Peter Leibert's Page

ASPARAGUS:  SPEARS WITH NO PEERS

The beautiful green, regal spears of asparagus truly exude the flavor of spring. This vegetable is a member of the lily family (along with onions, leeks and garlic), and its name comes from the Greek word “asparagos” which means “sprout” or “shoot”. This aristocrat of vegetables, cultivated for at least in excess of more than 2,000 years, was a sought-after delicacy in ancient Rome era, and was dubbed the “food of kings” by France’s King Louis XIV. Luckily, you don’t have to be royalty to enjoy it now.

While asparagus is available in a trio of colors - green, purple and white - it’s the green that is grown in the largest quantities commercially in this country. California produces about 80 percent of the nation’s fresh domestic crop. Asparagus is the growing shoot of a perennial plant raised in furrowed fields. Plants take about two to three years before they produce - and they continue to produce for a decade or more. Sounds good to me. When the spears emerge from the ground, they turn green - and within two days they reach 8 to 10 inches in length. That is the time when they should be cut.

The domestic crop is most frequently found in our stores from late February through July, depending on the weather, although asparagus is available almost year-round due to imports. Steam, boil, microwave, broil, barbecue, pan grill or roast asparagus, but do so quickly to avoid overcooking. If spears are served crisp-tender, no embellishment is needed.

However, you can dress them up with a myriad of sauces - from lemon and butter, to Hollandaise, Bearnaise, red pepper, tapenades, Asian sesame oil/soy sauce/rice vinegar dressings, Italian, or French dressing, and more. A little oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, or just a few drops of balsamic vinegar bring out the best flavor.

When buying asparagus, look for bright green spears with tightly closed, compact tips. Make sure the bottoms of the spears are not dried out. Color, not size, is the key to tenderness. The greener the asparagus, the more tender it is. While there’s some debate among we experts about thick or thin spears, the larger spears seem to me to be just as tender as smaller spears, more versatile, and hold up better in cooking and have a longer shelf life. So I suggest that you try them both and decide for yourself.

To store asparagus at home, cut off about ½ inch at the bottom of the spears, wrap the ends in wet paper towels and cover with plastic wrap or stand them up with the stem ends in a little water (do not submerge). If the asparagus is at its prime when purchased, it will usually keep three to six days (depending on thickness) in the fridge. Thicker is better here.

To prepare for cooking, rinse the asparagus with running tap water and shake to remove any excess. Although there has been some debate over the years, it is my opinion that it is not necessary to peel the spears.

You can figure that a cup of cooked asparagus has about 45 calories, 10 grams carbohydrate, 0.5 grams fat, 300 milligrams potassium, 20 milligrams sodium, 5 grams protein and no cholesterol. This vegetable is a source of folic acid, vitamin C, B vitamins, and the mineral iron.