Spring Has Sprung, Asparagus Is Here At The Studio City Farmers Market

I planted three asparagus plants several years ago and didn’t know what to expect. The asparagus I buy at the market, when large, reminds me of some sort of prehistoric shoot that, left to grow to maturity, would look like something from a Dr. Seuss book. Much to my disappointment my plants did not mature into Truffula trees. What they did grow into was much closer to a fern (which it turns out is a prehistoric plant, so I wasn’t too far off) - long, about four feet tall, wire thin green sticks with whispy green branches along the last foot or so with two to three inch green hairs along the branches. They have come and gone this way for the past three years, and finally this year, according to everything I have read, I will get to reap my first harvest. That said, I have yet to see one shoot from any of them. With this year’s dearth of rain I don’t have high hopes for much of a take. Fortunately I don’t have to rely on my garden for anything in the way of asparagus because there is plenty at our farmers market right now.

Just to set everyone straight, asparagus is not in fact a fern, but a member of the Lily family. My favorite fact about asparagus is that, given the right conditions, it can grow as much as 10-inches in a 24-hour period. It’s the bamboo of the vegetable world! Asparagus plants are also long lived, one plant can live and produce for up to 15 years.

Beyond their super abilities to grow and produce, asparagus is also one of the super vegetables in the category of health benefits. High in Folic Acid (good for your brain), potassium (an electrolyte), fiber (we all know what this does), vitamin B6 (helps us break down protein), vitamin A (promotes good eyesight, especially night vision), vitamin C (an antioxidant), and thiamin (helps break down carbohydrates). Eat enough of it and you might find that you suddenly have laser vision and can beat WATSON at Jeopardy. Well, maybe not, but the shear possibility might get your kids to eat more.

The best part about asparagus that truly makes it a “super hero” in my book is that it is one of the easiest foods to cook. Even if you can’t boil water, you can cook asparagus. First of all, it requires no cooking, no peeling, no slicing, no dicing, or for that matter anything. A quick rinse and you are ready to go. Try a few asparagus spears in place of those tired old carrot and celery sticks. They are great in salads, on a sandwich (really, try it with a little ham, cheese and mustard), or as a refreshing crunchy snack in between meals. For an easy and impressive appetizer, or an excellent snack, wrap fresh spears of asparagus with thin slices of proscuitto or ham and finish them off with a quick drizzle of flavorful olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper. 

Asparagus is also a versatile vegetable for cooking. My favorite way to prepare asparagus is roasted, but you can also grill them, steam them, sauté them, puree them, and even braise them. Roasting them is easy. Just toss them with some olive oil and salt and pepper, just like you would if you were roasting potatoes, pop them in the oven on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan at 400 degrees, and in about 20 minutes you will have tender golden-brown flecked spears of deliciousness. The leftovers will make a great lunch the next day on whole grain or crusty French bread with soft chevre and some mixed greens or spicy arugula and a splash of your favorite vinaigrette or other dressing. I’m making myself hungry just thinking about it.

When choosing your asparagus, bigger is better. (Goes against the theory that you can never be too thin - not true for asparagus or people.) Look for thick stems and lots of green. The white part that you see at the bottom of many asparagus spears will be tough and should be snapped or cut off before cooking. You may be lucky enough to find purple or white asparagus at the market as well. If you do, the same goes for them, bigger is better. The purple asparagus is sweeter than the green, but has less fiber. The white asparagus is actually the same plant as the green asparagus except that it has been grown under a cover of mulch, which prevents the sun from reaching the plants so they don’t turn green.

If you aren’t going to eat your asparagus the day you buy it, wrap the ends in a damp paper or cloth towel before putting them in the refrigerator, or you can even put them in a glass of shallow water. They are like flowers, if you give them a little water, they will last longer and stay fresher. The best time to eat your asparagus is within 48 hours of purchase when they are at their most nutritious. You can find asparagus in abundance at G&B Farms, Buenerostro Farms, Zuckerman Farms, Suncoast Farms, and Ricardo Farms, just to name a few.

No matter what the color, or how you choose to indulge in them, asparagus are (yes the plural spelling is the same as the singular, go figure) a springtime “super” treat that you should not miss. Just to nudge you along a little further, here are a few recipes to get you started.

For more information on asparagus this is a great link: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12.

See you on Sunday.

Beer Battered Asparagus with Lemon Herbed Dipping Sauce

From The Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-party/beer-battered-asparagus-with-a-...

Ingredients:

    Lemon Herbed Dipping Sauce:

    1/2 cup mayonnaise

    1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

    1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

    1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves or other fresh herb

    1/2 teaspoon roughly minced fresh rosemary leaves or other fresh herb

    Pinch salt

Beer Battered Asparagus:

    1 cup all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon salt

    1 teaspoon pepper

    1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

    1 cup beer

    1 pound asparagus, trimmed

    Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

Lemon Herbed Dipping Sauce:

Stir together all ingredients and transfer to a small bowl. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Beer Battered Asparagus:

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, salt, pepper lemon and zest in a bowl until combined. Add beer and whisk ingredients until smooth. Dip asparagus in batter to coat. Remove excess batter before frying. Gently transfer battered asparagus to oil and fry until golden. Stir gently to prevent asparagus from sticking together.

Transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with paper towels and keep warm in a preheated 200 degree F oven.

Asparagus Bruschette

From Allcooks.com

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asparagus-bruschetta/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

     3 cups water

     1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

     2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

     1/4 cup minced fresh basil

     3 green onions, chopped

     3 tablespoons lime juice

     1 tablespoon olive oil

     3 garlic cloves, minced

     1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

     1/4 teaspoon salt

     1/4 teaspoon pepper

     12 slices French baguette, toasted

     1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus; cover and boil for 2-4 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a bowl, combine the asparagus, tomatoes, basil, onions, lime juice, oil, garlic, lime peel, salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, spoon asparagus mixture onto bread. Sprinkle with blue cheese.