The return to spring weather has me thinking about the wonderful spring vegetables that will soon be readily & abundantly available. Even though the local farmers’ markets won’t be open until mid-June, there are a few roadside stands at nearby farms. We’ve found rhubarb available in the area, but I have mine own supply of that in our garden. What I’m most interested in finding locally is some asparagus!
Previously, I’ve tried to grow asparagus in the home garden. Asparagus can be a bit finicky to grow and I never had any luck with it. I would get a few very thin spears for a year or two then the plants would fizzle out and nothing more would appear. I never quite figured out what I was doing wrong, so I crossed asparagus off my planning & planting list.
A friend & colleague of Eric’s had an impressive garden, filled with crops, but what I remember most about Rich’s garden was the asparagus & strawberries he grew. Both were prolific and delicious. Whenever we were invited to dinner at their home, asparagus from the garden was on the menu. I don’t know if it was the manure from the horses that resided next to them or some other aspect of the attention Rich gave to his garden, but his asparagus always grew well. And tasted delicious! Even though Rich retired and moved a bit further south in Illinois, I’m willing to bet he still has a magnificent garden to eat out of all spring, summer, fall and even into the winter months!
Lemon Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms
Lemon Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms (adapted from betterrecipes.com)
Serves 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes, Roasting Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 425ºF. On a baking sheet, arrange asparagus, diced mushrooms and sliced onions. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the veggies, then season them with the salt & pepper and gently toss it all together.
Throw it all together, roast it, & it’s done!
Roast the veggies for 15-20 minutes or until they are slightly browned. Serve immediately.
Bring on Spring!
When asparagus & lemon combine, they sing to me of Spring! ~Linda
Lemon Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms (adapted from betterrecipes.com)
Serves 4, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Roasting Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 425ºF. On a baking sheet, arrange asparagus, diced mushrooms and sliced onions. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the veggies, then season them with the salt & pepper and gently toss it all together. Roast the veggies for 15-20 minutes or until they are slightly browned. Serve immediately.