Roasted Asparagus

I think of asparagus as the quintessential spring vegetable. When I see it in the supermarket, I know Spring has arrived, regardless of what the weather says. Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, an account of a year spent eating home-grown or local food, dedicates a whole chapter to asparagus (Waiting for Asparagus: Late March). It truly is the foodie's symbol for a new season.

Here's my favorite way to prepare it:

Wash and trim a bunch of asparagus. I usually just snap the ends of the stalks. Coat a baking sheet with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Lay the spears in a single layer on the baking sheet, rolling them in the oil so that they are completely coated. Sprinkle with some coarse salt. Bake at 425 for about 20-30 minutes. Turn them once, halfway through cooking. I like them a little browned, which I think develops the flavor, but you can remove them earlier if you prefer.

Asparagus is a good source of potassium, Vitamins C, A, and K, and folate. I don't even mind the um, smell 4 out of 10 of us notice afterwards, although it does disturb my daughter a bit. ("Are you sure this is normal?")