Recipe from Sherry Blum

In the early 2000s, Sherry, my sister, reached out to family and friends with an idea of gathering a collection of recipes. She is an inspiration for creativity, a role model for her hard work ethic, and always strives for perfection. She created and shared two editions of the family and friends cookbook collections. 

One of the favorite recipes in the collection is The Asparagus Orange Salad. It’s flavorful and perfect for potlucks. This salad is a regular feature at holiday meals, and it’s my preferred way to gussy up a vegetable platter. The vibrant green of the parboiled asparagus paired with the bright orange segments creates a visually stunning dish. 

I associate this salad with a Wilkes family Thanksgiving, or as Annie, my daughter calls it, “The feast of a thousand beasts”. The year I graduated from desserts to side dishes I was asked to bring salad. Easy peezy,  right? Hummmm…not exactly. It was a potential land mine. For many of the  Wilkes, their idea of a salad is; ice berg lettuce, tomatoes and thousand island dressing. But on the other hand there is Veekee, who is a consummate cook and many cousins who have an elevated sense of adventure when trying new dishes. What to do? Dial it in, with the safe bet or take a chance and bring something more unique?

I decided on unique, my choice would be this Asparagus Orange Salad. It is always well received, plates up beautifully and tastes delicious. It’s a perfect choice for preparing ahead of time, when every inch of counter space is taken by an uncarved turkey, stuffing, veggies and desserts. Remembering that the salad would need to be large enough to feed the 50+ person gathering. I multiplied the recipe 5 times, prepped it, and laid it out on a huge platter. Every bit was eaten and the dish was scrapped clean. I gained credibility with my off beat salad and now the ice burg lettuce crowd is willing to step a out of their comfort zone. There is a willingness to try the new and that makes me happy. 

Ingredients

• 1 Lb. Fresh Asparagus, trimmed and ready to cook
• ½ t Salt
• 1 Large Orange, segmented (cut from individual segments) or a small can of mandarin 
• ¼ C Sweet chili sauce (Thai kitchen brand)
• 2 T Fresh lemon juice
• 2 t Soy sauce
• 2 t Sesame oil

Directions

• Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large skillet or wide saucepan.
• Trim off the tough ends of the asparagus.  
• Add salt to the boiling water and stir, then add asparagus. Cook until tender, about 2 – 3 minutes. 
• Drain and place into a cold water bath.  
• Drain and pat dry.
• Segment the orange sections and reserve the juice.
• Make the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together.  Just before serving, pour dressing over asparagus, stir lightly to coat—place on serving platter and top with orange segments.