Blistered tomatoes and asparagus topped in balsamic glaze to achieve the balanced trio of sweet, salty, and umami flavors.
Am I a snob to refuse to eat asparagus any other way? Perhaps. Am I ashamed of that fact? Not when it comes to good food! I love my veggies and I've always enjoyed asparagus; it's like I am a giant eating a strange type of tree you would find from the "Lorax" movie. Yet, I really don't like my brocoli and asparagus trees too fibrous but cooked just right (I'm not picky I swear!). Well, I believe I've found the key to perfectly cooked asparagus... tomatoes. Not only do the tomatoes add a blast of flavor to this veggie dish, but they help cook the asparagus to perfection. Even my veggie-hating sister enjoyed my asparagus all thanks to the star of this dish: tomatoes.
To all of you who have never topped your pizza with basalmic syrup/glaze are seriously missing out in life. This simple touch creates the delicious balance between sweet, savory, and umami flavors. Achieving this symbiosis was my main goal for this recipe and I truly hope you enjoy this flavor combination from my kitchen to yours. I also wanted to create a quick and simple side dish that could be prepared with almost any meal. And long story short, give this glaze a chance, on both this dish and on a veggie packed pizza, and our Homegrown Roots community what you think.
Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serving Amount: 5 to 6 people
Let's get cooking!
Ingredients
2 bundles of Asparagus
5 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, sliced into chunks
1 - 2 Tbs Olive Oil
Coarse Salt, to taste
Chopped fresh Basil (about 6 - 8 leaves)
Balsamic [fig] syrup to glaze
Directions
First, wash and prep the asparagus and tomatoes while the oven preheats at 375 degrees [F]. Cut the ends off of the asparagus, stack back and forth to cook evenly, and coat with about 1 Tbs of olive oil on the pan. Lightly salt and place in the oven to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the tomatoes.
2. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, about six slices for each tomatoe. Also roll 6 to 8 basil leaves and chop into small bits for topping.
3. Place the tomatoes on top of the asparagus and top the veggies with the remaining olive oil, more coarse salt to taste, and the chopped basil leaves. Place the pan back into the oven to bake for another 20 minutes or so.
4. With about 10 minutes remaining, drizzle the basalmic fig glaze on veggies. Allow the dish to bake until fully cooked and the tomatoes and glaze have had time to blister. You may also enjoy broiling this dish on medium heat for a few minutes to intensify the blistered, glazed flavors.
5. Let cool for a few minutes and dig in!
Serve & Enjoy!
Notes:
No notes; the dish is simple yet delicious, so enjoy!