Lunch Brief

This time of year is great!  Asparagus is growing with vengeance in the sun after brief rains.  So when i get home from the farm I always have a nice handful of the culls.  Start the pasta cooking and while that is going on get your added vegetables ready. I sautes the green onions and garlic with some olive oil on a medium heat tossing in carrot slices after the onions browned a bit (only a minute or two with green onions).  Soon after I toss in the asparagus and the collard stems and let them all sizzle for about 5 minutes.  I toss the collard greens in then and turn the heat off, letting the residual heat of the cast iron and steaming vegetables blanch the collards without turning it to mush (If I was doing a lot of greens I would need to leave the heat on a while on low).  I toss the pasta with the vegetables some 'butter' (earth balance, coconut oil, olive oil, or what ever fatty stuff you like) salt pepper and grated garlic to taste!