Rice Salad with Asparagus

If, like me, you are an asparagus freak; and if you find yourself, as I too often do, with not quite enough of it to go round your table as an elegant first course, then this salad is an excellent way of stretching the asparagus without losing any of its character. It also goes very well as the accompaniment to a main course of, say, grilled fish, or you can serve it as the complete main course of a light meal, to be followed by a good selection of cheeses.