Sac Foodies

One of my all-time favorite vegetables is asparagus. I love it in salads, soups, pasta, wrapped in prosciutto…pretty much any way you can think of preparing it. If you love asparagus as much as I do, then head on over to Stockton this weekend for the Asparagus Festival. Beginning today through Sunday, you can see bands like Papa Doo Run Run and The Tubes (as well as other entertainment all day long) and, of course, eat your way through Asparagus Alley. According to the Asparagus Festival Web site, last year, more than 45,000 pounds of asparagus was consumed from deep-fried asparagus (45,000 orders), Asparagus Tri-tip Sandwiches (9,000 orders), Asparagus Burritos (4,000 orders), and pasta dishes (8,500 orders). Yum!

You can buy tickets online or at the festival.

Adults (18-59): $12.00
College Students with Proper ID: $7.00
Teens (11-17): $7.00
Children 10 & Under: FREE with paying adults
Seniors (60 and older) & Persons with Disabilities: $7.00

Following is my favorite way to prepare asparagus. It’s simple, delicious and pretty healthy too!

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Simply cut off the ends of the asparagus (maybe 2 inches), place in roasting pan, drizzle with extra virgin oil and add salt and pepper (maybe 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper). Toss well and roast for 17 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. That’s it! So simple and delicious and you don’t need mayo –it’s perfect on its own.

By Kim Bedwell