So, the month o’ cupcakes is over here at Elana’s Pantry and none too soon.  I’m totally ready to hit the green veggies and today I have a nice roasted asparagus recipe for you all.  We are growing asparagus in our garden, though it takes about 3 years for it yield anything, so we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands for actual productivity.

Gluten Free Girl has a wonderful post on an Asparagus Frittata, so you may want to check that out if you’re in the mood for asaparagus alternatives.

In terms of the nutritional value of asparagus, I was not fully aware of its super food status until reading the wikipedia article. Here’s what wiki has to say:

Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium.

Wow! That’s a lot for such a stalky green!

How to Roast Asparagus
1 bunch of asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ – ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Trim dried parts from bottom of asparagus stalks, removing ½ an inch
2. Line asparagus spears side-by-side, in a single layer, in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
3. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt
4. Give the pan a few shakes to roll the asparagus a half-turn
5. Roast in an oven at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from oven when tips start to brown
6. Cool a few minutes, then serve

I based this recipe on an article I found at ehow.com on how to roast asparagus. You can check that out too if you’re in the mood for more detail –I like to keep things short and sweet.

If you are in Los Angeles on June 12th I will be doing a book signing at Erewhon Natural Foods from 1-2:30pm.  Hope to see all of you Californians there!