Eating,  Living

An Ode To Asparagus

As sunny days grow in number,

this vegetable is a warrior.

Commonly found within confines of blue bands,

asparagus is the Paul Revere of fertile lands.

Yeah, the poem was a bit much, but I love it. I should’ve wrote a post about one of my favorite vegetables earlier in its season, but que sera, sera. Asparagus is such a blessing when it is in season. Not only is it more readily available at farmers markets, farm stands, and the weekly savings mailer at grocery stores, but it is an incredibly versatile and delicious veggie.

I have been heartily enjoying these veggies since March and wanted to share a few applications and learnings before the season ended, so you can play with asparagus in your own kitchen.

Classic Broiled Asparagus

One of my favorite ways to enjoy asparagus is so simple that everyone should have it in their back pocket. Cut the ends off, toss them in oil and seasonings, place onto aluminum foil and into a broiling oven until the ends start to crisp up. Such an easy way to have asparagus as a side dish. Can also do the same prep method and throw onto the grill in an aluminum foil packet.

Photo by Jack Fitzpatrick

Thinly Shaved Asparagus

This is a brand new one for me. I was listening to American Public Media’s The Splendid Table, and they were discussing alternative asparagus uses. This one really piqued my interest so much so that I had a dream about it later that week. This technique simply involves shaving the asparagus stalk to create thin, delicate strips.

Either use a mandolin if you have one on hand (please watch out of your fingers) or place the asparagus on a cutting board and use a vegetable peeler. The shaved asparagus has a lovely silky texture that can be lightly dressed with oil and vinegar or used as a garnish on salads or soups. On that note…

Creamy Asparagus Soup

This recipe was truly an adventure for me. I found a recipe for Not So Creamy Cream Of Asparagus Soup online and tried it on a whim one evening last week. It was a labor of love (I didn’t eat until 9:30pm), but I really enjoyed it.

As usual, I did a Jack take on this recipe with completely different ratios and ingredients that I may post once I perfect. However, the reason that I’m bringing this up is because soup is a LOVELY application of asparagus that I rarely see (maybe I just don’t get out much lol) You get the earthy taste of asparagus in a creamy, silky vehicle. Delish!

Photo by Jack Fitzpatrick

Major takeaway from this post, use asparagus as much as you can in the next couple of weeks, as the season stretches until June. When  you get vegetables and fruit during their growing season they are usually tastier and less expensive (win-win). In the comments: How do you enjoy asparagus?

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