First Spain, and now the German green asparagus is here! It is such a treat to see their debut at our farmer’s market.

I find the colour of German green asparagus really beautiful with their luminescent tips. It’s almost a pity to grill them, but you can enjoy them raw too. Canadian asparagus is generally darker approaching purple and thinner.

This recipe is dead simple, but delivers such an amazing smokey flavour.  Ralph use to add fresh minced garlic but found it burned. You could add a hit of fresh lemon and parmesan after they come off the grill.

Ralph paired these with a a charred sweet onion (also just brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper)and a beautiful cut of prime rib of beef from our Saturday market beef and pork butcher Günter Feddern. Heaven.

Asparagus tips are my favourite part (I doubt I’m alone). In the first few years Ralph and I were together, I intentionally saved my last asparagus tip and planned to enjoy it as my last bite. In the middle of our conversation, Ralph casually leaned his fork over to my plate, stabbed my asparagus tip, and ate it.

Needless to say, it was the only and last time he ever did that.

Ingredients:

• 500g green asparagus
• Olive oil QB
• Salt and pepper QB

Instructions:

1. Snap off the whiter tough ends of asparagus spears. It will usually break at a natural point about an inch from the end.
2. Put them in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Grill on medium high temperature until charred to your liking (about 15-20 minutes).

🍷 Wine pairing: We enjoyed a2020 Giant Steps Fatal Shore Coal River Valley – a pinot noir from Tasmania (and our first wine from that country!). Ralph didn’t realize it was a pinot until after he opened it, but it was robust and not too fruity. Went really well with the meal, especially the asparagus which can be tricky to pair wine with as it was a little acidic. (Note, wine in pic was the last of a 2022 daniel m[a]ttern blanc de noirs in our glass (white pinot noir) which also went well with the asparagus.