By LORRAINE BARNETT Special to The Gazette

Welcome to the Common Sense Kitchen. It’s time to reach for your coffee mug, pencil and notepad. Today’s recipe will only fill a single piece of note paper. That’s because it has only two ingredients. The main ingredient is a fresh spring vegetable that’s only available at this time of year. Mmm, roasted asparagus.

My inspiration One year ago I was taking leisurely (and sometimes not-so-leisurely) strolls in a little German village, often to walk off food. And more food. You see, the trip was a celebration for my aunt and uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. But the trip also was a blessed occasion for my mom, sisters, nephew and I to spend time together where our mom grew up. Each day was filled with stories and memories, chats, family, neighbors, picture-taking, walks and always more food. Sensational food. But, somehow, I remember the asparagus.

It was served as a main dish. The asparagus arrived at our restaurant brunch on a silver platter— long, elegant white spears from tip to stem, clustered and thickly coated with creamy yellow hollandaise sauce, every bite delicious. Another platter was served. And another. We raved over it, and took an extra long walk in the villages of Breddorf and Hanstedt that evening.

About asparagus

Asparagus is a fresh spring perennial vegetable that naturally grows back year after year (sauce unfortunately not included). In fact, asparagus, according to the Ohio State University Extension Service, may be productive in the soil for about 15 years. Asparagus is a member of the lily family (related to garlic and onions without the taste) and can be served so many ways. Raw and chopped in salads, steamed, sautéed, in casseroles, in a soup, as a vichyssoise, roasted and, of course, as a main dish with lots of rich, creamy delicious sauce (recommended on occasion).

Do you tend to cook the same recipes over and over? If so, you may be missing out on new tastes. When a vegetable or dish is cooked in a different method, the food may taste completely different. I’m thinking of canned asparagus. Mush, really. It has its place, but the texture and taste is nothing at all like a bite of fresh-from-the-garden raw asparagus. And roasted asparagus has no comparison to raw or canned. Roasted asparagus with sea salt has a blend of sweet, salty and savory with a bit of roasted crunch.

What about white asparagus? According to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, white asparagus is grown more readily in Germany and the Netherlands. White asparagus is the same plant as green asparagus. The difference is sunlight. White asparagus is grown under the ground in the darkness which blocks out the chance for chlorophyll to change the spears to green. Here in the states, white asparagus is more unusual and harder to find, and it is said to be a bit sweeter than green spears.

Purple asparagus is indeed a different variety. The MAAB reports that the purple variety such as “Purple Passion” or “Pacific Purple” are bred for the color, but once the spears are cooked they turn to green.

Roasted Asparagus (Makes 2 servings) Ingredients 10 spears fresh asparagus 2 teaspoons light olive or canola oil Pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat each spear of asparagus with oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Using a shallow glass dish or stainless steel cookie sheet (don’t use aluminum), layer the spears singly. Roast in hot oven for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove and cool slightly. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Note: For a formal dinner, you may wish to cut the tough lower bottom of the asparagus off and peel the skin half way up the spear to eliminate the string.

Serving suggestions: Roasted asparagus teams well with most fish like salmon, tuna and other seafood. Also try chicken, pork and beef. For salads, cut in bite-sized pieces and toss in. Try raw asparagus with a vegetable dip.

Did you know that sea salt has no chemical additives, it’s natural and has less sodium? Consider a pinch of salt to be less than 1/8 teaspoon.

Nutrition information per serving: calories 56, total fat 4 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 70 mg, dietary fiber 2 g

Canned asparagus Nutrition information per serving: calories 20, total fat 0 g, cholesterol 0 g, sodium 430 mg, dietary fiber 1g