The perfect tips to celebrate asparagus month

Hilde G. Lee Daily Progress correspondent
Published: May 20, 2008

May is the month many European gourmets live for. It is asparagus month, and Allan and I were fortunate to be there at that time on several occasions. Many restaurants had whole menus consisting of asparagus in various forms at each course. We even experienced a tart lemon asparagus souffle for dessert.

Many food snobs worship truffles, which are supposed to contribute an impeccable aroma to food. Others say that goose liver evokes the richest sensation. Then there are those who prefer caviar.

The true gourmet in Europe believes that only asparagus has the stunning appearance and taste that makes it the perfect food. Asparagus has the correct shape for the human mouth and hand. Many say that asparagus is as beautiful as a flower. This is understandable, as asparagus belongs to the lily family.

Eating asparagus is a fun experience, whether it is by use of hands, a special asparagus fork or with knife and fork. A 19th-century cookbook listed 23 ways to eat this vegetable. One of these was to suspend the asparagus on pulleys about three feet off the floor and approach the asparagus with an open mouth while lying on one’s back.

Asparagus is good for you. It is lean and healthy and is one of the best sources of folic acid, a B vitamin that is vital in the formation of red blood cells. A noted Swiss psychologist said that eating asparagus would help you develop a sense of responsibility.

However, do not rush out and plant asparagus in your garden and expect instant results. I am told that it takes about three years before one can cut the first real crop. However, if you take care of the asparagus bed, it will yield for 10 to 15 years thereafter.

It is probably a curiosity that asparagus plants are sexual. The female ones grow plumper stalks. One spear can grow as much as 10 inches in a day and this rapid growth accounts for the vegetable’s tenderness. Asparagus

can be white or green and there is much controversy about which is better.

The white, often with a purple point, is grown and appreciated in Belgium, Holland, Germany and France. The green is favored in England and Italy. The United States grows and enjoys primarily the green variety, although the white often is available in our grocery stores.

The two most popular asparagus varieties in the United States are the Connover Colossal, an old American variety, and the darker green Mary Washington. Most of the asparagus in the United States is grown in the El Centro and Sacramento River Delta of California. The New Jersey asparagus production has declined because of high labor costs. Mexico has become our principal foreign supplier of fresh asparagus, which we now enjoy year-around.

I was amazed to find that Thomas Jefferson, who tried to grow almost every plant and vegetable, did not bring asparagus to the New World. He did, however, grow it from seed in the late 1700s.

According to some historians, the first settlers found wild asparagus in America along sandy coastlines and riverbanks. The first domesticated asparagus was brought to New England in 1672. A Dutch consul began systematic cultivation of asparagus in the mid-1700s in Massachusetts.

Ideally, asparagus, like corn on the cob, should be cut, cooked and served without dilly-dallying. Choose young asparagus with straight stalks and petals that are completely closed. Cut ends should be fresh looking and even in thickness. The stalks should be smooth and have a rich green color.

There are people who cook asparagus standing upright with the tips out of the water. Others place neatly tied asparagus bunches horizontally in a frying pan of water for a short time. I belong to neither group.

I cook my asparagus horizontally in the microwave for five to six minutes on power 7 (three-quarters power). I place it in a 4x8-inch Pyrex pound-cake pan with an inch or two of water. The exact cooking time depends the thickness of the asparagus stalks.

One of the first writings about asparagus was in a cookbook by Apicius, the Roman gourmet and cookbook writer. He used ground-up asparagus and combined it with spices and raisin wine to make a sauce served with roasted birds. Frankly, I have no desire to try ground-up asparagus.

I frequently use cold steamed asparagus as part of a salad, combining it with orange slices and tomatoes. In the following simple salad, olive oil and vinegar mingle with the orange and tomato flavors.

Asparagus and Orange Salad

8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 large oranges

2 ripe tomatoes, cut into eights

2 ounces romaine lettuce leaves, shredded

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Set aside.

Grate the zest from half an orange and reserve. Peel all of the oranges and cut into segments, leaving the membrane behind. Squeeze out the juice from the membrane and reserve the juice.

Put the asparagus, orange segments, tomatoes and lettuce into a salad bowl. Combine the oil and vinegar and add one tablespoon of the reserved orange juice and one teaspoon of the rind. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently to coat. Serves 4.