This was the first week of widespread farmers' markets across the city, and I found the most beautiful asparagus that I have seen since I lived in Western Massachusetts (home to the incomparable Hadley Asparagus). There were also some wonderful tomatoes, rhubarb, oyster mushrooms, turnips, radishes and strawberries (this is all the more exciting considering how difficult it it to get decent produce in Chicago).
Deborah Madison's new book has a recipe for an asparagus salad; it is quite simple: roasted asparagus, a chopped egg, toasted and torn ciabatta, and a vinaigrette of coarse mustard, olive oil (I used a fruity unfiltered one) and red wine vinegar (Eden makes a fabulous naturally fermented and raw one that I love). I finished the salad off with chervil, which I have growing on my porch.
While the asparagus were incredible, there's also something about the sum being more than the parts here: this was a huge hit, and really tasted exceptional. I tossed the bread in some dressing in the roasting pan before assembling, which soaked up the oil and seasoning from roasting the asparagus.
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