There is no question that THE perk of the job here at Red Tomato is sampling the goods – otherwise known as quality control. For those of us who have spent the winter planning for the local season, a chance to get our hands on some fresh asparagus from Joe Maugeri of Woolrich Township, NJ (NOW IN STORES) this morning was a major excitement! Two cases arrived in the office via a shipment to Shapiro produce at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, MA.

We’re all taking some home to test out our grilling, roasting, canning, and steaming skills in the off hours. However, we just couldn’t wait to get a taste of spring. So, Kate roasted us up some in the RT kitchen and we devoured them, along with a FANtastic balsamic brown butter sauce, during this mornings trade circle meeting. Some days, coming to work is just delicious!

Take a look at our asparagus second helpings page for staff recipes!