I made my first visit to the Racine Farmers' Market last weekend. If you’re a regular, you already know how fun it is to discover what treasures the market holds each week. If you’re new to the market, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the variety of goods and the neighborly vibe.
The star of the market last weekend was the plump and perky asparagus. My go-to method for asparagus is roasting. Toss the spears with olive oil, salt & pepper, throw them into a hot oven, and the asparagus gets an irresistible roasted flavor. Adding a bit of toasted sesame oil is a great way to add another layer of flavor.
I enjoyed sesame roasted asparagus for lunch this week over herbed rice. I used the chilled leftover roasted spears in a salad with tender romaine – also fresh from the Farmers' Market – tossed with orange-balsamic vinaigrette. I'm hoping to find asparagus again this weekend at the Market.
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You can visit the Racine Farmers' Market every Saturday (through October) from 8 a.m. – noon in the Case Corp. parking lot at State and Erie Streets. In addition, you can find the Farmers' Market at Elmwood Plaza (Durand Ave.) on Tuesday mornings (8 a.m. – noon). The Market also has a West Racine location (SW corner of Washington & West Blvd) on Wednesday afternoons (1 – 5 p.m.) and Friday mornings (8 a.m. – noon). Here’s a link to the Farm Fresh Atlas of SE Wisconsin for a listing of all Farmers' Market in the area.
Sesame Roasted Asparagus
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- 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Toasted sesame seeds, optional garnish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Trim off the woody ends from the asparagus. Cut the spears into about 1.5-inch lengths. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven, shaking the pan occasionally to turn the asparagus, for 10 to 15 minutes or until asparagus is browned to your liking. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition facts per serving: 50 calories, 3 g protein, 3 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 77 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
