Grilled Asparagus with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

The city of Halifax, Nova Scotia has 283,000 people however, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) swells to 403,188 to include Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Lower Sackville, Cole Harbour.   For such a small city we are blessed to have attracted a slew of quality restaurateurs where the owners and chefs happily promote locally grown produce.  Many also promote Nova Scotian wineries which have garnered international acclaim.   The Winery Association of Nova Scotia was formed in 2002 to represent the interests of wine producers in Nova Scotia, to serve as a voice for local industry and to promote the growth and development of Nova Scotia wines.  This recipe is by Chef Craig Flinn co-owner of Chives Canadian Bistro.  Chives is a favorite of ours and Chef Flinn has 3 best-selling cookbooks; Fresh and Local (Straight from Canadian farms to your table),  Fresh Canadian Bistro (Top Canadian chefs share their favorite recipes), and Fresh and Frugal (Easy and affordable recipes for market-fresh local foods).  Click here to view or order Chef Flinn’s books.

Serves 4 – 6
adapted from Fresh & Local

1kg (2 lbs.) asparagus
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup (125ml) sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (see below)
fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
1/2 cup (125ml) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 cup (250ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat stovetop grill or barbecue on high.  Clean asparagus and remove woody bottoms of the stems, then toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper.  It is important that the asparagus is kissed with the oil but not drowning in it, as that will cause flare-ups.  Grill asparagus for 5 to 6 minutes, turning constantly while grilling.

To serve, set asparagus on a platter and drizzle with 6 oz. (180ml) of the tomato vinaigrette and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Vinaigrette:  Drain any excess oil from the tomatoes and pulse in a
food processor.  Add shallot, garlic, vinegar, basil, salt, sugar and hot sauce and purée on high until smooth.  Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream until vinaigrette emulsifies.  Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a month.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  If using dried tomatoes, soak in water to soften however, I enjoy the flavor more of those packed in oil.  You can also use an immersion hand blender like I did and the end result is a more rustic sauce.

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