Friday, March 13, 2009

Asparagus

Asparagus: A Sign of Spring

http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/asparagus.htm

That dreary stretch of months after the fall and early winter harvest season can seem endless to cooks longing for produce that’s truly seasonal. The very items that make fall and winter cooking special for me—squashes, sweet potatoes, and apples, now seem lackluster on market shelves. My palate as well as my eyes long for some sort of lift to let me know that spring has finally arrived. One sure sign is the appearance of big bunches of asparagus stalks on market shelves. And appropriately, asparagus has become a typical offering at holiday meals of the season, notably Easter and Passover.

Of European origin, asparagus was carried over to the colonies and established itself as a treasured kitchen-garden vegetable early on. An 18th century chronicler of colonial Virginia found “very large and long asparagus of splendid flavor.” President John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, “Pray, how does your asparagus perform?”

When buying asparagus, I recommend slender stalks if possible. Their flavor seems especially concentrated, and their skin is usually thin enough not to need scraping. If the skin does need to be scraped, it’s usually just the bottom half that needs it. Then, I prefer steaming the stalks in a steamer basket placed in a saucepan. Microwave steaming also yields good results; place the stalks in a small casserole dish with just enough water to keep them moist. Cover and cook for just a few minutes at high power (exactly how long is determined by how many stalks you are cooking at once), then test and cook a little more as needed. With either method, don’t let the asparagus cook so long as to lose their bright green color. Really good, fresh asparagus needs little embellishment, but if anything, I add just a touch of light margarine or butter.

A 17th century French writer summed up the charms of asparagus like this: “Asparagus is a delicate fruit, and wholesome for everiebodie, and especially when it is thicke, tender, and sweet…it maketh a good color in the face.”
Cream of Asparagus Soup

Serves: 6

* 2 pounds asparagus
* 1 1/2 tablespoons light margarine or canola oil
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 large potato, finely diced
* 3 cups water or vegetable stock
* 1 teaspoon dried dill
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* Dash of nutmeg
* 1/2 to 1 cup plain rice milk or other non-dairy milk
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut about 1 inch off the bottoms of the asparagus stalks and discard. Scrape any tough skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut the stalks into approximately 1-inch pieces, setting aside the tips.

Heat the margarine or oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until it is golden. Add the asparagus pieces, garlic, potato, water or stock, dill, basil and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the asparagus and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the solid ingredients to the container of a food processor or blender. Process in batches until smoothly pureed, then stir back into the liquid in the soup pot. Add enough rice milk or other non-dairy milk to achieve the desired consistency.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and return to low heat. Steam the reserved asparagus tips until tender-crisp. Stir them into the soup and simmer over very low heat for another 5 minutes. You can serve this at once, or let it stand for an hour or so to flavor, then heat through as needed.
Mushroom, Asparagus, and Artichoke Salad

Serves: 6

This delicious asparagus dish can be served as a salad course or as an appetizer.

* 1/2 pound small button mushrooms
* 1 pound slender asparagus
* 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and cut in half
* 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
* 1 large half-sour dill pickle, chopped
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
* 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt plus 1/3 cup non-fat mayonnaise
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wipe the mushrooms clean and trim the stem bottoms if they look dark or fibrous. If the mushrooms are larger than button size, cut them in half. Place in a skillet with just enough water to keep moist; cover and steam over moderate heat for two minutes, then drain and let cool.

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus, then cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Using the same skillet, add just enough water to keep the bottom moist, cover, and steam until the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Combine the mushrooms and asparagus in a serving container. Add the artichoke hearts, zucchini, pickle, and herbs. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, and lemon juice until smoothly combined. Pour over the vegetables and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Servea t once or refrigerate until needed.
Sweet-And-Sour Buckwheat Noodles With Asparagus

Serves: 4 to 6

* 1 tablespoon safflower or peanut oil
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
* 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1/4 cup dry white wine
* 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/2 pound buckwheat noodles (soba)
* Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oils in a large skillet or wok. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the asparagus and stir-fry over moderately high heat until it is crisp tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, vinegar, maple syrup or agave nectar, and soy sauce. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water and stir into the mixture. Lower the heat and simmer.

Cook the buckwheat noodles according to package directions until al dente, then drain. Stir them into the skillet or wok and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute, then serve at once.

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