Take aim at spring spears
Embrace the new season with abundant asparagus in all its fresh and versatile goodness
NOTHING says spring like the sight of luscious Australian-grown asparagus on supermarket shelves.
With ideal growing conditions and increased plantings, asparagus lovers are in luck – the season has officially kicked off and it’s on track to be the biggest crop on record.
When it comes to choosing your bunch, asparagus grower and Australian Asparagus Council president James Terry shares his advice for ensuring you pick the most crisp, moist and juicy spears.
“Look for firm, bright and smooth spears that are uniform in size with closed, compact tips,” he said.
“And to keep them fresher for longer, store them similar to fresh-cut flowers. Stand the spears upright in a container with 1cm of cold water, cover and place in the fridge.”
Not only delicious, the vegetable also packs a nutritional punch, accredited practising dietitian Glenn Cardwell said.
“Being a versatile vegetable, there are many ways to easily boost your nutrition by adding asparagus to your everyday meals,” he said.
“Simply cook on the barbecue, toss it through a stir-fry, roast in the oven, blanch, steam or boil.
“Eaten raw or cooked, it is also a tasty addition to soups, salads, pastas, pizza, wraps and dips.”
If you love your asparagus, then try these two tasty recipes by Leah Itsines.
Lemon baked salmon with asparagus
SERVES: 2 Ingredients 2 salmon fillets, skin on 1 lemon, juiced 2 rosemary stalks, leaves taken off the stalk and chopped 1 garlic clove, sliced into slivers 6 asparagus spears, trimmed 6 cherry tomatoes, whole 2 tbs olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Add lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix. In a large mixing bowl, add the salmon fillets and the lemon mixture. Coat the fish evenly. Leave to marinate for one hour prior to cooking.
On two separate sheets of foil or baking paper, lay the fish skin-down and top with cherry tomatoes and three asparagus spears on each.
Wrap each fillet individually, covering it completely to ensure no air escapes.
Place into the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Serve with more asparagus and some salad.
Garlic focaccia with asparagus, chilli hummus and poached eggs
SERVES: 1 Ingredients 2 soft poached eggs 3 asparagus spears, trimmed 1 piece of Turkish bread, toasted 3 tbs spicy hummus 1 tbs spicy dukkah 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tbs olive oil
Method
Preheat grill to high. Cut Turkish bread in half horizontally.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the garlic and olive oil. Using a basting brush, brush the bread with the mixture and place under the grill. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Heat a small saucepan of water until it begins to simmer. Use a spoon to create a whirlpool in the water and carefully crack the eggs into the centre of the whirlpool. Turn the heat right down and let this sit for three–four minutes for a soft egg or six–eight for a hard egg.
While the eggs are poaching, peel the asparagus into super thin strips.
On a serving plate, layer the bread with hummus, asparagus andeggs and sprinkle the dukkah over the top. For more tips (see what we did there?) and recipes, go to www.asparagus.com.au.