Starfruit and Roasted Asparagus

I went to the West Side Market yesterday to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables (and also to eat crepes at the crepe stand). I ended up with asparagus, blueberries, pink lady apples, spinach, and starfruit.

Starfruit is so cool – when you cut it, it will end up in a star shape!  This is probably where the name came from. (Well, it only ends up in a star shape if you cut it properly. I’m sure it ends up in a more peculiar shape if you cut it lengthwise.) (Also, if you cut an apple perpendicular to its core, I think you get a star shape out of that, too!) I love the gorgeous green color. When I was young, it was always a treat for us to get starfruit – my mom would cut them up and sprinkle chaat masala on top of it. The fruit itself is slightly sweet, and the chaat masala made it into a savory snack. And of course, as a kid, I loved that it looked like stars. I had stars in my eyes.

I also roasted asparagus today. I don’t think I ever ate asparagus as a child – it’s not prevalent in Indian cooking, so I doubt my mother would have ever made it. I love asparagus – asparagus soup is one of my favorite soups.  But this time, I decided to roast it in my toaster oven. So simple – snap off the rough ends of your asparagus, drizzle with extra-celibate olive oil (hehe) and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Stick it uncovered in your toaster oven at 400F for about 25 minutes. It’s crunchy, yet tender.

Mmm. My little belly is happy :)