Raw Spears, Fresh Blood

Ages ago, the Romans celebrated the first sight of Asparagus spears with a chariot race. The finest legionnaires loaded their carts with the first crop of wee phalli and raced hell bent to the Alps. While the reward for the victor of said produce-run evades our foggy brains, the end result never will: This was perhaps the fist example of frozen vegetables.
Here and now, the first crops of asparagus happened months ago; but the race for asparagus is eternally rewarding. Here’s a slightly more challenging recipe for our favorite farmer’s market triumphs. Take some time and pay tribute to your own little empire.
Raw Asparagus Salad
(Makes one)

8 Asparagus spears
1 Lemon
1 Tbs. XVO
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 cup walnuts
6 oz. fresh chèvre
10 chives
1 blood orange
1. Cleaning the asparagus: Take a spear and hold it between two fingers about 1 inch above its end. Using your other hand, bend the lower extremity until it breaks; discard the broken piece and trim the end.
2. Zest half the lemon and the blood orange into a mixing bowl. Juice the lemon into your bowl and add a splash of water.
3. If you do not have a mandolin, slice the asparagus in half lengthwise. Place each half cut side down on your cutting surface and slice lengthwise as thin as you possibly can and toss them with the lemon water: this will keep the slices from oxidizing and turning brown.
NOTE: If you DO have a mandolin now is a great time to improve your skills. DON’T BE A HERO: this is also an excellent chance to shave off your fingertip (if you do it will grow back, just ask Alex). It is preferable to use a Japanese mando with a ceramic blade for this recipe.
3.5. Hold the asparagus tipped end towards the blade of your mando. Apply pressure from the top with your fingers, and gently press the spear against the outer lip of the mandolin (this will keep you cutting straight and safe). Slide the spear down the blade and you’ll get nice ribbons of asparagus. Place your ribbons in the mixing bowl with the lemon juice, and toss to combine.
4. Toast the nuts: Heat a cast iron skillet, or heavy bottomed sauté pan, on high and toss in your walnuts. Let cook unmitigated for about 3 minutes and then give ’em a stir. Repeat. When the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned add a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle on 1/2 tsp. of olive oil, stir to combine and remove.
5. Place a hefty pinch of minced chives on the cutting board. Place about 1 tsp. of chevre onto the pile of chives and press it into a little pancake. Lift the pancake off the board and fold it in half in the palm of your hand. Squish it flat and fold again. The heat form your hands will warm the cheese, allowing it to form better balls. Using your fingertips, roll your lump of cheese into a sphere. Repeat with the rest of the cheese and chives. (If you manage to not eat all the goat cheese: place in a shallow bowl or Tupperware and cover with olive oil. These will keep in the fridge and get rad-er every day for more than a week)
6. Using your sharpest knife, slice off the top and bottom of the blood orange, cutting just deep enough to get past the pith. With the cut bottom adjacent to the cutting board, slice downward to remove the peel making sure to cut along the curve of the fruit to avoid loss. Hold the now nude fruit in your hand and make careful incisions on the inside of each line of pith to free the segments of the orange. Do this over a bowl to catch all the juice.
7. Remove the asparagus from its marinade and add the blood orange juice to the mixture. Add the mustard and then whisk in olive oil slowly to emulsify.
8. Plating: Make a sheet of shaved asparagus by layering the slices on your palm, they will adhere to each other just enough to make a little blanket. Place a pile of the toasted walnuts at the center of each plate, drape the pile with yer asparagus blanket, top with orange segments and accompany with rolled chèvre.

Beverage: Hitochino Red Rice Ale
Soundtrack: Al Green “I’ve Never Found a Girl”