Lamb patty, asparagus salad

This is the second of two lamb patties frozen together in FoodSaver freezer bags. The first patty was used for bean soup yesterday. Here it is fried in olive oil for just a few minutes to lightly brown, along with a slice of onion.

Meanwhile, a small handful of asparagus tops is fried in a covered sauce pot. A pat of butter is dropped into the pot whereupon it sizzles immediately. Butter is 20% water. The spears are dropped into the pot and arranged in a single layer. The water within the butter steams the asparagus cooking it through, the hot pot sears the spears along one length and only one length. The pot is not moved or shaken, the spears are not disturbed for the cooking process. It takes a bit of intuition to determine when the spears are done. It's alright if they're burned a little. The thing is, if the spears were seared along multiple lengths then they'd overcook by far. This technique imparts a sear and steams the spears perfectly. The best of both worlds, wot? 

Globe basil, one of three basil types from an Aerogarden kit. It grows in a tight bulb of multiple sprigs, each a bulb in itself. It's cute as can be and I wonder why this variety isn't more famous. One of the other types is lemon basil. It grows thinly and bolts early. It has a strong delicious taste of lemon, but frankly, the plant is a bit of a pain in the bum. The third type in the kit is typical standard Genovese basil.