Chilled Tamari Asparagus

Asparagus grows almost year-round in nearby Lompoc, and we eat it often. While it is great simply steamed and served with butter and lemon, it's also a great addition to stir-fries. Thinking of this recently, I decided to dress cooked asparagus with an Asian-inspired vinaigrette and serve it as a cold vegetable side to a salad of black rice and meyer lemon vinaigrette.

They looked really pretty on the plate together (much better than in my photographs!) and the asparagus was extra tasty.

Chilled Tamari Asparagus
1 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp grated ginger root
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Cook the asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain well, pat dry, and put in a large bowl. Whisk together the tamari, vegetable oil, vinegar, ginger root and cumin. Pour over the asparagus and gently toss to coat. Chill at least one hour. Drain before serving.

Serves 3-4