asparagus

Asparagus has a short window in spring and it deserves more than a sad steam.

Roasted in foil until tendercrisp, it’s a side dish that takes 15 minutes and needs almost nothing else. Worked into a stovetop risotto, it stays just-tender instead of going to mush. Baked alongside salmon with lemon and dill, it pulls the whole dish together without any extra effort. Wrapped in prosciutto and puff pastry, it becomes something worth putting on a spring entertaining table.

Catch it at peak season and give it the treatment it’s earned.