Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A is for Asparagus

OK... so I'm starting my crazy A-Z blogging challenge today with one of my most favoritist things about spring... ASPARAGUS!


Seriously, asparagus has to be one of the world's most perfect foods. I sometimes wonder if its wonderfulness is magnified by the fact that it's really only available in spring. Well, you can buy it other times of the year, but it's generally flown in from half way around the planet, which makes it both really expensive and not very tasty.

Asparagus is actually a grass and generally you harvest the new sprouts each spring and then let it grow after that to put its energy back into developing a healthy root system. Of course, I only know this from what I've read because my own attempts at growing the stuff have been... um... well let's say a tad bit less than sensational. But they say it's a long term project so I'm not giving up yet.



Anyhow, since both Done by Forty and Debbie requested some simple veggie recipes back when I did my veggie post, I figured I'd share my favorite asparagus recipe - it's in season right now, and it won't be for much longer so don't delay!

Simple Broiled Asparagus

Step 1: Choose the thickest asparagus you can find. One of the challenges in cooking asparagus is getting nice tender shoots. And, counter-intuitively the thicker ones are generally more tender than the super skinny ones. I think this is because the inside is more tender than the skin, so with thick shoots you get a better tender to tough ratio. That's my theory anyhow. Of course, you don't always have a great selection, so be sure to get shoots that aren't all mushy or wilted on top.

Step 2: Use them Quick! Seriously, they go bad really quickly, so don't let them hang out in the fridge for more than a day or two. You can sometimes extend their life by storing them upright in a jar of water (like cut flowers) but you're better off just cooking them within a day or two of bringing them home.


Step 3: Wash them and break off the stems one at a time. In my experience, this is one of the most important steps in preparing good asparagus. It's tempting to cut off the ends or to break them all off at once, but you won't get very good results using this method. If you break them off individually the stalk will naturally break at the right spot, allowing you to discard the tough stuff and cook up only the tender part.

Step 4: (optional) Save the stems to use in making stock. (more on this later...)

Step 5: Lay them out on a cookie sheet or shallow pan... you want them only one or two layers deep if possible. Drizzle olive oil over the top & sprinkle with garlic powder. Stir them about to ensure they're all nicely coated with olive oil.

Step 6: Stick them under the broiler set on low (if your broiler has that setting) for about 5-10 minutes. Watch those suckers like a hawk!! Seriously, you do NOT want to overcook them or they'll get both mushy and tough at the same time - not sure how that's possible, but it seems to be. As soon as you hear the sizzling go check on them. The best way to tell if they're done or not is to taste one. They should be hot all the way through, but still on the crunchy side.

Step 7: When they're mostly done sprinkle them with shredded Parmesan cheese and stick them back under the broiler for another minute or two - just enough to melt the cheese.



Step 8: ENJOY!!!


You should end up with some extra garlic & cheese infused olive oil in the pan. Don't toss it, it's delicious for drizzling over bread or anything else! I often make broiled asparagus & salmon at the same time and the leftover olive oil is wonderful on the salmon.

Here's a real simple meal of broiled asparagus with open faced sandwiches - smoked Gouda on sourdough with tomato slices grilled under the broiler - I drizzled the extra olive oil over the sandwiches and it was delicious!


So tell me... what's your favorite way to prepare asparagus?

40 comments :

  1. Mmm, asparagus! I tend to steam it and eat with butter...nom nom nom!

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    1. This is my favorite way to enjoy asparagus, too - delicious! Happy April 1st everyone - don't let the April Foolers get ya.

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    2. Simple could be good... I'm generally not a big fan of steamed veggies, but it would be hard to make asparagus taste bad!

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  2. I love asparagus. I will start buying the thicker stalks! Thank you.

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    1. hopefully I haven't steered you wrong on that one... thicker being more tender is certainly my experience. :-)

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  3. I did an experiment a while back with growing asparagus. I had wild asparagus that the birds had seeded in several places in my yard. I dug it up and put it in one bed to see if I could get any edible asparagus from it. Well I never got more that a piece or two, so now I just leave it as an ornamental plant. And it is very pretty. Otherwise, I am lucky that I get some each spring from a friend that grows it.

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    1. Oy! CatMan tells of digging up some wild asparagus eons ago. He kept it going for years but eventually it migrated out of the yard. I dunno... my first patch I planted roots and 2 of the 6 died - but holy moly! You'd need like a hundred root bundles to get any meaningful amount of asparagus! So then I tried planting some seeds... none of which sprouted. Sigh.

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  4. Okay I got my first laugh with the image top... mmmmm to the rest!

    Welcome in the "A"... as a host I am stopping by to say thank you!
    Jeremy [Retro]
    AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]

    There's no earthly way of knowing.
    Which direction we are going!

    HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
    Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

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    1. I also love that first image!

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    2. Thanks for stopping by Jeremy, and I'm always glad to share a chuckle!

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  5. Because of gout my husband can no longer eat asparagus. We both love it though. We had a stray asparagus plant in our field when I was a kid. Looks pretty when full grown.

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    1. A to Z Challenge
      www.mainelywrite.blogspot.com

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    2. Oh noooooo.... you have my most heartfelt condolences! Seriously, as a person with multiple food allergies and restrictions I know what a bummer it is not to be able to eat what you want.

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  6. I love asparagus! We grow it so if you want any tips email me at pilch92@aol.com. I just like to boil it for a few minutes, drain and butter. Nice blog, I found you from the a-z challenge.

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    1. You may live to regret that offer! My hunch is that it's probably a combination of factors including poor clay soil, not enough water, and crazy variability in spring weather (80 one day, snow the next.) That being said, I'd LOVE any help I can get!

