The other day, I was standing in the produce section of the grocery store, staring at a big bag of beautiful, fresh asparagus.
I had no idea what I wanted to make with the stuff, but I knew immediately that I wanted to make something.
So I stood to the side with my phone and scrolled through Pinterest and found one that looked delicious. I was especially excited about it, because it used balsamic vinegar. I have a huge bottle of it sitting in my pantry from a recipe I made long ago, and I haven’t had much use for it since.
The recipe I found is from the blog “Wallflower Kitchen.” You can find it at http://wallflowerkitchen.com/balsamic-roasted-new-potatoes-asparagus/. I simplified the amounts and swapped out an ingredient to make this easier and cheaper.
Balsamic Potatoes and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small potatoes I used yellow
- 1/2 pound fresh asparagus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390 degrees.
- Cut the potatoes into quarters and cut the asparagus into two-inch pieces.
- In a 9-by-13-inch pan, combine the potatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss to coat the potatoes.
- Roast for 20 minutes and check the potatoes by piercing them with a fork. You’ll want them fork tender before you add in the asparagus, so keep checking on them every 10 minutes until they’re pretty well cooked through and then mix in the asparagus.
- Roast for another 15 minutes or until the asparagus is done to your liking.
- Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
This was a great side dish for dinner, and since I actually ended up purchasing about three pounds of potatoes and a pound of asparagus to make this, I had lots of leftovers to heat up over the next week for lunch, too.
If you do decide to up the amounts a bit, I’d recommend spreading it out on a big, rimmed baking sheet instead of in a 9-by-13-inch dish so that it cooks faster.
I was super excited with how this recipe turned out, and it was an excellent way to enjoy some fresh asparagus. It would be a great one to store away in the recipe box for when gardens are in full swing.
And I was once again reminded what a sucker I am for fresh produce when I’m out grocery shopping while hungry. I supposed that’s why it’s a good idea for me to avoid the candy aisle.
This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 15, 2018.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas and sponsored by Main Street Co. & Kitchen Corner in Newton, Kan. Visit their website at shopmainstco.com.
