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bobmark226
04-20-2005, 12:44 PM
Hey, I can look, can't I? :(

This was in today's Portland Oregonian and if I had a stove or even my poor abused convection, I'd be making it tonight. Really, though, I know we have a few other blood orange fans here now and this sounds terrific!

Bob

*****



Roasted Asparagus With Thyme, Blood Oranges and Pine Nuts
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
The Oregonian
Makes 4 servings


1 pound asparagus
1 blood orange or navel orange, zested to get 1/2 teaspoon zest, then peeled and cut into segments (see note)
1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts (see note)

Heat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a heavy, rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Remove and discard woody ends of asparagus. Cut spears into 2-inch lengths. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus, the orange segments, thyme, salt and pepper with the oil until the seasonings are well-distributed.

Spread mixture on the prepared baking sheet in 1 even layer. Roast, shaking the pan once or twice during cooking, until the asparagus is browned in spots, slightly shriveled and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. The orange segments should be browning at the edges, but it's more important to get the asparagus tender but not mushy.

Slide the asparagus onto a platter or into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the zest and pine nuts, and serve immediately. Note: To toast pine nuts, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat until they start to brown. Stir occasionally. Be careful not to scorch them. Note: To get neat, membrane-free segments of citrus fruit, cut off both ends of the fruit so it sits flat on your cutting board. With a very sharp knife, carefully slice away the peel and white pith, following the curve of the fruit. Cut away any white still clinging, then hold the fruit over a bowl to catch the juice, and slice on either side of each membrane to free the segments. -- From Martha Holmberg



©2005 The Oregonian
© 2005 OregonLive.com All Rights Reserved.

newcook
04-20-2005, 01:05 PM
Bob, that recipe sounds delicious. I will be giving it a try soon. Thanks for posting the recipe.

Daniele

Terrytx
04-20-2005, 03:52 PM
ditto what she said:D

Alethea
05-02-2005, 12:28 PM
I made this to go with dinner last night and it was delicious! I was worried the orange flavor might be a little too dominant for the asparagus or clash with the thyme, but it was perfect. This morning I tossed the leftovers with a smidge of crumbled feta and put it over baby greens for a tasty lunch. I'll definitely repeat this recipe. Bob, thanks for posting it. :)

Peggy
05-02-2005, 05:43 PM
I made this recipe this weekend and will have to give it just a so-so review. The orange segments never browned on the edges and I had to get the asparagus out before they got too mushy. It was OK but I like my other roasted asparagus better.

Peggy

Peggy
05-02-2005, 09:41 PM
Coming back to this thread to explain more of why I wasn't crazy about this recipe. Upon further reflection, I think it was that fact that the orange slices were so juicy that the asparagus came out more "steamed" than roasted. I don't think the flavors bothered me as much as the textures.

Peggy

Alethea
05-03-2005, 09:01 AM
Peggy, though I really liked this, I agree with you that the asparagus isn't "roasted" the same way as, say, the Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic-Browned Butter is. My asparagus didn't get mushy at all, but it didn't have the slight crispiness of other roasted recipes. It was more the texture of crisply steamed asparagus. I drained my orange slices before putting them on the baking sheet and I didn't mix them in with the asparagus. Instead I put them at one end of the tray. I did this not because I thought it would improve the texture but rather because I wasn't sure if DF would eat asparagus and oranges together, but I wonder if it may have helped keep the asparagus from getting too soft.

Peggy
05-03-2005, 09:09 AM
I bet separating them was the answer! :) I tossed everything together in the bowl, as the recipe stated, and that's probably why I got the results I did. Did your orange slices get browned on the edges? Seems to me that roasting the oranges could be skipped and you could just add them at the end. That way you could have the flavors without interfering with the roasting of the asparagus.

Peggy