Roasted Asparagus

Springtime is asparagus season, so I’ve been on a big kick lately! There’s nothing like fresh asparagus — I especially love the thin, crunchy kind you can get at farmer’s market. They definitely beat the big, meaty, mass-produced stuff any time!

This is one of my absolute favourite ways to prepare asparagus. Generally speaking, roasting any vegetable tends to make its natural flavour even richer and deeper, and requires minimal effort. I find that this technique works especially well for asparagus, as it gives it a wonderful texture as well as enhancing its flavour. I also like that it is super quick and easy, so I can enjoy these on short notice or when I’m in a hurry.

In other news, I’ve signed up for a CSA share again this summer, this time with a friend, and I am so excited to start getting fresh local produce delivered to my home! If you’re not familiar with how Community Supported Agriculture works, read up on it here.

Simple Bruschetta

Bruschetta is such a wonderfully fresh dish. It’s a wonderful appetizer, or works well as a light lunch when paired with a bowl of soup or a filling salad. Juicy tomatoes, basil, olive oil, crusty bread, and garlic — I mean really, what more could you want?

Granted, January isn’t the ideal season for fresh tomatoes, especially if you’re under a few feet of snow. But what better way to relive the glorious summer days than to put this on the table? It may just tide you over until June.

Spanish Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip

My father got into his head over the holidays that it would be totally great and practical to invite friends over for a tapas night.

Now, I really like tapas. The idea of having lots of little fresh dishes to pick and choose from is seriously appealing. But making 10 dishes for as many people is kind of ridiculous.

Roasted Garlic

Garlic is outrageously delicious. I love it almost as much as I love olive oil — in fact, I came this close to naming my blog “Don’t Forget the Garlic.”

Roasted garlic may be even better than regular garlic, because it gets soft and loses its harshness (which a lot of people dislike — I am not one of those people). As the garlic roasts, it takes on a sweeter flavour, and is amazing as a spread or incorporated into other dishes.

Crunchy Hummus

I love hummus. To be honest, if I didn’t, my father might have disowned me by now — hummus runs thick through my half-Egyptian veins.

While my family has a traditional hummus recipe, it is less of a dip than it is a sauce. And although it is really, really good, sometimes I just want a thicker, dippable hummus. So, I make a recipe up!… sometimes accidentally.