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Recipe by:
Annie Somerville, Executive Chef at Greens in San Francisco
Courtesy of Sustainable Table ® Ingredients:
1 pound thick locally-grown asparagus spears, woody ends removed
Light olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch watercress
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette (see below)
1 small wedge Bellwether Pecorino Pepato cheese
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon, minced
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons light olive oil
Makes about a cup Directions:
1. Prepare the charcoal grill.
2. Parboil the asparagus in lightly salted water for a minute or two, until just tender. Drain and run under cool water. Brush the asparagus lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over a medium-hot fire for about 5 minutes, turning the asparagus until the skin is slightly charred and the spears tender.
3. Wash the watercress, dry it in a spinner, and arrange it on a platter. Place the grilled asparagus on the watercress; drizzle with vinaigrette. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Pecorino Pepato over the asparagus and serve.
Combine everything but the oil in a small bowl. Then drizzle the oil in and whisk. Whisk in a little mustard if you’re using ordinary lemons. Other Options:
Annie Somerville, Executive Chef at Greens in San Francisco Tips:
Wine pairing: Alsatian Riesling or Gewürztraminer. Look for wines from Zind Humbrecht, Leon Beyer, or Roland Schmidt. Another option would be a big, rich Chardonnay like those from Kistler, Forman, or Kalin. Bellwether Pecorino Pepato is a wonderful sheep’s milk cheese made by the Callahan family in Sonoma County. It is particularly delicious shaved over freshly grilled asparagus. If you are short on time, you can grill the asparagus without parboiling it; just keep an eye on the coals to be sure it is tender and not overly charred. Notes:
Reprinted with permission from Cooking Fresh from the Bay Area (Eating Fresh Publications 2004) Recipe Number 53 added on 2006-10-05
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