A toast to roasted asparagus
Spring asparagus is even better with prosciutto and Parmesan.
A couple of months ago, I asked Facebook friends, “What’s for dinner?” As one friend said near the end of the posts, “There’s a whole lot of good eating going on out there.”
It was true, and in my last Small Plates entry, I recounted some of the meals my pals were putting together. Two people asked what I was serving that weekday night, and because I was feeling lazy — wasting time on Facebook, no less — I decided on an omelet with red peppers and mushrooms, plus asparagus with prosciutto and Parmesan. I had all that on hand and didn’t want to make a trip to the store. I did say I was feeling lazy.
I had a motive: The Intrepid One is great at making omelets in our 1930s cast-iron pan. All I had to do was supervise the chopping, throw the asparagus together and set the table. Boom! (I thought I had blogged about omelets in the past; after all, I have entries dating from May 2, 2013. But I couldn’t find a photo or a post. Maybe next week, I’ll have the IO make an omelet so I can write about it.)
Asparagus with prosciutto and Parmesan
Drizzle your best olive oil all over a cookie sheet with half-inch sides. Place washed and trimmed asparagus on the sheet, and roll them around to coat with the olive oil. Stick them under the broiler for a few minutes, and roll them over once or twice until they are lightly toasted.
Chop up the prosciutto and sprinkle the Parmesan on the stalks. Let the cheese melt and transfer to a serving dish.
Janet Cleaveland
What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 52 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.