Asparagus Season

I love asparagus, it has a terrific flavour and is a very versatile ingredient, asparagus can be used for soup, salad, pasta dishes, roasted with speck or prosciutto, and eaten with yummy hollandaise sauce. No matter how you prepare it, enjoy it often during the short growing season we have in Ontario. Here is one really great way to make a memorable lunch or side dish salad.

Asparagus Hard Boiled Egg Salad

4-6 slices bacon cut into lardons
2 bunches 1-1/2 pounds each Asparagus, if you can get white asparagus, use 1 bunch of each
4 eggs, hard boiled
1/4 white onion, chopped fine, or 2 green onions sliced fine on the bias (slanted slices)
Dressing
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoon bacon dripping
Salt and pepper, to taste

Measure and mix the dressing in a small mason jar, add bacon dripping when finished cooking the bacon, shake well to mix, taste for salt and pepper. Cook bacon, drain on paper towel, reserve 2 tablespoons bacon dripping for the salad dressing, meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan fill with water, enough to cover eggs, bring water to boil, boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat let eggs stand for 10 minutes, drain, then rinse in cold water, this helps to loosen the shell, peel eggs, separate the whites from the yolks, set aside.
Cut the asparagus tips into 4-5 inch lengths,   (use the rest of the asparagus for soup or omelettes or pasta salad) wash well to loosen the sand, put into saucepan with salt and water, enough to cover, bring to boil, boil for 3 minutes, lower heat and simmer for another 2 minutes, asparagus should be crisp tender. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop cooking, drain again, dry asparagus off, set on serving plate, arrange the egg whites on one side and the egg yolk on the other side, sprinkle the bacon and green onions over top of asparagus, drizzle dressing over the salad, Enjoy!