white asparagus wrapped in japanese eggplant

white asparagus wrapped in japanese eggplant
with a chiffonade of shiso
served over mizuna
spicy lemon miso dressing
blistered shishito peppers and grape tomatoes

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, a fabulous monthly event for “sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.”

The 5 Star Makeover theme for April is a special seasonal ingredient, White Asparagus.

“For a brief two weeks at the end of April, the prized white asparagus is in season. In Germany, this mini-season is celebrated with a mania not to be missed, and every restaurant in on the tradition offers a special menu, called a Spargel Karte. These menus include anywhere from three to thirteen courses, all featuring the tender, sweet, white asparagus. Typical classic dishes include a white asparagus with Hollandaise sauce or a white asparagus soup. We invite you to think outside the box to create a unique gourmet dish featuring white asparagus.”

white asparagus

trim the tough stems, peel entire stalk with a vegetable peeler

boil in salted water, 8 to 10 minutes until tender, plunge in an ice bath, dry on paper towels

thinly slice japanese eggplant lengthwise on a mandoline
overlap eggplant slices, top with about 5 asparagus spears
season with salt and pepper

roll the eggplant around the spears, secure with a toothpick, trim off extra eggplant

heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat
add a drizzle of olive oil, then add asparagus bundles

turn asparagus bundles to brown all sides, add more olive oil as needed
remove to paper towel when all sides are browned, remove toothpicks

prepare a chiffonade of perilla (japanese shiso)
a member of the mint family, this herb adds a refreshing bright note to the dish

grill shishito peppers

grill grape tomatoes until lightly charred

place asparagus bundles over mizuna
a member of the mustard family, mizuna adds a peppery flavor and a beautiful feathery component

spicy lemon miso dressing

• 3 T. lemon juice
• 2 t. white miso paste
• 1 1/2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 t. aji amarillo paste (or other chile paste)
• 4 T. grape seed oil

blend all ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor

drizzle lemon miso dressing around asparagus bundles
top with a chiffonade of perilla

serve with blistered shishito peppers and grape tomatoes

thank you to natasha and lazaro for including
Taste With The Eyes
in the
5 star makeover cooking group

visit 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks! to experience all the fabulous white asparagus creations