FOOD FRIDAY

I know I've posted this recipe before but it's Spring and time to post it again. My mom's family lived in eastern Washington during the Depression years and they never went hungry. My grandmother was a great, innovative cook. This is one of her recipes. At that time asparagus grew like weeds and was plentiful. I'm finding fresh, tender asparagus in the store now and it's fairly inexpensive. This dish was a regular at family dinners when I was growing up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Grandma Stern's Escalloped Asparagus
1-2 lbs asparagus (washed & hard ends removed)
12 soda crackers crumbled or bread crumbs
4 or 5 hard boiled eggs (sliced)
grated cheese
2 cups medium white sauce **

Butter casserole dish & layer asparagus and sliced hard boiled eggs. After all ingredients are layered, pour on white sauce and top with crumbled soda crackers or bread crumbs & sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake about 25-30 mins at 325*

** medium white sauce- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 2 tablespoons flour, dash of salt and 1 cup milk (evaporated milk makes a richer sauce) In a microwave able 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup; melt butter for 30 seconds, stir in flour and salt…blending to make a paste. Add milk gradually, stopping to stir mixture every few seconds. Cook for at least 1 minute , stir, cook another
1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes longer, stopping to stir every 30 seconds until mixture boils. Stir well after removing from microwave .