Springtime Asparagus

Flashback 4 Years:
Setting: Williams Sonoma store in Milwaukee, WI
Characters: 2 college students, living in ridiculously small studio apartment.

Issac: "What is this?"
Nicole: "Its a pot for steaming asparagus"
Issac: "Well, I guess we'll really know we've 'made it' when we have a pot especially for asparagus"
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Flashback 2 Years:
Setting: Couples wedding shower in Duluth, MN

Issac: (tearing open package) "WE DID IT, BUDDY! WE'RE REALLY ADULTS NOW!!"

So -- from one adult to another, I share with you one of our favorite uses for our beloved asparagus pot.

Springtime Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 pound thick-stalk asparagus
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2-3 green onions, sliced thinly (or 1 small shallot, thinly sliced)
freshly ground black pepper

Fill bottom of asparagus pot with water. Bring to boil. Wash and trim asparagus so that they fit into the basket and the cover can be placed firmly on top of the pot. Once water is boiling, place basket into pot, cover. Steam until thickest part of stem is cooked through, but asparagus still holds its form. Drain and place asparagus on a platter.


While steaming, mix the vinegar and mustard with a whisk in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, forming an emulsion. Drizzle over asparagus. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill at least 1-2 hours before serving.


Serve cold.

Note: in our years without an asparagus pot, we steamed our asparagus in the microwave using a 8x8 pyrex pan with a little water on the bottom and a tightly fitting plastic wrap.