This Simple Dinner Is Based on Asparagus

"Greg Swartz, an owner of Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus, Pa., said that his asparagus harvest had been about 20 percent of what it normally is for this time of year. Asparagus is a soil thermometer, he said. You can tell the soil is cold it is by how slowly it's growing."

"There are two ways I approach roasting asparagus alongside a protein. The first is to choose a protein that will roast in the same amount of time as the stalks—usually 10 to 20 minutes depending on how high the heat is and how thick the spears are. This works best for relatively speedy ingredients like fish, meatballs and sausages."

"For this recipe, I begin by roasting a seasoned, cut chicken on a sheet pan by itself. This gives me time to trim the asparagus and slice up some scallions, which I add to the pan after 15 minutes. Piling the whole bunch of asparagus into a mound next to the chicken lets me fit everything on one pan."

A cold spring in the Northeast delayed asparagus season, with farmers reporting substantially reduced harvests. Asparagus is particularly sensitive to soil temperature, serving as a natural indicator of growing conditions. One organic farm owner noted his harvest was only 20 percent of normal for the time of year. This scarcity prompted more intentional cooking methods rather than typical early May consumption patterns. Sheet pan roasting emerged as an efficient approach, combining asparagus with proteins like chicken. The technique involves timing considerations: faster-cooking proteins like fish and sausages roast alongside asparagus in 10-20 minutes, while slower proteins like bone-in chicken require a head start before adding vegetables to the pan.

Read at cooking.nytimes.com