Ye Olde Tavern Life

"The world's favorite season is the spring.

All things seem possible in May."- Edwin Way Teale

Asparagus salad with shallot vinaigrette

The acidity of this vinegary dressing is a foil for thinly sliced uncooked asparagus spears. Try to choose pencil-thin stalks, which are usually more tender than thicker stems.

2	shallots, thinly sliced
1/4	cup red wine vinegar
	Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4	cup olive oil
30	spears fresh asparagus
1/4	pound piece Parmesan cheese, chilled

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shallots and vinegar; set aside for 30 to 60 minutes minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.

2. Snap off and discard the woody bottoms of the asparagus stalks. Cut the spears on an extreme diagonal into 1/2-inch thick pieces.

3. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus with the shallot dressing. Arrange on a platter. With a vegetable peeler, shave off paper-thin slices of Parmesan to garnish the dish. Adapted from Max London's