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Asparagus has broken ground and it's around>When you are stalking asparagus you must keep your eyes open. Here is what you look for, how you keep them fresh and how to prepare them for cooking: 1. Firm is finest. Firm spears with compact leaves at the tip. Bet you didn't know that those the tender part of the asparagus stalk was actually leaves, did you? I had never thought about it myself, but it is after all a plant. 2. Asparagus is forever. Asparagus is a perennial though it takes about two years to go into meaningful production it is a joy to have in your garden. You get to taste springtime before almost everyone else. 3. Size. The shoots range from 1/4-inch to nearly one-inch wide but strangely size is not an indication of tenderness or quality. Size relates to the age of the plant that the stalk came from--the older the plant, the bigger the shoots. 4. Keeping fresh. When the stalks walk into your kitchen, whether from garden or supermarket, wrap stems with damp towels to prevent drying and chill in an airtight bag. You can keep them this way for 3 or 4 days. If you keep them longer than 3 or 4 days, it is better to stand the stems upright in about and inch of water with a plastic covering over their head ends, until you are ready to cook them. Always keep them cool. 5. Separating tender from tough. To prepare the spears for eating, gently squeeze stalk from the stem up, snapping them off at the spot where they begin to feel tender. Don't worry, the tender practically separate itself from the tough part of the stalk. Cook the tender top portion of the stalk. 6. Tough ends. Don't throw out the tougher ends of the stalks. Instead slice them thinly (to break up the fiber) and toss them into soups and stir-fries. 7. Easy cooking. Bring 1 1/2- to 2-inches of water to a boil in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat. Add asparagus, and cook uncovered until stems are just tender to pierce, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain. If you are planning on serving it cold, place the cooked spears immediately into ice water. When asparagus is cold, drain well. There are many ways of enjoying asparagus. Some simply cook it and serve it with fresh lemon sections to squeeze over the spears. Others like mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce with it. Then, too, it can be a delicious part of many recipes. Asparagus with Simple Citrus Dressing Serve this as a first course on plates with the sauce. Or serve it with salmon or any other fish, adding the sauce to taste. The sauce is so good with fish that you may want to use it even when asparagus isn't around. 1 large orange
Grate enough orange peel to make 1 teaspoon and enough lime peel to make l/2 teaspoon. Cut the orange and lime in half. Ream 3 tablespoons juice from the orange, 1 tablespoon juice from the lime. Mix the peels and juices with yogurt, and pepper (white is preferred as it doesn't look like dark specks in the white sauce); cover and chill. Use slices of orange and lime for garnish on the plates and pass the salt with the sauce. Makes 8 servings. Roasted Asparagus Orange and cumin flavor the quickly roasted spears, which bake only 10 to 12 minutes. Use the coarse side of a 4-sided grater or use a zester to get the strips of peel. 2 pounds asparagus
Preheat oven to 450 F. Rinse asparagus; trim off stem ends. Measure olive oil into a 12- by 17-inch baking pan; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add asparagus to the olive oil, turning the spears to cover all sides with oil. Sprinkle with orange peel and cumin. Bake until asparagus is tender when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Asparagus with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Chopped Egg This preparation can be used as an appetizer, a side dish or as a light meal. Eggs: 2 large eggs
Breadcrumbs: 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Asparagus: 2 pounds asparagus
Eggs: Put eggs in small saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. Peel eggs and chop fine. Season with salt and pepper. Breadcrumbs: Melt butter slowly. Add breadcrumbs and stir to coat well with butter. Cook slowly, stirring often, until they are a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and set aside to cool and crisp while eggs are cooking. Asparagus: While asparagus cooks (see #7 directions above), melt butter in a large skillet and add the tarragon. Drain asparagus and add to the skillet. Season with salt and stir with seasonings. Transfer to platter and top with breadcrumbs and chopped eggs. Makes 4 servings. Asparagus spears have sprung into the kitchen! 4/7/08 Date: 4/1/08
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