Asparagus season peaks in April and May, and there is probably no better way to showcase the beautiful stalks’ flavor than with Bryant Terry’s Shaved Asparagus Salad. The recipe, featured in Terry’s new cookbook, “Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes” (Ten Speed Press; $30), is quick and easy. You’ll need a mandoline or peeler to slice the asparagus into strips that soak up the lemony dressing.
Missed asparagus season? Terry, chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, says any shave-able vegetables will work, including beets, radishes and fennel.
Chef Bryant Terry’s Shaved Asparagus Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
¼ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced shallot
¼ teaspoon whole-grain mustard
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon raw cane sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
6 tablespoons walnut oil
Freshly ground white pepper
2 pounds large asparagus
1 Eureka lemon, cut in half
1 teaspoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and finely grated with a Microplane
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Directions
In a blender, combine the Meyer lemon juice, shallot, mustard, garlic, sugar and ½ teaspoon of the salt. With the blender running, slowly pour in the walnut oil through the hole in the lid. Taste the dressing and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long, thin strips and transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon salt over the asparagus, then squeeze the juice from the Eureka lemon over the top. Toss gently to combine.
Add enough of the dressing to lightly coat the asparagus, drizzling it around the rim of the bowl to allow it to sink to the bottom. Gently toss to coat. Garnish with the lemon zest, grated walnuts and dill, and serve.
— Bryant Terry, “Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes” (Ten Speed Press; $30)