Asparagus Season Is Here!
By Alice Osborne
While available year-round, spring is the best season for fresh asparagus. Crops are harvested from late February through June, with April being the prime month.
The stalks shoot up from the crown of the plant and grow into fern-like leaves when allowed to develop. However, the edible stalks are harvested strictly by hand before the actual fern leaves develop. It takes three years from the sowing of the seed to the harvest of the first stalks. And talk to any asparagus lover - this is one veggie that's worth the wait!
Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that is grown as a perennial, since the plants have about a 10-year life. Asparagus comes in the following grades: colossal, jumbo, large, standard, and small.
Varieties are interchangeable in recipes, with the only change being in the color of the resultant dish.
Green asparagus: Ranging from pencil-thin to very thick. Most American asparagus is of this variety.
White: Preferred in Europe, these sunlight-deprived stalks are a little milder and more delicate. It is difficult to find white asparagus fresh in the United States, but it is widely available canned (usually in jars).
Violet or Purple: This variety is most commonly found in England and Italy and has a very thick and substantial stalk.
Wild: Asparagus grows wild in some areas, particularly in Europe. You'll most likely have to hunt down your own, as it is rarely available fresh in markets, except in Italy and the South of France.
Asparagus has so many health benefits, it should be a definite addition our diet. It's a great detox vegetable and also know for its anti-aging properties. Low in calories, it offers digestive support, is a preventer of cancer, and is loaded with vitamins: vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin B 1, vitamin B 2, and vitamin C. It also has an impressive amounts of minerals and trace elements: iron, copper, manganese, folate, and tryptophan (right up there with turkey). And of course, its dietary fiber is superb.
When looking for asparagus recipes on the Internet, the first three choices (three different websites) happen to be for either baked or roasted asparagus. As I read these, I was knocked over by how easy this is to prepare. All that's needed is coarse salt and a good quality olive oil. The asparagus is coated well in the oil, sprinkled generously with the salt, and either baked on HIGH heat (one recipe said 500 degrees) for only around 10 or 12 minutes, to quickly grilling (perhaps 8 or 10 minutes). All recipes suggested carefully watching it and turning often.
We tried our asparagus this way the other night, and I have to say, I don't think we'll ever steam it again. We could quickly see why so many people recommend preparing it this way. Now that the season's upon us, let's indulge. There are so many reasons why we should!
