Here is a quick and easy side dish, perfect for outdoor grilling but can also be pan roasted. A quick marinade gives the asparagus flavor while the grill is pre-heating. A roasting rack would be best to use, as asparagus could easily fall through the grates of the grill.

There is also a skewering technique for asparagus, though it is labor intensive. Keep asparagus whole and skewer both ends. Continue adding asparagus to the skewers until a “raft” is formed with the asparagus. This will prevent the asparagus from falling through the grill grates.

To remove the woody or tough ends of the asparagus, simply grasp the asparagus lightly and bend the stalk. The asparagus will naturally snap where the woody stem ends. At first, it will seem like you are snapping a large amount off of the asparagus, but keep this in mind: it is the tough end that you do not want to eat!

Balsamic Grilled Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, tough ends removed (see above for instructions)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
generous pinch of salt
cracked black pepper, to taste

Place prepared asparagus in a large ziplock bag. Add remaining ingredients and seal bag. Toss to coat asparagus and let marinade 15-20 minutes. Spread asparagus on grill rack in an even layer and grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Remaining marinade can be used to season meat on the grill, if desired.

If roasting: Preheat oven to 400F and combine all ingredients on a baking sheet. Spread asparagus in an even layer and bake 10-15 minutes, until crisp-tender.

For the first recipe in the Veggie Tales special project, here is a easy to make dish that shows that vegetables can be simple without being bland or boring. This is a great dish to prepare and then roast in the oven while making the rest of the meal. Because the vegetables are so substantial, there is little need to serve with more than an entree, such as chicken, fish, or steak. The wonderful thing about vegetables is that they, quite literally, go with any main dish.

Substitute any available vegetable; the key in roasting the vegetables is to prepare them so they are all roughly the same size and will cook at the same rate. In colder months, use root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips) rather than summer vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, peppers). Other spring and summer vegetables, such as asparagus or green beans, would be good in this dish as well.

Rustic Roasted Vegetables

2 aubergine (baby eggplant) or 1 large eggplant
3 medium zucchini
2 sweet bell peppers, such as red, yellow, or orange
1/2 large sweet onion
1/2 lb baby bella mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
zest of 1 lemon
olive oil
flat-leaf parsley, minced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray (or olive oil).

To prepare eggplant, remove cap and stem, then halve lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Repeat with zucchini. For peppers, cut into 2-inch wide strips. Place cut side of onion on board and cut in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise into pieces about 2 inches wide. Rinse mushrooms under lukewarm water and halve any large mushrooms.

In prepared 13×9 baking dish, toss prepared vegetables with garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil. Use enough olive oil so that vegetables are lightly coated. Add minced parsley, if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until vegetables have cooked through and are crisp-tender (or to desired tenderness). If pan dries out, add additional olive oil or water as needed.

Here is a photo progression of the rhubarb plants, from when they first sprouted in early spring through last weekend, where the stalks are starting to look big enough to harvest:

Above: Rhubard sprouts start to arrive in the spring.

Above: The first plant, leaves unfolding and beginning to grow.

Above: Second plant, getting bigger.

Above: The third plant, he’s just a little guy.

Above: The plants continue to grow.

Above: Big plants, spreading out and growing fast!

Above: Plenty of stalks growing tall.

Above: Stalks are getting red, hopefully will be ready to harvest soon!

Welcome to Garden Views, a new blog on the Misunderstood Eggplant devoted to my outdoor adventures in the garden. This will largely be a photo-blog, with pictures to chronicle the growth and progression of the plants within the garden.

I also hope to include some creative writings based on the garden and the plants. This will be a slight departure from some of the other blog postings, but will tie in nicely with the new Veggie Tales special project (which focuses on recipes made from vegetables from the farmer’s market and the garden).

Fortunately, the previous owners of our house had planted rhubarb, which returned this spring. We used this as the start of the garden and expanded from there.

Here are some pictures taken from the ground breaking of the garden and the first couple weeks of growth:  

Above: My nifty sign and garden gnome.

Above: Pathway of red stones.

Above: Finished ground-breaking with fence.

Above: Pathway stones to the garden.

It’s May and it’s high time for a Special Project. Let me introduce a Special Project that will (hopefully) run all summer long: Veggie Tales.

Veggie Tales will include fantastic vegetable recipes made from produce found at the farmer’s market or from my own garden (once things start growing). These recipes will also include fruits and mushrooms, which for arguments’ sake will be part of the special project, and to avoid any fruit-or-vegetable debates.

While the recipes may be simple, the goal of this project is to showcase the vegetables as more than a mere side dish. In many cases, the vegetables will be presented in a way as close to their natural, off the vine form. Also part of this special project will be information on certain produce, including how to prepare and flavor profiles for popular vegetables.

So, please join me as we explore the market and the garden during Veggie Tales! New recipes coming soon and continuing on for the summer!