I love asparagus and particularly the way they cook and season it here where I live. There must have been a big crop because we have had it often the past couple months. Tender Juicy And Flavorable.
I used to love asparagus, but for some reason I don't much care for it anymore. I still cook it when it's in season because my husband enjoys it, though. I usually roast it in a bit of olive oil.
I love it, too, but only when fresh. It's one of the few veggies I can not stand if frozen or canned. It's gotta be steamed or roasted al-dente. I eat it 2-3 times a week with butter & lemon juice, or tossed in a flavored butter I make. Here's an easy, impressive dish I make with it: Chicken +m asparagus + mozzarella cheese
You know, Lon, I don't believe I have ever had garlic on my asparagus. It's either lemon+butter+salt, or a clarified Ethiopian Butter (lots of hers & spices) I make. I keep a supply of garlic butter on hand. Maybe I should give it a try. As an aside, I commented in another thread that I've got a pasta maker on order, and Asparagus & Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli is high on my list of thins to make first.
I don't put garlic on asparagus, either. Usually I put the spears on one end of a baking sheet, along with some cut red potatoes on the other end. Toss both with a bit of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. (Depending on the thickness of the asparagus stalks and the cut of the potatoes.)
I have a recipe for roasted chicken thighs that get started cooking in a frying pan. That process puts a crisp skin on them and renders out some fat. Then they get finished in the toaster oven, laid on top of a bed of asparagus so all those good drippings can flavor the asparagus (and counteract some of its healthiness.) The only challenge is you have no idea exactly how long it will take the chicken to finish cooking, since you got it head-started to x% in the frying pan. And the asparagus thickness is also a variable. So sometimes you gotta pull the asparagus out early, and other times you might have to finish it in the nuker. But it's always very [chicken fat] good.