[uh-SPARE-uh-gus or uh-SPAR-uh-gus] Also called "Aspar Grass" and "Asper Grass".
The asparagus season is "spring". Asparagus begins to appear in supermarkets about March 15; to my taste, supermarket asparagus is great and for several months, quite inexpensive, about $2 a pound. Here in the Midwest, homegrown asparagus is available about May 1 - June 15; farmers market pricing can be $4 a pound or more. A season's first asparagus are especially sweet; later the stalks become drier and more fibrous.
Choose spears with tight tips. I also give the tips a quick sniff to see if they're fresh. To keep asparagus fresh in the refrigerator, slice a bit off the bottom, stand upright in shallow water. Repeat every day or so. For roasting, choose thick spears of asparagus; for salads or quick steaming or sautéeing, choose thin spears. Most asparagus is green but white asparagus and purple asparagus can be found on occasion. White asparagus is particularly prized in Europe and is more delicate in aroma but is also more fibrous; it is grown and harvested beneath soil the soil, which blanches the color. Don't worry, it's natural: even one small bite of asparagus adds a slight odor to urine. CLEANING TIPS Homegrown asparagus can be gritty, be sure to wash the stalks well and rinse the tips under running water.
TRIMMING TIPS What does it mean to "snap the woody ends" of asparagus? The tip of an asparagus spear is quite tender, the stalk is increasingly fibrous toward the end. To snap the woody end, bend the stalk near the end; if it bends easily, snap it in two pieces; if not, move on up the stalk until you find the natural break between the tender and tough portions. But don't discard the woody ends, they make great soup!
PEELING TIPS If the asparagus skin seems tough, use a vegetable peeler to peel the stalks, either the whole stalk, the lower half of the stalk or in "stripes" all the way around.
BASIC WAYS TO COOK ASPARAGUS
How to cook asparagus in water or in a skillet or my favorite way to steam asparagus, in an asparagus steamer
How to roast asparagus, barely or typical or slow-roasted
How to prepare and serve chilled asparagus for a buffet or party
ASPARAGUS NUTRITION ESTIMATE
CLASSIC RECIPES for Asparagus
Kitchen Parade recipes
Easy to Elegant Asparagus Soup ♥
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Risotto ♥
Asparagus with Blender Hollandaise ♥
Party Asparagus with Aioli
READER FAVORITES!
NEW to Asparagus? TRY THESE FIRST
Kitchen Parade recipes
Easy to Elegant Asparagus Soup ♥
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus ♥
A Veggie Venture recipes
Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad ♥
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar ♥
MY PERSONAL FAVORITES
Six Years of Favorite Asparagus Recipes (with photos, all in one place)
Kitchen Parade recipes
Asparagus Custard Tart ♥
Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding ♥
Easy to Elegant Asparagus Soup ♥
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus ♥
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Tapenade 20min/3hrs – WW2 – NetCarb3 ♥
Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad ♥
Party Asparagus with Aioli ♥
Spring Garden Vegetable Soup with Asparagus, Artichokes, Peas & Spinach ♥
Slow-Roasted Asparagus ♥
What's your favorite asparagus recipe? or what asparagus recipe did you hope to find here? I'm always looking for new ones, especially healthy asparagus recipes. Leave me a quick note in the comments! ~Alanna
RAW Asparagus
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus with Dip 2min/2min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad 10min/10min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
PICKLED Asparagus
No recipes yet, this is my reminder!
