his
dish is both delicious and utterly simple,
making
it a classic favorite whenever there's a need for
something tasty and elegant when no one feels like
a heavy or elaborate meal. The key is to use good,
fresh ingredients and to rescue them from the
broiler at the right time.
Begin
by preparing the asparagus. I use about 1/2 to 2/3
of a bunch for two people; a whole bunch would feed
four. Wash well, and snap the stems off where they
break naturally. Discard the woody lower portions.
They can go in the compost or help contribute to
vegetable stock later. (Alternatively, use can use
a vegetable peeler on the bases of the stocks - no
waste, but more trouble. )
Slice
about half of a medium-sized red or white onion and
separate the rings.
Quarter
two or three tomatoes, leaving the skins on but
removing the hard stem end.
Cover
a cookie sheet or baking tray with aluminum foil.
Arrange the asparagus on the tray, using onion
rings to cover the tips. Arrange tomato quarters
around the outside, leaving the bottoms of the
asparagus stalks exposed. Drizzle liberally with
olive oil and a modest amount of balsamic vinegar.
Cook under a broiler (we use a toaster oven), for
about 30 minutes or until the onions begin to brown
around the edges and the tomatoes are
soft.
Good
accompaniments for this dish are a mixture of brown
rice and wild rice (shown in photo), or pasta in a
simple creamy sauce. Simple dinner rolls also serve
well.
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