The race for fresh, local asparagus is short but worth it
As versatile as it is delicious, vegetable is a perfect side for any meal of the day
For those of us who really love food, this is the most glorious time of year.
Fresh produce is trickling in from nearby farms, making local farmers markets the place to be on the weekends. Farmers are happy to show off their early spring produce — such as ruby red radishes and rhubarb. But there is one thing worth making a beeline for: amazing asparagus. With just a short window of growing production (Mother’s Day to Father’s Day, typically) this is the best time to eat your fill, and goodness knows I’ve been doing just that. Roasted with olive oil and lemon; steamed, then bathed in butter; swaddled in bacon and baked; sliced into quiche; puréed into soup, there are many ways to eat this verdant vegetable, and I love them all. If you ask anyone who has asparagus in their garden, it can be very labour-intensive to grow, thus the price at the market is worth every penny. (Fun fact: asparagus can grow as much as six inches (15 centimetres) in one day!) Asparagus is lovely to have hanging around the kitchen because not only does it taste like spring, it also cooks quickly. It’s not like those humble root vegetables (beets and turnips, I’m looking at you) which can take hours to cook thoroughly. Asparagus is happy with just a quick swish of butter and lemon over high heat for five minutes. I especially like it for breakfast, with the eggs cooking in another pan, and the toaster taking care of the toast. Asparagus also looks rather posh. No matter how you treat it, plates look a little fancier when they hold asparagus. Speaking of fancy, I’m a fan of making fussy-looking meals when in reality they take no time and very little trouble — like these bundles of puff pastry goodness.
Look at them: You’d think it took hours of preparation. Sorry to disappoint. How about 10 minutes prep and 30 minutes
baking in the oven? You can so do this, even on days when you don’t want to cook.
The key is to look for asparagus that is on the thinner side. The fat stalks will take longer to cook through, so save those for roasting.
I used brie in the pastries, but goat cheese, Boursin and slices of a good gruyere would not be out of place.
And bonus points for getting those crispy cheesy bits sliding out of the bundle.
No one ever complains about crispy cheese.
While I added back bacon to the pastries, they also taste delicious without the meat. If drizzling with thyme-infused honey seems questionable, I urge you to follow the recipe completely. The drizzle elevates the bundles to excellence, and I fear they won’t be quite as smart without it.
Again, the drizzle takes seconds and is well worth the effort. Think about serving the pastries for breakfast or brunch, with sunny eggs on the side.
Or, for a light lunch, with a side salad of greens and other spring vegetables.
And, if you find yourself standing alone in your kitchen, you can be like me and eat a golden brown bundle just off the cookie sheet, out of hand, with the honey drizzle dripping off the chin, and absolutely no regrets.