ASPARAGUS!

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN when asparagus, both green and white rear their gorgeous stalks into the green markets, grocery stores and ultimately, the kitchen or dining room. In Holland, Germany and Belgium, May is the month when many festivals in local farming villages - not to mention major metropolises - are held in honor of the woody spears. Some villages even crown young ladies Queen of the Asparagus Festival. This dates back hundreds of years and comes down from a long held tradition. I wonder if the Druids celebrated asparagus in some sacrificial rite!? 

Asparagus dates as far back as 3000 B.C. with the Egyptians.  But it is to the Europeans in general that we owe much thanks for the cultivation of asparagus on a grand scale.  White asparagus is much more prevalent in Europe than here in America, where it is also more expensive than its green counterpart. Besides its generally sweeter flavor, the only difference between white and green is the fact that white asparagus is "grounded" (covered in dirt) and cultivated out of the sun. I am an avid white asparagus nut and eat it every chance I get. With butter and chopped hard boiled egg, with Hollandaise Sauce, with Veal Oscar (the best!) but somehow, the simplest way is most ideal, unadorned except for a sprinkling of olive oil and vinegar or drizzled with butter. Eaten with some boiled potatoes and a thick slice of boiled ham . . . OMG! The best! And then, of course, there is Risotto with Asparagus, also deliciously delicate. I once made a Lasagna with Asparagus as a first course for one of my Thanksgiving feasts. There was nothing left.

STEAMED ASPARAGUS

To steam one pound of asparagus, chop off about 1/5 (almost an inch or so) of the tough bark at the bottom of each stem, leaving anywhere from 5-8 inches of the stalk. Take a potato peeler and, holding the top of the spear very carefully, gently peel away the skin, turning as you go (see photo above). Once all the asparagus has been trimmed, take some kitchen twine and tie the asparagus into one bundle.  Tie another piece of twine at the opposite end and then connect the leftover twine so you create a handle with the twine. 

If you have a tall narrow asparagus steamer, wonderful! If not, fill a large pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and add the asparagus. Cover the poi to bring it back to the boil as quickly as possible and then lower the heat and cook uncovered for about 7 minutes. Once you have even the faintest whiff of asparagus, remove them from the water and bathe them in cold water for about 10 seconds to stop them from cooking.

With these asparagus, you can add any of the following sauces:

Melted butter
Hollandaise Sauce
Lemon vinaigrette
Vinegar and Oil with salt and pepper

If you wish to make risotto, reserve about 5 stalks of the cooked asparagus and cut the stalks on the bias but reserve the tops in a separate bowl for finishing the risotto. You can make basic risotto or you can follow my recipe for risotto con asparagus and piselli here: http://paoloknows.blogspot.com/search?q=risotto.

RISOTTO CON ASPARAGI

THERE IS also one more of the endless possibilities which is so good - Roasted Asparagus wrapped in bacon, or pancetta or ham, or even mortadella and served with poached eggs. A creative way to eat something delicious without eating any carbohydrates.

Bon appetito!