By Kathryn Reed

Mushrooms – I could eat them every day, for every meal. Asparagus – one of the best vegetables to buy right now. Combine them, and, well, it’s a party for the palate.

This dish has lots of versatility. It can be served hot, at room temperature, as a salad, as a side and probably other ways.

While I roasted these, putting them on the barbecue would also work. I have a couple different devices I use when I don’t want to put veggies right on the grill – usually because they would fall right through.

Many grocery stores now carry a mix of wild mushrooms; this is what I used. They have a rich flavor compared to white button shrooms. Some of the ones I bought were big, so I cut them up before putting them on the baking sheet.

If you don’t have unsalted butter, just use what you have and don’t salt the veggies.

Putting the mix on a bed of arugula made it a meal for me. Doing so on a platter would make it great for serving if you are sharing with others. The arugula adds to the flavor because it is inherently spicy. Another green would work; your preference.

Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut in half

1 pound wild mushrooms

2 T olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

2 T unsalted butter

2 T fresh thyme leaves

1-2 C arugula (depends on how you are using it)

Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put foil on a rimmed baking sheet.

Place mushrooms and asparagus on sheet. Drizzle with oil olive and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.

Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring a couple times. Add butter and thyme. Toss, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Drizzle veggies with balsamic vinegar.

If using arugula, spread on a plate(s) or platter, then assemble veggies on top.