Grilled Asparagus with Black Olive Soil

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Yield: 4-6 servings

Chef Siobhan Detkavich is cooking for… Capricorn! So… what does an Earth Sign with a ruling planet of Saturn eat? Asparagus is often the first gift of the earth that we see post-winter. The perfect thing to cook for an Earth-sign like Capricorn! We double down on the Earth theme by pair grilled and chilled asparagus with a salty Black Olive Soil!

Ingredients:

Black Olive Soil:

• 2 cups pitted Kalamata olives

Grilled & Chilled Asparagus:

• 2 bunches green asparagus, woody ends removed, gently peeled on the tail end
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small red onion, thick rounds
• 1 lemon, juice
• Crumbled goat feta

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
• ¼ cup (60 ml) white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 cup (240 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method:

For the Olive Soil:

Place pitted olives on a dehydrator tray and dry for 16 hours at 150 F (65 C), until mostly but not completely dried (about ¾ of the way). Alternatively, place the olives on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and place in an oven set to its lowest setting, checking every 12-15 hours.

Remove, and let olives sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Briefly pulse (no more than 30 seconds) the dried olives in a food processor in batches until a coarse ‘soil’ texture is achieved. Reserve at room temperature for serving.

For the Grilled & Chilled Asparagus:

Preheat grill to high heat.

In a bowl, toss the asparagus in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle red onion with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

Grill asparagus and onion until charred, but still crunchy, 2-3 minutes, flipping once.

Transfer red onion to bowl and spritz with lemon. Cover and steam for a few minutes.  Reserve at room temperature for plating.

Refrigerate asparagus until needed, minimum 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes before serving.

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

In a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice and zest, garlic, honey, vinegar, both mustards, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Refrigerate until needed.

To Assemble:

On a small tray, gently toss the Grilled & Chilled Asparagus in a drizzle of the Lemon Vinaigrette. Keep all the spears facing the same direction for plating.

Transfer the dressed asparagus to a chilled serving plate. Drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the top.

Add Black Olive Soil at the base of the asparagus and sprinkle directly over the top.

Sprinkle crumbled goat feta and rings of red onion over the asparagus

Serve immediately.