Mustard and Mayonnaise Glazed Asparagus

This time of year, at least in Ohio, there is a limit as to what can be had from the local farmer's market. I think it's kind of nice that gradually more and more comes to harvest, as opposed to having everything coming at you all at once. In a sense it prevents you from gravitating toward your favorite produce.

When the June Food + Wine arrived last week, I saw a couple of recipes for using mayo in marinades on asparagus. Written by Nate Appleman of A16 in SF, he says these can also be used on broccoli and fennel. Anytime I can pick up a recipe that translates into more than one veggie, I'll try it at least once.

I picked up some thick stalks of asparagus from Muddy Fork Farm at the Shaker Square North Union Farmer's Market. I feel the thick stalks work better for grilling because there's still a substantial amount of asparagus left once you're done peeling them. I also think the thicker pieces are easier to maneuver on the grill (thin ones can fall through the grate, doh!).

This is an absolute killer recipe. I wasn't quite sure how well it was going to turn out, but the spears maintain a crispness to them that is really appealing. The marinade is present but not at all overpowering. Combine all of that with the charring from the grill and you've got one fantastic side dish.

You can print the recipe out here. There is also a companion recipe for Smoky Glazed Asparagus here, although I haven't tried it yet.

Mike Walsh over at A View from the Kitchen had a great link about asparagus from yesterday's New York Times. In the article they talk about a french asparagus varietal from the '30's that could grow to around 2 inches in diameter and around a pound per spear! Slap one of those on a bun and you've got a vegetarian hot dog.