Asparagus, Abell 2497, Black Holes

Denise of My Life in Retirement posted a picture of asparagus being sold in a European market. Not sure if it was in Holland or Belgium, but the price shown for green asparagus was €6 for 500 grams that converts to $8.68 Canadian for roughly 1 lb. The white asparagus was almost half that price. But in both cases more than I pay and for the green a heck of a lot more than I pay. I don't think I could afford to eat it at that price. I have only ever tried white asparagus once and didn't find it particularly enjoyable - much prefer the green. Although it is the same plant, they just cover it so it doesn't see the sun, the green (chlorophyll?) makes one heck of a difference in the taste. However, there are many people, particularly in Europe, that disagree with me. I understand they always serve it with a sauce whereas, in my opinion, the fresh green asparagus is fine without anything.

I just came across an article about black holes which basically states that they are not "dining" on hot

plasma as assumed but "cold clumpy clouds of gas" so that scientists will now have to revise their thinking about black holes. They have been observing Abell 2497 which is the brightest cluster galaxy and is, apparently, absolutely huge, as in ginormous. It is 1.2 billion light years away and 300,000 light years across. Canadian astronomers have been paying particular attention to this galaxy and it's black hole studying it with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile. It is theoretically visible from Canada, but you would need a real powerful telescope to see it. Coincidence the name of the galaxy is Abell, the name of the pest control people who have been working here is also Abel. Slightly different, but what the L. (Sorry). Anyway, if you are interested, it is fascinating reading.

This is more of a chicken recipe than asparagus, but it includes it so...

Chicken and Asparagus with Melted Gruyere

For this elegant dish, boneless chicken breast and asparagus are smothered in a luxurious white-wine sauce with just the right amount of melted Gruyère cheese. Tarragon and lemon add a delicious light flavor that is perfect with asparagus.

8 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1 1/4 pounds), trimmed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs canola oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tsp lemon juice
2/3 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and steam for 3 minutes. Uncover, remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Whisk broth and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

3. Place the remaining 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour, shaking off any excess.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adjusting heat as needed to prevent scorching. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

5. Add shallot, wine and the reserved broth mixture to the pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in sour cream, tarragon, lemon juice and the reserved asparagus until combined. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top of each piece of chicken, cover and continue cooking until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Servings: 4

Have a great day