Are you familiar with the term “Analytics”? In website management and marketing speak, analytics is the gathering and reporting of meaningful patterns in data. Software and services exist that record all sorts of information on web traffic. How many unique visitors came to the site, how many page views were generated by those visitors and much more, for example.
A couple of days ago, I reviewed the analytics for this site and noticed someone had searched for “Asparagus Recipes”. While asparagus is mentioned as an alternative ingredient in the Kung Pao recipe herein, no offering existed for that elegant vegetable until today. You guys are important to me!
This is a recipe from the Side Dish chapter in the book “Cook Live Learn” and I make it fairly often when fresh asparagus is available. It is exceedingly simple and as good as asparagus gets. It has generated a recipe request every time I have served it. You may serve it successfully as a side dish with almost any entree.
- 1 Pound Fresh Asparagus, Washed and Tough Ends Snapped Off
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- 4 Twists of the Black Pepper Mill
- ⅔ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Plain Bread Crumbs
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- Place a rack in the center slot of your oven and preheat it to 375 degrees.
- Pour the olive oil and lemon juice onto a baking pan. Place the prepared asparagus spears in the pan, floweret-to-floweret and side-to-side. Using an open hand and placing it on the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth in the oil and lemon juice until well coated.
- Next, sprinkle the salt, pepper and bread crumbs evenly over the spears. Now, arrange the asparagus spears in a neat row in the middle of the pan and place the cheese in a line through the center of each spear. The idea is that when the cheese melts in the oven, it will be thick enough to have a big Parmesan cheese flavor. Lastly, cut the butter up into smaller pieces and dot the asparagus tips and the cheese.
- Roast uncovered on the center rack for 8 to 10 minutes depending on the girth of your asparagus. It is done when tender crisp. Allow it to cool for 3 minutes before serving. To serve, use a spatula to cut apart 6 or 8 spears; keeping the melted cheese intact, slide the group onto the plate. Makes 4 servings.
Credits: Thanks to Weaver’s Orchard Farm Market for the beautiful asparagus photo!
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