Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Chive Butter

Prepare the Lemon Chive Butter.

Take 1 spear and starting at the base and working toward the tip, bend the asparagus spear several times until you find a place where it breaks easily; snap off at the point. Lay this spear down on a cutting board to be a guide for cutting the other spears. Place the rest of the spears along side to slice an equal amount off the bottom. Wash the asparagus. Drain well on paper towels. If you like, use a vegetable peeler to scrape off the scales from the asparagus.

Line a shallow baking pan with foil. (Note:The foil avoids a messy cleanup.) Place asparagus in a large zipper-style plastic storage bag. Add oil and garlic. Seal the bag. Lay the bag down on the counter and working from the outside of the bag roll the asparagus with your fingers to massage the seasonings onto the spears.

Place the asparagus spears on the prepared pan. Drizzle oil in the bag over the spears. Bake, uncovered, in a 425 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. (Note: Avoid overcooking. It should be tender but have crispness. Asparagus retains its rich, bright green color when roasted in the oven.)

To serve, transfer to a serving platter. Cut the Lemon Chive butter into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place desired number of slices of butter on top of asparagus. (Note: Roll up and refrigerate or freeze remaining butter for use another time. The butter can be used on baked or grilled fish or chicken or vegetables.) Makes 6 to 8 servings.