We’re taking a bit of a risk by saying this, but it looks like Spring has finally arrived! And with it, comes an abundance of delicious, in-season asparagus! Here at Palmquist Farm, asparagus is always the first crop to make an appearance in Helen’s garden. It’s a surefire sign that the snow season is finally over, and we couldn’t be happier about that!
To help you make the most of this delicious vegetable, we’re excited to share with you one of our favorite asparagus recipes. It’s the perfect way to celebrate Spring and all the fresh produce it brings.
Note from Anna
This is one of my recipes, and it’s perfect for honing your cooking intuition. As you know, Helen rarely measures seasonings, and it took me some time and experimentation to get good at that style of cooking. If you’re interested in learning how to cook without always relying on measurements, this recipe is the perfect one to practice with. Asparagus can come in different thicknesses, making it tricky to know just how much seasoning, lemon, or cheese to use, so even if I gave you exact amounts, it might not turn out. That’s where your intuition comes in! And it’s just a side dish, so it won’t ruin the whole meal if you mess up. So go ahead and give it a try, trust your instincts, taste, and adjust next time!
Jump to RecipeSTEPS: EXPLAINED, WITH TIDBITS AND ADVICE
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the asparagus and chop off the ends. Check to make sure the ends are tender and not woody. Cut any woody parts off.
3. Spread the asparagus on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Shake the pan side to side to lightly coat all the asparagus. Be careful not to go too heavy with the oil because extra oil on the pan away from the asparagus could burn. If you want to make this dish lighter, use a little less oil. It’s up to you!
5. Bake asparagus on the middle rack of your oven for 5 minutes if the asparagus is thin and ten minutes if it’s thicker.
6. While the asparagus is baking, grate some fresh parmesan cheese on the finest grater you have. You want it to be fluffy and light. The amount is up to you, but it should be enough to evenly coat the asparagus (a little less than 1/4 cup or so). Then, wash your lemon, and cut it in half.
7. After 5-10 minutes of baking, take your asparagus out of the oven and flip it over. Test it with a fork. If it’s pretty tender with a little crunch, sprinkle the asparagus with the parmesan cheese, making sure the cheese isn’t getting all over the pan as it will burn. If it’s still hard, put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes before adding the cheese. Depending on how firm or cooked you like your asparagus, feel free to adjust the roasting time. I like mine to still have a little crunch!
8. Bake 5 more minutes. Then, take it out of the oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the asparagus. I squeeze the juice directly from the lemon half because it prevents me from adding too much juice, which can ruin the dish. So go easy. You can always add more lemon at the table. The same goes for salt!
9. Give it a taste and see how you did!
Helen’s Czech Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lb Russet potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 6 eggs
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 1 cup dill pickles, diced
- 1-2 cups Miracle whip or whipped salad dressing
- 2-4 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/2-3/4 cup white sugar
- 2-4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tp salt
- 1/2-1 tp pepper
- paprika
Instructions
- Fill a medium pot with water and add about 1 tp salt. Boil over high heat for the potatoes.
- Fill a 3-quart sauce pan with water. Boiling over high heat for the eggs.
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Dice the onion, celery, and pickles into small pieces.
- Once the water is boiling, add your potatoes to the medium pot and add your eggs to the sauce pan. Boil both for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, drain your eggs and refill the pot with cold water. The most important thing with potato salad is to get your eggs and potatoes cooled down fast. Set them aside.
- At 10 minutes, check your potatoes. You want them to be firm but not crunchy. When they are firm, cool them down by pouring the potatoes into a colander or strainer from the pot and running cold water over them. Put the potatoes back in the empty pot and cover with cold water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Repeat these steps a second time after 5 minutes and then set aside for 10-15 minutes. Be gentle with them throughout these steps.
- In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup Miracle Whip or whipped salad dressing, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. It should be tangy and sweet.
- Once your eggs are cool, dice your eggs into even pieces.
- Drain the potatoes and put them in a large cake pan. This will help the potatoes cool down even faster, and the salad will be easier to mix without mushing your potatoes.
- Sprinkle potatoes with about 1 tp salt and 1/2 tp pepper.
- Gently mix in the onions, celery, and pickles until evenly combined.
- Gently mix in the dressing until well combined.
- Gently mix in eggs until well combined.
- Now it’s time to taste it! The flavor should be tangy, a little sweet, and salty. The texture should be creamy and crunchy with the vegetables. If the flavor is weak or you taste mainly plain potato, mix another batch of dressing. You don’t have to make the same amount and adjust it for the flavors you are going for. You can also sprinkle the salad with more salt and pepper if that’s what it needs.
- Once you get it tasting the way you want, pop your salad into the fringe to finish cooling down and to let the flavors bled. This salad is usually better the second day, so it’s never a bad idea to make it ahead of time.
- Serve in your favorite bowl with a sprinkle of paprika on top!
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