Trim the woody ends of all asparagus. For white asparagus, lightly peel the lower two-thirds with a vegetable peeler to remove the tougher outer skin; trim ends so stalks are even.

Blanch (for white asparagus)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the peeled white asparagus and blanch for 3–5 minutes until just tender but not collapsing. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.

Char asparagus

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy grill pan over high heat until smoking hot. Toss green asparagus with 1 tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Toss blanched white asparagus with remaining 1 tbs olive oil and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, place stalks in a single layer perpendicular to pan ridges. Cook 2–3 minutes per side for green asparagus until charred and just tender; for white asparagus, press gently and cook 2–3 minutes per side until you see good color and warmed through (they are already blanched). Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Truffle Vinaigrette

Mince the garlic clove very fine or grate it on a microplane. In a small bowl or jar combine the minced garlic, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar and fine sea salt. Whisk briefly to combine.

While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the 6 tbs extra-virgin olive oil to emulsify. Once combined, stir in the truffle oil and adjust seasoning with 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or salt as needed.

If the vinaigrette is too sharp, let it sit 10 minutes to mellow; re-whisk before using.

Toppings & Assembly

Prepare labneh: if your labneh is very thick, loosen it with 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, then season with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Stir until glossy and spoonable but still thick.

Toast and chop hazelnuts: If hazelnuts are not toasted, heat a small dry skillet over medium heat, add hazelnuts and toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant and skins blister, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a clean towel, rub to remove loose skins, cool, then roughly chop.

Plate: Spoon dollops of labneh along the center of a warm serving platter or individual plates. Arrange charred green and white asparagus in alternating clusters on top and alongside the labneh.

Dress and finish: Drizzle 1–2 tbs of the truffle vinaigrette evenly over the asparagus and labneh (use more to taste). Scatter the toasted chopped hazelnuts over the asparagus. Sprinkle lemon zest and microgreens or herb leaves if using. Finish with a light drizzle (1 tsp) of extra-virgin olive oil and a few flakes of sea salt.

Serve: Serve immediately while asparagus is warm so the char and vinaigrette aromas are most pronounced.