Asparagus for BREAKFAST
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Eggs Benedict 30min/30min – WW13 – NetCarb53 ♥
Asparagus Omelet with Rémoulade Sauce 15min/15min ♥
Asparagus in APPETIZERS
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Jam 15min/24 hrs – WW1
Asparagus Tapenade 20min/3hrs – WW2 – NetCarb3 ♥
Asparagus with Creamy Mustard Dip 5min/5min – WW1/WW2 ♥
Asparagus with Dip 2min/2min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Asparagus in SOUP
Kitchen Parade recipes
Easy to Elegant Asparagus Soup ♥
Finnish Summer Soup ♥
A Veggie Venture recipes
Chilled Asparagus Soup 30min/24hrs – WW2 – NetCarb9 ♥
Spring Garden Vegetable Soup with Asparagus, Artichokes, Peas & Spinach 20min/24hrs – WW1 – PP2 – NetCarb6 ♥
Asparagus in MAIN DISHES
Kitchen Parade recipes
Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding ♥
Asparagus Custard Tart ♥
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta ♥
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus ♥
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Risotto 60min/60min – WW5 – NetCarb44 ♥
Farro with Asparagus & Green Onion Sauce 25min/30min – WW5/WW8/WW13 – NetCarb34/43/55 ♥
Pasta with Shrimp, Asparagus & Sun-dried Tomato 30min/40min – WW9 – NetCarb50
Asparagus in HOT SIDE DISHES
Kitchen Parade recipes
Trio of Vegetables: Lemon Asparagus ♥
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Noodles 10min/15min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Asparagus with Anchovies & Garlic 10min/25min – WW2 – NetCarb4 ♥
Asparagus with Blender Hollandaise 15min/20min – WW1 – NetCarb0 ♥
Asparagus with Pimenton 5min/15min – WW0 – NetCarb2
Barely Roasted Asparagus 10min/20min – WW1 – NetCarb4 ♥
Ginger Asparagus 5min/10min – WW0 – NetCarb2
Kalyn's Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms 10min/40min – WW1 – NetCarb2 ♥
Leeks & Asparagus 5min/15min – WW1 ♥
Lemon Asparagus 5min/15min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Lemon Lovers’ Roasted Asparagus 10min/35min – WW1 – NetCarb5 ♥
Roasted Asparagus with Anise 5min/30min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar 10min/25min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter 10min/25min – WW1
Roasted Asparagus with Feta 5min/30min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan 7min/20-25min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Slow-Roasted Asparagus 20min/60min – WW1/WW2 – NetCarb3 ♥
Spring Asparagus with White Bean Sauce 15min/25min – WW3 – NetCarb16 ♥
Asparagus in COLD SIDE DISHES & VEGETABLE SALADS
A Veggie Venture recipes
Asparagus Tapenade 20min/3hrs – WW2 – NetCarb3 ♥
Asparagus Scallion Salad 25min/60min – WW1 – NetCarb5 ♥
Asparagus & Edamame Salad 20min/50min – WW2 – NetCarb6 ♥
Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad 10min/10min – WW1 – NetCarb3 ♥
Party Asparagus with Aioli 35min/35min – WW2 – NetCarb0 ♥
Asparagus on the GRILL
No recipes yet, this is my reminder!
Asparagus in the MICROWAVE
No recipes yet, this is my reminder!
Asparagus in the SLOW COOKER
No recipes yet, this is my reminder!
A Veggie Venture is home of asparagus lover and 'veggie evangelist' Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2005
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2005
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7 comments:
An interesting topic: "even one small bite of asparagus adds a slight odor to urine." I heard on NPR (so it must be true!) that not everyone has the ability to "detect" the odor of what I refer to as "asparagus pee." It seems some people have the gene that allows them to smell it, and some people don't. *Everyone* gets asparagus pee, not everyone can smell it. Isn't that a riot? And, it goes through one's system almost instantaneously - it could be used as a drug delivery system!
I just made a big batch of super thin spears, quickly steamed then shocked by submerging in ice water, then chilled in the fridge on top of paper towels. I served it with a simple fruit-flavored dressing (that is also awesome on spinach salad w/strawberries and blueberries and slivered almonds, but I digress):
- 2 T Polaner fruit spread (I used raspberry)
- 2 T flax oil
- 1 t lemon or lime juice
Whip it up in the blender. Chill until ready to serve - and enjoy! My family loves it!
I love the stuff, but I can't always afford it.
Mike ~ I hear ya re the price of home-grown asparagus, here in St. Louis, that's $4 or even $5 a pound. But you might watch your local market, during a few weeks in the spring - like NOW - and again some time mid-summer, asparagus can be $2 a pound. Last week, beautiful thin spears here were only $1.49 a pound. At dinner, someone asked, "Is your asparagus up already?" I just smiled. :-)
I saw an asparagus post on another inspiring food blog, and I knew I needed to share with you, Alanna! I love your veggie alphabet, and I'd love to see how you spin Helen's asparagus ideas.
http://www.beyondsalmon.com/2012/04/asparagus-2-ways-ribbons-and-blanched.html
I cuss, you cuss, we all cuss for aparaGUS! : ) Love your site!
Jana
there are a couple of really good recipes for pickled asparagus in the spring issue of Edible Grand Traverse magazine.
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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna