Asparagus Salad

I love asparagus, and they are in season now. But, I never know quite what to do with them. Turns out, you can do just about anything with them, which includes putting them in a salad. The recipe below is super easy, and not all that original. However, it is post worthy because it taught me a new technique - to boil my vinegar before adding it to salad dressing. The result, according to the original recipe, is that the dressing is less bitter. The result is also that you need less oil AND it doesn't separate as easily. Magic.

Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted (recipe originally called for pecans, but I don't like pecans so much).
- Feta cheese to taste



Preparation
1. Boil vinegar in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour vinegar into large bowl.
2. Whisk in oil, mustard, and garlic. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, (original recipe said 4 minutes. I think 2 is more like it).
4. Drain asparagus and rinse with cold water. Pat asparagus dry.
5. Toss asparagus, carrots, and pepper with dressing.
6. Sprinkle with nuts and cheese and enjoy.