A Good Read and a Recipe

I thought it was the dumbest thing I ever had to do! Becoming a different person even for a week was a joke, I told myself as I stood in the meeting room of the Litchfield Historical Society in Litchfield, Connecticut. Looking at the small paper cards with large black names boldly printed on them, I froze. Most of the other students in Mr. Cappella's class had already taken one, and I scanned the names again. The voice of the museum's Education Coordinator, Mrs. Burke, echoed in my head. "Just read the names, not the information on the card. Let the name tell you which one to pick. Make it a gut reaction."

Smoked Asparagus

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 1 1/2 pounds asparagus 

• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
•  2 tablespoons lemon juice
   
• salt to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

**  1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

• PREP
  20 mins
• COOK
  1 hr
• READY IN
  1 hr 20 mins

Directions

1. Place the charcoal into the bottom pan of the smoker. Light the coals and wait for the temperature of the smoker to come to 240 degrees F (115 degrees C).
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the garlic and cook over low heat until just tender. Remove from the heat and mix in the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
3. Arrange the onions in the bottom of a large cast iron skillet or heat-resistant glass container. Spread asparagus spears over the onions. Drizzle the butter and garlic mixture over the asparagus. Place the uncovered skillet or baking dish on the top grate of the preheated smoker.
4. Close the smoker and cook the asparagus until tender, about 1 hour
   
   ** If you don't have a smoker, you can  do this in the oven. Just add: 1/4 cup water and 1 and 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke flavoring to the butter/garlic mixture and stir well.
   
   Set oven to 240 degrees and place onion slices and asparagus in a covered casserole sprayed with Pam.
   
   Sprinkle with the butter/garlic/Liquid Smoke/ water.
   
   Cover and bake for about an hour, or until asparagus is tender.