Green green spring vegetables

It’s definitely starting to look like spring around here. Some proof from my backyard, bonus points if you can identify these:

I am trying to make the most of asparagus while it’s still in season. I was flipping through Barefoot Contessa at Home and noticed a recipe for green green spring vegetables that includes asparagus. It sounded like a perfect side dish, and I set out to make it.

This is a very simple recipe – asparagus, french green beans, broccolini and sugar snap peas are lightly blanched in salted water. Am I the only person out there that actually thinks it’s fun to blanch vegetables? It’s a foolproof method to end up with vibrantly colored and perfectly cooked vegetables. Some shallots are thinly sliced and browned in a combination of butter and olive oil, and the vegetables are added to the pan to warm through.

As usual, I didn’t use all the butter that was called for. If you cut the fat like I did, it makes for a very healthy and beautiful side dish. I think you could use other combinations of green vegetables and still end up with a great result.