by Justine Connelly

I have a love/hate relationship with asparagus. Seeing it in the spring in farmers’ markets is pure love: with the first site of the modest green Ontario stalk (as opposed to those Chernoble-like winter staples from Peru) I begin to think of all the recipes and methods of cooking that love this versatile veggie right back. You can grill salted, olive oil drizzled spears and top them with almost anything under the sun for a warm or patio-temperature salad; you can slice them on a mandolin and add them to pasta at the end of cooking to lighten your linguine dinner; you can blanch them to serve in a shot glass of vinaigrette as a simple, chic hors d’oeuvre. When they’re at their peak, you can even eat them raw as crudités.

Hate — or aversion, really — comes by mid-July, generally for two reasons. 1) I’ve had my fill: Everyone and their mother has most likely been serving asparagus at every dinner party for the last two months and 2) I’m sick of otherwise perfectly enjoyable wines tasting like a soggy bag of cut lawn (asparagus is notoriously difficult to pair).

But until then, I’m game for eating my fill of the old ways and inviting in some new flavours. For the new, I asked a friend who’s a professional at this sort of thing. Nicole Kruzick of Belly (a catering company and Parkdale cafe) suggested making a soup that can be served either warm (on a cool spring evening) or chilled (for aforementioned patio). Plus, she killed the second bird, suggesting two whites that would be kind to her soup and her guests alike.

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Roasted Garlic Gremolata

From Belly Catering’s Nicole Kruzick

Serves: a crowd

approx. 14 cups or 5 pounds chopped asparagus
2 cups chopped shallots
2 cups chopped leeks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
4 teaspoons lemon zest
1 clove roasted garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, add chopped asparagus, leeks and shallots. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast vegetables on rimmed baking trays until asparagus pieces are soft and the shallots and leeks are golden. Flip occasionally, approx. 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Puree soup in batches by adding equal parts vegetables and stock in a blender. Blend until smooth and transfer to a stock pot. Warm soup over medium heat, thinning with more broth by 1/2 cupfuls. Do so until desired thickness is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the Herb Gremolata...

Finely chop parsley and set aside. With a mortar and pestle, blend zest lemon and roasted garlic. Remove from bowl and toss with parsley.

Sprinkle Soup with gremolata and serve.

Note: Soup can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept chilled in the refrigerator. Soup could also be served chilled.

Alternate garnish options:

Parmesan cheese crisp
Crostini or croutons
Dollop of crème fraiche

Now, the wine

The (relative) splurge:

Ontario’s Status Vineyards 2006 Wildass White has badass flavour to stand up to this occasionally stubborn veggie. The wine is made up of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. Fresh tasting yet rich, it’s actually supposed to taste a wee bit grassy, matching nicely with asparagus. ($19.96)

The (relative) steal:

Nicole spoke with Erik Sjoholm, key account manager at Foster’s Wine Estates Canada. Sjoholm suggests Pinot Grigio from the California Collection by Beringer. Added bonus: This wine arrived at the LCBO just this past weekend, so consider yourselves the first to know. ($9.95)

Aside from soup, Nicole makes one of the best lattes I’ve ever had. No grande in a venti, half-fat, half-sweet, one-pump-or-two concoctions here. Just perfectly steamy, airy milk with high-quality, rich, never-bitter espresso. Visit Belly at 1574 Queen Street West.