Adam's Famous Asparagus

This post has been a long time coming... Ever since valentines day I've been meaning to post about Adam's asparagus that he made me as part of his classic steak dinner. I have never ever had asparagus like this. They are tender, juicy and absolutely delicious. The sauce is made up of 3 ingredients — butter, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. How can you go wrong with that, right? He roasts the asparagus with Jane's mixed up salt seasoning, (read about it here, its fantastic) and olive oil. Then while the asparagus is roasting, he melts the butter and and adds the soy and balsamic and then, my favorite part to watch, pours it over the roasted asparagus. And in case you were wondering, he also served rib-eye steak (my favorite type of steak), sautéed bell peppers with red onions, and creamed spinach. YUM!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

1 bunch fresh asparagus (look for thick stalks and closed tips)

olive oil

salt seasoning, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim ends of asparagus (or snap the ends off) and rinse. Dry the asparagus and lay on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet (we do this in the toaster oven, so we use the smallest baking sheet).

2 Brush asparagus with olive oil and season with salt seasoning, to taste

3 Make sure the asparagus are in one layer and roast for 12 minutes.

4 While the asparagus is in the oven, melt butter in a small saucepan. Then, remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.

5 Once the asparagus is done roasting, pour the sauce and serve immedietely.

Asparagus & Gruyere Tart

This dish is the essence of the outdoors, perfect for a patio brunch. Its colors are light and earthy and looks like you spent hours in the kitchen making it, but in reality it takes less than an hour! It has minimal ingredients and really displays the beauty of the asparagus. Fool your guests and enjoy this cheesy, crispy tart as an appetizer or side dish. I could only find thin asparagus at the market, but thick ones work just as well. Make sure to trim and wash them properly before cooking.

Asparagus & Gruyere Tart
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (you can also use 2 to make a larger one)
Olive oil
1 shallot, minced
Fresh lemon juice
1 lb asparagus, washed and trimmed
2 cups Gruyere, shredded
Kosher salt and pepper

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 Thaw puff pastry as directed on box. Unfold pastry until flat and brush and score the dough with a sharp knife 1 inch from the border. Use a fork to prick at 1/2 inch intervals inside of the now scored border. Don't prick the border.
3 Brush the inside of the border with olive oil, lemon juice, and minced shallot. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.
4 Pre-bake the puff pastry for 15 minutes.
5 While the pastry is in the oven, wash and trim the asparagus. Pat dry.
6 Remove the pastry from the oven and evenly sprinkle inside the border with Gruyere cheese.
7 Arrange the asparagus, alternating tips and ends. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8 Return the tart into the oven for 20-25 minutes until asparagus are roasted. Let cool, squeeze more lemon juice and serve.