By April broke right this year. No late blizzard, no mud that swallowed fence posts — just a clean, honest thaw that came in stages the way good things are supposed to. By the middle of the month the ground had softened enough that I could dig without the spade bouncing back at me, and the asparagus crowns were already sending up their first pale spears along the east fence. I harvested about a dozen, sautéed them in butter with a little salt, and ate them standing at the stove because they seemed too seasonal to wait for a plate and a chair.
Tom got his author's copies of the mule book this week. He called me on a Tuesday evening, voice doing something I hadn't heard it do before — a kind of giddy disbelief, like he'd been told something wonderful and still wasn't sure it was meant for him. "It's a real book, Ryan," he said. "You can drop it on a table and it makes a sound." I told him that was the best review he was going to get. He laughed until he coughed.
I've been working on the book proposal in the early mornings before chores. The Bozeman press that published Tom's book reached out after reading the piece I wrote for the farrier journal last fall, and they want to see a formal proposal. I've been calling it "What the Seasons Do" in my head for a while now — essays about ranch life, cooking through the calendar, the way a year shapes you if you let it. I don't know if that's a book or just a long letter to myself, but I keep writing it either way.
Patrick has been doing well this month. His physical therapist Donna switched his exercises to focus more on core stability, which has helped his balance on uneven ground. He still won't use the walking stick I bought him, but he's been leaning against the pasture fence instead of fighting it, which I'll count as progress. He watched me work the young quarter horse gelding yesterday afternoon, arms folded over the top rail, and at one point he said "your timing's gotten better." He meant it as a compliment. I took it as one.
The asparagus season is short — maybe three weeks before the ferns shoot up and you have to let it go. I always make something simple in the middle of it. Pasta with brown butter, a handful of the spears just barely cooked, maybe some lemon zest and good parmesan. It tastes like the part of spring you can't bottle.
That last paragraph I wrote — about pasta with brown butter and lemon zest — was already in my head before I even came inside to clean the spade. But on a Wednesday evening with chores still half done and Tom’s good news still ringing in my ears, I wanted something even simpler, something that let the asparagus speak without much fussing over it. Roasting does that. It concentrates what’s already there, and the tomatoes add just enough brightness to remind you it’s spring and not just the absence of winter. This is the kind of recipe that earns its place in the calendar.
Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Prep the vegetables. Arrange the trimmed asparagus spears in a single layer on the baking sheet. Scatter the halved tomatoes evenly around and over the asparagus.
- Season. Drizzle the olive oil over everything, then scatter the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) across the top. Toss gently to coat, then spread back into a single layer.
- Roast. Transfer to the oven and roast for 18—22 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and lightly charred at the tips and the tomatoes have softened and begun to burst.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and immediately squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Scatter the lemon zest and Parmesan over everything. Serve warm, straight from the pan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 110 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 280mg