dinner with martha

last night i decided to do it up martha style. i had just gotten her latest issue of Food and thought on a whim. so, i thought i ought to not just let it sit on the shelf this time. i ought to cook something up. i found a few good options, but then settled on her Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus. not a really exciting recipe, but i happened to have almost all the ingredients, so i went for it. sometimes you want something simple and reliable, you know? and it was good. not great, but a tasty and easy dinner to be sure.

SIRLOIN STEAK WITH ASPARAGUS AND POTATOES

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
• 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 pounds and 1 inch thick), trimmed and cut into 4 equal portions
• 1 pound red new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together mustard, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place cup

   

   mustard mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Add steaks, and rub to coat (reserve remaining mixture for serving). Let steaks marinate at room temperature 10 minutes, or refrigerate up to 1 day.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; sea

   

   son with salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes, then add asparagus to sheet, and toss with another tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 15 minutes more.
3. While vegetables are roasting, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high. Remove steaks from marinade, allowing excess to drip off; cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare (if pan darkens quickly, reduce heat). Let rest 5 minutes. Serve steaks with vegetables and reserved mustard sauce; garnish with lemon wedges.

asparagus :: the food of kings

hooray! spring is coming, people! (she says as it snows outside)

i don't know about you, but we New Englanders are pretty psyched to see the happy, sun-warm, weather coming on the horizon. but, then again, we're never happy. we'll be complaining about the heat soon enough.

right now, we're getting excited about Springtime produce and first on the list is a true harbinger of Spring--Asparagus! it took me a long time to learn to appreciate it. When I was a kid I thought it was just awful--right up there with cherry tomatoes--those red, squishy, slimy wanna-be grapes. but now that my tastes and I have matured, i'm all about this green, stalky friend. saute 'em, grill 'em, puree them in a soup and i'm there.

want a tiny bit of history? (it's actually interesting)

the word asparagus comes from Greek meaning, "sprout" or "shoot." it's a member of the Lily family. (who knew?) the cultivation of this stalky veg dates back more than 2,000 years in the eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans alike prized it not only for its texture and mature flavor, but also for its alleged medicinal properties. (it was believed to cure toothaches and bee stings). a friend told me recently that eating canned asparagus cured her of a urinary tract infection. so, there ya go. a multi-purpose vegetable. King Louis XIV of France dubbed it the "Food of Kings." he had special greenhouses built so that he could enjoy it year round.

that's devotion! I can respect that kind of food obsession. this is a vegetable that's so cool it's got it's own .org. seriously. go to www.asparagus.org to find out just about anything you would want to know.

here is my favorite spring/summer recipe. it's so easy, i sort of hesitate to call it a recipe. but it's wikkid yummy!

EASY GRILLED ASPARAGUS
serves 4

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

:: heat grill to medium-high. in a shallow bowl drizzle asparagus with olive oil.

:: grill asparagus until tender and browning slightly. turn it frequently for about 5 minutes. transfer to platter. sprinkle with salt to taste. serve warm or at room temperature.

:: i prefer to lay the asparagus right on the grill, but there is the risk of losing some through the grates. that's a risk I'm willing to take. you can also thread them onto skewers or put them in a disposable pan.

now that's good grilling!