Asparagus with Rhubarb Syrup

Spice Profile: pink peppercorns, black green white peppercorns, orange zest, dried orange, orange oil, sage, basil

This was so very good. Kind of a sweet and sour asparagus dish that I could not stop eating.

Make the syrup first, as it takes longer. Roughly chop up 2 or 3 stalks of rhubarb and add them to a small saucepan with 2 TBS butter and 1/2-2/3 cup vinegar of your choice. I used apple cider and it was great. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. After about 5 minutes, (when the rhubarb is soft but not completely broken down), pour the vinegar/rhubarb mixture through a mesh sieve, discarding the pulp. Return the liquid to the small pot and bring back to a boil then reduce to a low boil. Add half of the spice packet, (half the spice packet is 1 tsp of Stock+Spice Orange Pepper Blend), plus some maple syrup to taste - I used a bit less than 2 TBS. Continue to cook until you have a nice consistency syrup. Keep an eye on it at this point! It will try to boil over at least once. The syrup should be thick but still a bit runny. It will thicken as it cools a little. Pull syrup from the heat and set aside.

Snap the butts off of the asparagus, and place on a roasting pan. Add one roughly chopped onion and drizzle with oil. Shuffle the pan to coat the onions and asparagus. Sprinkle the other half of the spice packet (1 tsp) over the asparagus and onions, and place it in a 375 degree oven. Roast, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the asparagus is bright green and tender. Place the asparagus on a large serving dish and pour rhubarb syrup over the top. Add salt to taste and enjoy this spring delight!