Asparagus with a Good Green Sauce

Home at last. So happy to be back in my kitchen. Went right off to the market and discovered there are still local asparagus around here. I scooped them up, thrilled I hadn’t missed them. 

I like serving asparagus at room temperature when I'm having a group over to dinner. That way I can't get distracted and overcook them at the last minute.  This sauce - festive, delicious and very easy - is my favorite way to top them. 

I cook my asparagus in a large skillet of boiling water, putting the fattest ones in first for about 5 minutes, then adding the skinnier ones for just the last two or three minutes. Then I simply scoop them out of the water and put them on a towel-lined plate to cool.  

Just before serving I ladle on the fragrant, chunky sauce.

Begin the sauce by hardboiling a couple of eggs, chilling  them in ice water, and peeling them. 

Now mince a couple of shallots and put them in a small bowl. Add two tablespoons of Italian parsley, a few chopped chives and a tablespoon of minced capers.  Stir in 6 tablespoons of good olive oil and mix well.  Add a generous dollop of mustard and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. 

Chop the hardboiled eggs into fairly coarse pieces, stir them in, and grind in a good bit of black pepper. Allow to mingle quietly for a half hour or so, to let the ingredients communicate with one another, then taste for seasoning and spoon over a pound and a half of cooked asparagus.

Serve at room temperature.  

The rest of the menu, if you're interested:

Chicken Liver Mousse

Crackers topped with Sour Cream and Salmon Roe

Grilled ribeyes

Baked Potatoes

Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Fresh Apricot Crumb Tart