New Day

With more than twelve hours of daylight I can only chide myself for not getting everything done. I am a day person and have been know to go to bed as soon as the sunsets rising with the first ray hitting the distant horizon. I usually begin my daily activities with a swing the garden, this time of year, spotting newly erupted seeds and weeds making sure all those seedlings are appropriately moistened. Then after a pep talk I leave those future meals to further set root, and make the mortgage.

It is also my habit to take a daily inventory of the well-established asparagus crown that I can harvest liberally from. As the season starts its wind-up it, is not unusual to find but a single asparagus spear on my morning rounds. Sometimes, I wait hoping a few others will perceive the earth in order to make something from it. When all else fails that lone spear gets tossed in the evening salad. After a week or two the crown finally starts bring forth a quantity worthy of a dish. As with all things from the garden, patience and you shall be served.

Broiled Asparagus with Almond Sauce – yields 6 servings

1½ pounds asparagus

Trim about ½-inch from the bottom of the asparagus stalk.

Lay the asparagus out on a baking tray in a single layer.

Place the tray under the broiler and cook for about 5 minutes. You may want to rotate the tray once in order to ensure an even cooking. Alternatively, grill the asparagus over a hot fire for five minutes.

Remove the asparagus to a plate, and serve 2-tablespoons of the almond sauce over each portion.

Almond Sauce – yields 2-cups (2-tablespoons per serving)

¼-cup fresh lemon juice

¼-cup water

½-cup silvered almonds

1 medium red pepper – seeds discarded

1-tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

¼-cup fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.