HOMECOOKINGCHRONICLES
Roasted asparagus
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
I’m on the horns of a dilemma.
There’s a large, flattish space in my
yard that is ripe for a project. I’ve wres-
tled with various options and it’s come
down to two choices. The first is an
outdoor patio with a fire pit that I’d
probably use four times a year, and the
other is a raised bed garden protected
by a deer-proof fence.
I lean toward the garden idea,
because the prospect of seasonal veg-
gies sparks joy. Growing up, my grand-
parents had an ample garden and the
memories of wandering through a
corn field is something I’d love to cre-
ate once again. Only in a scaled down
form, though, I’m only one person after
all.
Eating with the seasons is a romantic
idea that I try to adhere to as much as I
can. At the same time, I understand that
we eat what we have, or what we have
a hankering for right at that moment.
I’ve been there too, and I refuse to be
sanctimonious about seasonal eating.
There is one exception to this, and
that is asparagus. I only want to eat
asparagus at its peak in late spring and
early summer and then I’m done until
the next year. This asparagus intransi-
gence even once resulted in a lunchtime
incident.
When I worked in Seattle, I’d often
drag my co-workers to a downtown
restaurant that featured a “Meatloaf
Wednesday” lunch special. Meatloaf
is thankfully seasonless, but not when
it’s served with a side of asparagus in
October. I asked the server if they could
replace my side of asparagus with broc-
coli or some potatoes. Both my lunch
mates and the server looked aghast.
It’s now that time of year when I’m
ready to savor asparagus. I serve it sim-
ply roasted with some salty compo-
nents and a citrus zing. The meatloaf is
optional, but always encouraged.
As for the raised beds, perhaps one
day I’ll harvest asparagus from my own
garden. Until then, if you see me buy-
ing asparagus out of season, feel free to
ask, “shouldn’t you be buying broccoli
or potatoes instead?” I deserve it.
Roasted Asparagus with Bacon
and Parmesan
Adapted from Nigel Slater, serves
two to four as a side
• One bunch asparagus, trimmed
• One small pat of butter
• Four slices bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahr-
enheit. In a large pot, boil a bundle of
asparagus until tender. Lay the spears
in a shallow baking dish and set aside.
In a shallow frying pan, melt the but-
ter and add the diced bacon. Cook until
the bacon is crispy and the fat is golden
brown.
Spoon the butter and bacon over the
asparagus and sprinkle with the parme-
san. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the
cheese has melted. Remove from the
oven and finish with a spritz of lemon
juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Brian Medford is the owner of
Idlewild Biscuits and Bakes in Astoria
and delights in Southern cooking. He is
a staff instructor at The Pantry in Seat-
tle. Contact him at blmedford@gmail.
com.
Brian Medford
Asparagus is in season locally throughout the late spring
and early summer.
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