Split Spear Salad

In the spirit of the first weeks of spring, that seasonal shred of time that all locavores, even us in L.A. share, here comes the asparagus. It's crack to Barbara Kingsolver and we agree. Here we nearly sliced the spears spider web thin and dressed 'em down for a cold salad.

Chilled Asparagus Salad

(Serves 4-6)

1 lbs. asparagus, thin
5 Thai chiles (red)
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustrad
1 shallot, peeled
Kosher salt to taste
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. To parboil the asparagus: bring a large pot of water (about 4 cups) to a boil, salt until it tastes like sea water, trim the spears from the bottom by 1 inch, rinse and dunk in water. Let spears cook for roughly 15 seconds, remove and immediately rinse under cool water or dunk in an ice bath to stop from over-cooking.

2. Drain asparagus and pat dry. Cut each spear in half, or in thirds as needed, to create sleek, thin asparagus noodles. Put cut asparagus in a large metal bowl. Slice the red chiles into similarly sized threads and add. Toss with oil, vinegar and a dab of Dijon. Stir until thoroughly coated. (Dressing should be light.)

3. Mince your shallot and add as well. Chill all together in the fridge for one hour and serve cold.

Beverage: Koshihikari Echigo Japanese Lager
Soundtrack: Brian Eno’s “Big Ship”