on the grate (just make sure you do it crosswise, so they don't fall in).

2.      Grill for about 5 minutes, then turn the asparagus. Grill for another 5-10 minutes or until asparagus is brown in spots and easily pierced with a fork.

asparagus spears

a closer look

Asparagus tips (pun intended)

-      look for firm, brightly colored stalks with closed tips

-      smaller spears are more delicate and tender

-      thicker spears have a more robust flavor and meatier texture

-      should be used within a day or two of purchase if possible

-      store in the refrigerator, standing upright in cold water

-      rinse and break off the tough ends before cooking

.

Shaved Asparagus with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Here's a new way to look at an old favorite (if you like asparagus). I thought about using my mandoline for this job (but I could easily envision a trip to the emergency room). So I took out my vegetable peeler like the recipe suggested. At first it seemed impossible that my peeler could do anything but mangle my lovely asparagus (and the first one was pretty mutilated). But I quickly got a good rhythm going and was done before I knew it.

I love the way shaving the asparagus tranforms the texture (I would never consider munching on a raw spear otherwise). And because they are raw, they make a nice cold salad for picnics or cookouts, especially for the raw foodist in your life (don't ask me what a raw foodist is doing at a cookout).

SHAVED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN VINAIGRETTE

Makes 4 servings

12 large asparagus spears (about 1 pound), trimmed and peeled

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan, plus a piece for shaving

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.      Working with 1 asparagus spear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to shave spears into long, thin shavings. Transfer to a medium bowl (the tips will snap off as spears get thinner; add to bowl).

2.      Combine grated parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in oil until well blended. Season vinaigrette generously with salt and pepper.

3.      Drizzle vinaigrette over shaved asparagus and toss to coat. Divide asparagus salad among plates. Use peeler to shave more parmesan over salad.

from Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

asparagus (thick spears work best for shaving)

I discarded the tough top and bottom layers.

This is an example of how nice they look when the tip
stays in tact. But don't expect them all come out that way.
If the tip breaks off, just throw it in the bowl.

bowl of asparagus ribbons

closeup of asparagus ribbons

lemon halves

It's always best to use fresh ingredients whenever possible.
But that's especially true when you're using only a few simple
ingredients (you really want those flavors to shine through).

mixing the vinaigrette

shaved asparagus mixed with parmesan vinaigrette

.