Asparagus season
May 6, 2009 21:49:12 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2009 21:49:12 GMT
From the Sun Herald, Biloxi, Mississippi
Asparagus is grown about 12 inches underground. It needs to be in the ground at least three years before it bares its edible stalks. They are ivory until the spears grow above ground and are exposed to light and oxygen where they turn green.
Asparagus that are grown so they retain their white color are considered a delicacy.
Go shopping: Look for bright green stalks that are straight and crisp. The tips should be compact and tightly woven with no mushiness or dark green blotches. You can figure that one pound asparagus will be a side dish for four people.
At home: The best way to store asparagus is to trim off their stem ends and wrap them in damp paper towels. Then store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within a few days at most
Good for you: Asparagus don’t just taste good. Full of vitamin C and A as well as an excellent source of folic acid and thiamine, asparagus are low in calories and contain no fat or cholesterol.
Folic acid or folate is essential to repairing damaged cells and is very important for women of childbearing age, especially when pregnant.
Fixing them: Asparagus can be boiled in lightly salted water or steamed over boiling water 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
They can be sliced on the diagonal and stir fried or pan sauteed in butter or olive oil.
I like to roast them in a dish like my Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olive Oil. But first I blanch or boil the asparagus spears in water cooking them about a third of the way through. This “blanching” opens their pores.
This is particularly important before grilling asparagus because it allows a marinade to soak in and flavor the stalks before further cooking.
If I’m not eating the boiled or steamed asparagus right away, I “shock” them, which means I drain and place the vegetables in a bowl of ice water to chill and stop the cooking. Then drain them again. This preserves their bright green color and texture. The shocked asparagus keep refrigerated up to 3 days before final cooking. Or, you can simply cook, shock and toss those asparagus with your favorite vinaigrette and eat immediately.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVE OIL
Roasting or baking brings out all the natural flavor of the asparagus by concentrating their natural sugar. This is wonderful served at room temperature.
Water
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, washed well
1 tablespoon softened butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (see NOTE)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan or Asiago cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Drain; place in a bowl of ice water and drain. This can be done up to 2 days prior to baking.
Place asparagus in a baking dish. Distribute bits of butter over asparagus; drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake 20 minutes, turning asparagus occasionally, until asparagus is golden brown and tender. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and lemon juice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Per serving: 88 calories, 59 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 4 grams net carbs, 5 grams protein, 179 milligrams sodium.
NOTE: If the tomatoes seem plump and moist, you can use as is. If they seem dry, you need to reconstitute them by soaking in boiling water about 15 minutes.
Asparagus is grown about 12 inches underground. It needs to be in the ground at least three years before it bares its edible stalks. They are ivory until the spears grow above ground and are exposed to light and oxygen where they turn green.
Asparagus that are grown so they retain their white color are considered a delicacy.
Go shopping: Look for bright green stalks that are straight and crisp. The tips should be compact and tightly woven with no mushiness or dark green blotches. You can figure that one pound asparagus will be a side dish for four people.
At home: The best way to store asparagus is to trim off their stem ends and wrap them in damp paper towels. Then store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within a few days at most
Good for you: Asparagus don’t just taste good. Full of vitamin C and A as well as an excellent source of folic acid and thiamine, asparagus are low in calories and contain no fat or cholesterol.
Folic acid or folate is essential to repairing damaged cells and is very important for women of childbearing age, especially when pregnant.
Fixing them: Asparagus can be boiled in lightly salted water or steamed over boiling water 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
They can be sliced on the diagonal and stir fried or pan sauteed in butter or olive oil.
I like to roast them in a dish like my Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olive Oil. But first I blanch or boil the asparagus spears in water cooking them about a third of the way through. This “blanching” opens their pores.
This is particularly important before grilling asparagus because it allows a marinade to soak in and flavor the stalks before further cooking.
If I’m not eating the boiled or steamed asparagus right away, I “shock” them, which means I drain and place the vegetables in a bowl of ice water to chill and stop the cooking. Then drain them again. This preserves their bright green color and texture. The shocked asparagus keep refrigerated up to 3 days before final cooking. Or, you can simply cook, shock and toss those asparagus with your favorite vinaigrette and eat immediately.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVE OIL
Roasting or baking brings out all the natural flavor of the asparagus by concentrating their natural sugar. This is wonderful served at room temperature.
Water
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, washed well
1 tablespoon softened butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (see NOTE)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan or Asiago cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Drain; place in a bowl of ice water and drain. This can be done up to 2 days prior to baking.
Place asparagus in a baking dish. Distribute bits of butter over asparagus; drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake 20 minutes, turning asparagus occasionally, until asparagus is golden brown and tender. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and lemon juice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Per serving: 88 calories, 59 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 4 grams net carbs, 5 grams protein, 179 milligrams sodium.
NOTE: If the tomatoes seem plump and moist, you can use as is. If they seem dry, you need to reconstitute them by soaking in boiling water about 15 minutes.
