Asparagus and Blue Cheese salad

Sometimes simple is best.

Fresh asparagus, tangy blue cheese, ripe tomatoes, your best olive oil and some sea salt combine for one of the simplest recipes yet.

This colorful salad is the perfect accompaniment to an Easter feast, and as someone pointed out, mimics the colors of the Italian Flag – well – if you discount the blue in the cheese it does… It would also go great with grilled meats.

Use a steamer basket or insert in a pot for best results, you can use a little water in a covered sauce pan with no steamer insert but be sure not to over cook the asparagus.

Using an ice bath after steaming keeps the asparagus bright green, and tender crisp for a toothsome salad.

Asparagus and Blue Cheese salad

1 bunch (about 1/2 pound or 250 g) fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and scraped
2-3 ounces – (60-90 grams) blue cheese crumbled – you could substitute feta for the blue cheese
2-3 small tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed then diced.
1 pinch sea salt
1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) your finest extra virgin olive oil
ice
water

1. In large bowl combine cold water and ice to create an ice bath
2. In a large sauce pan add water to just below the steamer basket, cover sauce pan and bring water to a rolling boil
3. Gently add asparagus and cover, steam until just tender crisp – 3- 5 minutes, it’s ok to sacrifice a spear or two to test doneness
4. When asparagus is just cooked, turn off heat and quickly move the asparagus to the ice bath, allow to cool completely 5 minutes or so
5. Spread a clean dishtowel on your work surface, and move asparagus from ice bath to dishtowel in a single layer. Use another dishtowel to to blot any extra water from asparagus

1. On your serving platter, line up the cool, and dry asparagus. Pile the diced tomatoes over the top in a stripe and top tomatoes with crumbled blue cheese
2. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top, and finish by sprinkling with some flaky sea salt

Give this a try, and make it one of your favorites.

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!