by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville
We are getting some nice asparagus this time of year, and it’s a great opportunity to enjoy this tasty veg in many different ways. Today’s recipe is an Asparagus Cheese Melt. One of the things you can do consistently right with vegetables is to cook them only lightly. For example, asparagus doesn’t need a lot of cooking; you want a bit of crunch to the dish. The Asparagus Cheese Melt makes for a nice, fresh spring lunch, maybe accompanied by a Gazpacho (see 28 August 2023). This recipe will serve 4 highly appreciative folks.
Asparagus Cheese Melt
Ingredients:
- 5 asparagus spears per person you are serving
- 1 cup sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
- 2 red peppers, thinly sliced in rings
- 1 cup of grated Mozzarella cheese
- 4 slices of your favourite Grahame’s Bakery bread
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons of Octoberfest Mustard (check Mrs. McGarrigle’s)
- 1 teaspoon each of dried, flaked dill weed and black pepper
Preparation:
- Trim the bottom end of your asparagus and boil lightly till done and still crunchy
- Combine the mayo, mustard, dill weed and pepper into a dressing
- Place your bread slices on a cookie sheet and slather with dressing
- Arrange the cooked asparagus spears lengthwise on the bread
- Arrange the sliced mushrooms and pepper rings on top of the asparagus
- Sprinkle with the grated cheese
- Broil in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt
Serve this treat immediately. You can trim with a dusting of paprika, if you wish, or some parsley flakes. A cold white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, accompanies this very well. Also, of course, you can use other vegetables on top of your asparagus, if you wish: shaved red onion goes well, and another colour of fresh pepper does also. Don’t hesitate to share your culinary inventions with me at: pcormier@ranaprocess.com.
