Yummy Malaysiana: ribboned asparagus salad with lemon

Spring arrived while I totally wasnt paying attention. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen these days. Over the winter, this was hardly a discomfort but now that were getting glimpses of the warm weather to come, Im finding it harder not to look out my kitchen window at these people walking down the sidewalk with their sandals and short sleeves and a pep in their step and an air of freedom around them I can sense even from four flights up and not feel consumed with envy. The other day, as I wearily approached round five of something I was stupidly convinced Id nail on round one, I saw one of these not-sweating-it-out-in-a-shoebox-kitchen types carrying a bundle of tulips and I had to close my eyes for a minute and imagine myself somewhere Id rather be. And then I walked out of the kitchen and went there.

You see, Ive been avoiding the Greenmarket as well. Its been a Brownmarket for over half a year and there are only so many cold storage apples and yams one can stomach before they fall for the ever-freakishly-ripe berries the street carts are selling. But it was nearly May and sticky as July outside and I had a hunch that things had improved while I was buried under pots and pans. And lo and behold, stands were bursting with things that had been recently plucked from the ground: spinach! ramps! bright pink orbs of radishes too! asparagus for miles! And as I brought home my first haul of the season and a little package waiting downstairs I knew exactly what every si! ngle one of us must do this very second with the asparagus.