From Mostly Martha · 2001 · Reconstructed
Picnic Asparagus
Serve when
Plate the asparagus fanned out like the spokes on a wheel — the same 'starburst' arrangement the camera lingers on during the floor picnic.
In the movie
Theatrical
- ~01:36:40 Alongside the buttered noodles at the living-room floor picnic, a plate of asparagus spears is arranged fanned out in a starburst — the camera holds on the plating before anyone touches it.
It's a small, almost throwaway shot, but the film gives the asparagus its own beat — plated with the same care Martha gives a dish in her own restaurant, except here nobody's paying for it and nobody's grading it.
Ingredients
Method
- Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and peel the lower third of each spear if it's thick.
- Blanch in well-salted boiling water for 2–3 minutes until just tender and still bright green, then shock in ice water to stop the cooking.
- Toss the spears in olive oil or melted butter and season with salt.
- Arrange the spears fanned out from a center point, spoke-like, on a round plate.
- Finish with lemon zest and a few shavings of parmesan just before serving.