Asparagus and Egg with Bacon Vinaigrette

When I think of spring in Portland, I think of farmer's markets, and when I think of the first farmer's markets in Portland, I think of asparagus.

Asparagus on the window sill

And then I get to thinking... what can I make with asparagus besides its delectable self, roasted in the oven with olive oil and salt?  Despite how much I relish roasted asparagus, I need a few more recipes up my sleeve.  And really good recipes, because spring comes around every year, and every year, I want to make sumptuous and delightful meals with asparagus.

So I typed "asparagus" into foodgawker's search bar.  And stumbled upon this food blog?  Feasting at Home.  It is so delicious I could stay there all day.  And best of all for a Portlandia person like myself, is that this amazing blogger is from Spokane, Washington, so she lives in my neck of the woods.  What is in season for her is in season for me.  This is the sort of thing that gets a gal like me excited!

She has a beautiful recipe that involved asparagus, egg and bacon... hello??  Who wouldn't like that.

Slap an egg on it!

Asparagus and Egg with Bacon Vinaigrette

Adapted from the already mentioned Feasting at Home recipe

Ingredients

• asparagus
• egg - poached (or fried)
• hearty bread

For the vinaigrette:

• splash of olive oil to cook the onion
• 1/4 cup finely diced shallot or onion
• 1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• splash of balsamic

Directions:

1) Trim the asparagus, then cut them in half, about 4 inches each.  Cut up your bread, drizzle both the asparagus and the bread with olive oil, salt and lemon zest and pop it in an oven at approximately 400 degrees and roast for 10 minutes. (I didn't do the lemon zest)

2) Poach or fry your egg.  For poaching instructions, go back to here.

3) To make the bacon vinaigrette (Slyvia's words) 

To make the vinaigrette, sauté a quarter cup of finely diced shallot or onion in some olive oil. Add 1/3 C crumbled cooked bacon. Let it warm up for about 1 minute. Whisk in a teaspoon of whole grain mustard and a small splash of balsamic.

4) Once everything is cooked, plate up.  I spread a sneaky layer of dijon mustard on my toast.

Then I built a row of asparagus, and topped it with some vinaigrette

Then I continued to build the second row of asparagus, added the egg, topped it with more vinaigrette, and BOOM!

This was delicious!