Botanical Lattice with Asparagus (Print)

Crisp asparagus woven into a lattice with fresh berries nestled in each square, perfect for spring.

# Ingredients:

→ Vegetables & Herbs

01 - 16 medium asparagus stalks, trimmed
02 - 16 fresh chive stems, long

→ Fruits

03 - 1/2 cup blueberries
04 - 1/2 cup raspberries
05 - 1/2 cup small strawberries, halved if large
06 - 1/2 cup golden berries, halved if large

→ Seasoning

07 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Instructions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just tender and bright green. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to cool, then pat dry.
02 - Dip chive stems in hot water for 5 seconds to soften. Then cool in ice water and pat dry.
03 - On a large platter or baking sheet, lay 8 asparagus stalks parallel and evenly spaced. Weave 8 more stalks perpendicularly over and under to form a grid.
04 - Tie chive stems gently around the crossing points of the asparagus lattice to hold the grid together.
05 - Nestle a mix of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and golden berries into the open squares of the lattice.
06 - Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and add black pepper just before serving.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when the whole thing comes together in under half an hour.
  • Every bite has the snap of fresh asparagus, the sweetness of fruit, and the way those chive ties give you something unexpected to bite through.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, but nobody will feel like they're missing anything.
02 -
  • The ice bath after blanching is non-negotiable—it stops the cooking and keeps that snap in the asparagus that makes this dish work.
  • If your chives are too short or break when you soften them, regular kitchen twine works, but the chive ties are part of what makes this feel special and tastes less like 'assembly' and more like 'art'.
  • This dish is meant to be eaten fresh, ideally within a couple of hours of assembly, when everything is at its crispest and the flavors haven't started to blur.
03 -
  • The chive ties aren't just decorative—they actually hold the lattice stable, but only if you blanch them properly. Undercooked chives are brittle; overcooked ones are limp.
  • If you're nervous about the weaving, practice it first with just the asparagus before the berries go in. A few seconds of setup saves the whole presentation.
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