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  7. Snape knows his spells, doesn't he? ;) Ha!

    I am fortunate to live in the county just below Oceana county in Michigan, which is a large producer of asparagus--which means we can eat a lot of it and our prices are probably more reasonable than what many have to pay.

    My hubby grills asparagus in a method similar to your broiler method. I will fight for my share of it when he does that. No, seriously, you'd better watch out, I might hurt you ....

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    1. My favorite recipe is similar. I go to my friend JA's house. He marinates it in olive oil, vinegar, and spices like garlic and rosemary. Then he grills it until parts of it get black. He has some kind of grilling basket he uses.

      My boyfriend baked it with a little butter and garlic and then put parmesan on top, but that was not a favorite. Our broiler doesn't work, and our toaster oven broiler doesn't get hot enough. He says he gets better results in a frying pan.

      I should try doing my friend's marinade and then frying it to see if I like it that way.

      Nice idea using the leftover juices for other purposes.

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    2. OMG... to live where asparagus was plentiful and cheap! Sounds a bit like nirvana to me!

      I don't currently have a method of grilling anything - unless I could figure out how to do it on the stovetop somehow. But marinating them sounds quite intriguing... it would never occur to me to include vinegar in the marinade. Hmm.... I see some kitchen adventures in my future!

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  8. Oh man, that looks incredible. Thanks so much!

    But where's the meat for the sammie?

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    1. Meat smeat! Seriously, you can eat them with anything... :-)

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    2. It's probably hiding under the cheese.

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    3. Well... a fella can dream...

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  9. I'm not a fan of asparagus, but I had to comment because the picture of Snape yelling asparagus is amazing. Truly epic!
    --Raven Oak (SF/F bestselling author & A-Z Challenge Participant #1247 as of 4/1)

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    1. Not a fan of asparagus?!? Blasphemy, I say! Seriously, I'm so sorry when someone gets no joy out of something I truly love. But glad you liked Snape! :-)

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    2. I feel the same way when someone tells me they don't LOVE broccoli. ;)

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    3. Ha! Gotta agree... broccoli rocks!

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  10. Yum, yum! I love asparagus--though artichokes are my favorite! (ThankfulMe #1293)

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    1. I love artichokes too... but alas, I'm allergic so I had to give them up. If I eat enough asparagus though I don't miss them! :-)

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  11. That looks soooo good! I am famous in my circle of friends for my asparagus and blue cheese (or gorgonzola) pizza. I love spare-guts!

    The dog loves them too -- I feed her the ends but sometimes I'll save them for soup that I make in the Vitamix (cream of asparagus using tofu instead of milk).

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    1. Ha! I thought I was the only crazy person who called them spare-guts! Asparagus and gorgonzola pizza sounds amazing! You'll have to post the recipe next time you make it.

      And cream of asparagus sounds delicious too. I've made it once or twice but usually I'm too lazy and just toss the ends in with the other scraps when I make stock.

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  12. I love them grilled too. Yum. :)

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    1. Gotta get me some sort of a grill setup 'cause that sounds yummy!

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  13. This is good to know. I had asparagus for over a week in my fridge, still cooked it and ate it. But I'll be aware next time because the nutritional value has decreased , so it is like eating water. I look forward to.whst you'll post next!

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    1. I'm amazed that it lasted that long in the fridge without turning into slime! I think you lucked out!

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  14. You have me wanting to try asparagus. I was never introduced to asparagus until I was in my thirties and it was drowned in a mushroom sauce so I passed. I've wanted to try it, but by the time the markets are open the season has passed and I'd heard you need to get it fresh. I was planning to grow some this year, but now I'm a bit worried they won't take.

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    1. You should definitely give it a try. But beware... growing it is a slog! I did see today that I actually have 2 shoots coming up in the garden. Woo Hoo! So this is year 3 and I might get to harvest a small handful of shoots - and those are from the plants I started from roots not seeds. Oy! Anyhow, you might want to make sure you actually like the stuff before committing yourself to the undertaking!

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  15. Oh, just another month or so until asparagus season here. Maybe, just maybe, my seed grown plants will produce thick enough shoots to harvest this year (four years after sowing). Also, I'm wondering whether 'broiled' is American for 'grilled'. I thought it was from your post, but then I read the comments and people are talking about grilling too. I think maybe when you say 'grilled' it's more like a barbecue? If I grill something, it's sitting on a rack with heat above it. In any case, asparagus is just perfect simply steamed with butter melted all over it. I rarely have enough to want any variation on this.

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    1. Hmmm... your description accurately describes what I call "broiled" - and I was assuming that people who said "grilled" meant over an open flame like in a BBQ - but now that I think of it, it's really almost the same thing. I mean, does it really matter if the flame comes from above or below?

      Anyhow, I'm quite jealous of your asparagus growing. I bought a bunch of seeds last year, but not a single one sprouted. Not sure if I did something wrong, or if I just got a bad batch. I just left the patch alone though in hopes that they might come up this spring, but so far, no luck.

      I do have a few shoots coming up from the plants I started from root bundles, but it's starting to look like you only get 1-2 shoots per root bundle, which means that I'd have to plant a LOT more in order to get anything meaningful. Sigh.

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  16. Asparagus is delicious! And I love to eat it raw! You can eat it raw only if it is home- (or local farm) grown because the commercially grown type isn't tender enough. Also, the bottoms of the asparagus you get in stores is tough on the ends because it is actually harvested below the ground. When they do that, the spears come out longer so it looks like you're getting more.

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    1. OK... I'm seething with jealousy because from your comment it's clear that you've actually cracked the code and figured out how to grow the stuff. Please share the secret!

      And that's very interesting about it being cut off below the surface. Makes total sense though.

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