Tips for buying, cooking spring asparagus
Jennifer Chandler
Asparagus heralds the beginning of spring. It’s one of the first green vegetables to arrive fresh and in-season at the market after a long winter of root vegetables.
With a growing season that runs from April through the beginning of June, asparagus lends itself to an assortment of fresh and delicious dishes.
When picking asparagus, look for bundles with firm spears whose tips are closed and green. Avoid dry, brownish looking spears.
Once you’ve made your pick, it’s very important to store your asparagus properly to keep it fresh. The best way is to treat the spears like flowers.
Trim the stems and wrap a moist paper towel around the ends or, even better, stand them upright in a couple of inches of cold water. For both ways, be sure to store the asparagus in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to cook the asparagus, instead of cutting the ends with a knife, use your hands to break the bottom of the stems off. The asparagus stalk will naturally break at the point where they have become tough and woody. Discard the end pieces and use the tender spears.
Asparagus are very versatile. They can be steamed, sautéed, roasted or grilled. I think the grill gives the asparagus a delicious smokiness. Just be sure to use a grill grate or place then on the grill perpendicular to the grates. You wouldn’t want to lose any of these yummy veggies!
Garnish simply with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon or a little grated Parmesan. No need to over-do it.
Whichever way you choose to cook your asparagus, just be sure not to overcook it. The beauty of this spring veggie is it cooks in just minutes.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.