I love asparagus! Not the kind you find in the can but fresh. Growing up in CA. we always had two veggies on the the table. And Asparagus was at least once a week. Now we did have fresh fruits and veggies, but for some reason my mom always bought the asparagus in the can. As a child, for a long time ,I thought this was the only way asparagus was served. One day I was having dinner with a classmate and we had fresh asparagus! I fell madly in love.
I am always looking for ways to us this wonderful vegetable. In looking through "Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook" I found a great recipe for Crispy Asparagus Straws. They are well received at any occasion. They are good hot,warm or cold. I have taken them to many social gatherings and love to make them as a snack anytime.
Choose thicker green, purple or white asparagus with tightly packed tips. Do not use the real thin ones, as they will over cook. You may prepare the asparagus ahead if you like and keep in fridge until needed.
24 asparagus spears,woody ends trimmed
6 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 thin slices prosciutto (about 7 oz total) cut in half crosswise.
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on medium holes of grater.
Steam the asparagus until just al dente about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander to cool.
Preheat oven to 450 with rack in the center.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place one sheet of phyllo on a dry surface. (keep other covered with a slightly damp towel) Brush lightly with melted butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces. about 5x7 each.
Place one piece of prosciutto on the phyllo, lining it up along one short edge of the rectangle.
Place an asparagus spear on top of the prosciutto along the same short edge of the rectangle, letting the tip lay exposed beyond the top edge by about 3/4 of an inch or so. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of Parmesan.
Roll up and secure dough with melted butter if needed.
Place completed asparagus on baking sheet. This can been done 1 to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Before baking, sprinkle the top of the straws with the remaining cheese. Cover the tips of the asparagus with foil to protect them from the heat.
Bake until nice and golden brown.
They are excellent hot, but they are just fine at room tempeture as well.
This book has so many wonderful things to make! I also made the Gruyere thyme icebox crackers, (found on page 366) Excellent! I have made many of the "tea" sandwiches as well. And of course I always put my own spin on those. I would recommend this book to all of you foodies out there.
I have so many favorite chefs, Stephen Pyle, Anne Burell, Dean Ferring, Cat Cora and so many more but Ms. Julia Child is the one I wish I could have met. Here are a few of her quotes.
“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook”
“(She was asked what her longevity is attributed to) Red meat and gin.”
Until next post, Cook with passion and love.
Photo by Dana Gallagher
