Brown-Buttered Asparagus with Hazelnuts and Pickled Kumquats

You might be asking yourself in what season do asparagus and kumquats meet? Well, in California, where everything is the way life should be (sorry, Maine), the tail end of citrus season coincides with the beginning of spring, and they are very happy to hang out together for a few weeks. I first made this dish when we spent a season in the Napa Valley and my produce-loving head exploded over the incredible fruits and vegetables the region has access to. In the Hudson Valley, where I live, (a