By Sherrie Norris
It’s Spring and the season for fresh asparagus. It’s not everyone’s favorite vegetable, but one can acquire a taste for it and eventually learn to love it, or at least like it.
I’ll never forget my official introduction to asparagus. I was attending a luncheon in the lovely home of the late Joanne Hartley. Who was I to question the menu choices of one of the area’s leading ladies?
Of course, I thought it was better covered in the creamy sauce she had prepared for it, but I did get braver with time and learn that asparagus is pretty good prepared in the oven with olive oil and seasonings. (I thank my daughter-in-law for that.)
It’s still not something I’ll usually eat if there’s a green bean or broccoli floret in sight, but it is a seasonal favorite of many. And it’s healthy.
Perfect for those counting calories and fat grams, asparagus is one of the best choices, with absolutely no fat or cholesterol and only about 50 calories in a six-stalk serving.
Asparagus is recommended for many special diets, including renal, low-sodium, diabetic and low cholesterol. It is rich in Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), an important vitamin for smooth skin.
Fresh or canned, asparagus may be boiled in a small amount of water in a saucepan or steamer until tender, for approximately 10 minutes for fresh or 7 minutes for frozen.
It can also be stir-fried in small pieces in a little hot oil, stirred constantly until tender-crisp, about 3-5- minutes.
If microwaving, place in a baking dish with tips toward the center. Add ¼ cup of water and cover. Microwave at full-power: 6-9 minutes for spears, 5-7 minutes for pieces.
Here are a few simple recipes to try with asparagus as we transition our meals into Spring-mode.
Fresh Asparagus
To clean asparagus, scrape sides of spears and snap off the woody fiber ends at the bottom. Wash asparagus thoroughly in cold running water. Asparagus may be cooked whole or can be cut into 1 ½ – 2 inch pieces.
Barely cover with boiling salted water (use 1 tsp. salt for each quart of water) and cook on high heat until tender. This will take approximately 20 minutes. Tender young asparagus will cook in less time. Test for doneness by piercing with the tines of a fork. Add additional water as needed while cooking. Asparagus may also be steamed or broiled.
Serve with melted butter, white sauce, cheese sauce, or Hollandaise sauce.
Hollandaise Sauce
½ cup butter
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 egg yolks
½ tsp. salt
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Melt butter over low heat until a foam forms.
In a blender or food processor container, combine lemon juice, egg yolks, and salt (we use sea salt but any salt will do).
Process at high speed for 30 seconds. Mixture will be thick and foamy. Slowly add a thin stream of butter through the lid, while processing at high speed. Continue to process until sauce is thick and smooth.
Tip: If sauce doesn’t thicken, remove to another container and reprocess by slowly adding the whole mixture back through lid in a thin stream while processing at high speed.
Serve warm or keep sauce in a container sitting in a pan of very warm water (not hot) for up to 90 minutes before serving.
Note: Goes well with veggies, (especially asparagus), fish, eggs, and vegetables
Variation: For a Mediterranean flair, add 3 cloves of garlic and 1 Tbsp. each of fresh parsley and basil, and ½ tsp. of oregano.
Cream Of Asparagus Soup
Wash and remove the tips from 1 pound fresh green asparagus. Simmer the tips, covered, until they are tender in a small amount of milk, water or chicken or vegetable broth. Cut the stalks into pieces and place them in a saucepan.
Add:
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley or celery leaves, minced
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
Pinch of thyme
Simmer ingredients, covered for about ½ hour. Run them through a sieve or puree in a blender.
Melt:
4 Tbsp. butter
Stir into butter until blended:
2 Tbsp. flour
Stir in slowly:
1 cup light cream or half and half
Add the asparagus stock (from cooking). Heat in a double boiler until simmering, but do not boil. Add asparagus tips. Season just before serving with salt, paprika, and pepper, to taste.
Crispy Asparagus Dish
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
6 thin slices pepperoni, finely chopped
¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Pimento strips, optional
Trim off tough ends of spears. To prevent tips from cooking faster than stems, peel stem ends with vegetable peeler.
Rinse asparagus and place in steamer basket. Place steamer basket in large saucepan, add 1 inch water. Water should not touch bottom of basket. Cover, bring to boil over high heat.; steam asparagus 5-8 minutes until crisp-tender. Add water, as necessary, to prevent pan from boiling dry.
Remove spears from basket and arrange in glass mold or make wreath of spears on warm, round serving platter.
Melt butter with juice in small saucepan over medium heat; pour over asparagus. Sprinkle pepperoni and bread crumbs over asparagus. Garnish with pimento, if desired. Serve immediately.
Simple Asparagus Roll-ups
Pickled or plain asparagus spears
Cream cheese
Thin slices of ham
Place spears and cream cheese on ham and roll up. Cut into small pieces if desired.