Incredible Vegetables: Asparagus
I love asparagus. I mean, I really love asparagus. As in it goes in my shopping cart every single week. And with a NuValscore of 100, why wouldn’t it? While I do eat this stalky green vegetable year-round, asparagus is just synonymous with Spring, don’t you think? And since Spring is right around the corner (woo hoo!!!!!), I thought that today was the perfect day to share my asparagus tips (oh, what a clever play on words!) with all of you!
Tip #1: Smell your asparagus
That’s right. Give it a whiff when selecting your asparagus at the grocery store. Does it smell fishy? If so, put it back. Asparagus spoils quickly so you want to feel the tips to make sure they are firm and make sure that it smells fresh.
Tip #2: Treat asparagus like a bunch of flowers
You know how when you come home with flowers, you need to give them a fresh cut and get them in water right away? Same holds true for asparagus. Chances are the stalks have sealed up along the bottom, so give them a fresh cut and place them in a container of water. Store them upright in your refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days.
Tip #3: Steam, then blanch.
Steaming is one way to cook asparagus. It is a great cooking method for Spring when you want to really taste the freshness of your vegetables. But there’s nothing worse then over-steamed, mushy asparagus. So, if steaming is your method of choice, steam it until the stalks just turn green and then remove them from your steamer or from your boiling water and place them in a basin of ice water. You could invest in one of those fancy-schmancy asparagus cookers, but I find that steaming it in a skillet with about a 1/2 inch of water works just fine.
Tip #4: Grill it or roast it
This is my favorite way to cook asparagus, probably because the leftovers are great on a salad the next day. On most busy weeknights, the asparagus goes right into a very hot oven (like 425 degrees). First, I submerge it in a basin of water to make sure all the sand or dirt comes off. There’s nothing worse than gritty asparagus. The, I dry it with paper towels. Next I lay it out on a cookie sheet lined with Parchment Paper. Then, I lightly coat it with olive oil using my Pampered Chef oil mister. It’s a great way to add just a small amount of oil.
Roast it until it turns bright green (about 10 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle with Kosher salt and lemon juice. Yum!
Instead of the oven, you can also place your lightly-oiled asparagus right on the gas grill. It does tend to come out a bit crunchier this way.
So there you have it, my Asparagus Tips! Find some non-smelly asparagus at your market today and try it out!
Question of the Day
What is your favorite Incredible Vegetable? Do you know the NuVal score? You might find it on this blog, Tina’s blog or on the Nuval website.
Posted by: Melissa 17 comments
Posted in: Incredible Vegetables
Tags: asparagus
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I love asparagus, too! I almost scooped some up at Whole Foods yesterday to add to a floral arrangement…no lie!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 7:53 am
Fresh asparagus is the perfect side dish to almost ANY meal – chicken, steak, sandwiches, even pasta!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 7:53 am
I steamed some asparagus last night and they were oh so good! I like to steam them in my rice cooker to ensure the perfect tenderness.
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 8:55 am
i was watching andrew zimmermn and i think he said a great combo is to combine crabs and asparagus. *yuck* I prefer them roasted and just eat them just like that. i’ve done mine on the griddle too with some smart balance and they smelled delicious
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Asparagus is one of my faves too! Along with brussel sprouts. I love sauteed veggies. That is definitely my cooking method of choice.
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 9:48 am
My aunt is the most elegant and creative florist I know – and she uses asparagus in Spring arrangements all the time!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 10:31 am
I adore asparagus too. Could eat it every day. I love tossing it with balsamic, olive oil and salt & pepper and then throwing it on the bbq. So quick and good.
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 11:08 am
I like to marinate them with olive oil, S/P, lemon juice and white wine. Then on the grill they go. The hardest part is keeping them from falling through the grate.
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Thanks for this reminder, Melissa! I love asparagus and don’t buy it in the winter. I’ve just motivated myself to get back in to shape before pool season
and you’ve given me a great addition to my salads!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 11:25 am
hands down, my fav veggie is asparagus. we actually called our house the asparagus house in undergrad. (weird i know haha) i just can’t get enough!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 11:28 am
I would say broccoli is mine. I love it steamed or roasted–yum!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Great tips. Roasting is my favourite way to prepare them too. For dinner last night, I just roasted a big batch with a panko and sesame crust, giving them a slightly crispy texture and served with a soy-ginger drizzle. Delicious!
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Hey, Melissa. You taught me your grilling recipe years ago – and it is still my favorite way to eat asparagus. I also make it with risotto and parmesan cheese. Yum!
Now if I could just convince my kids to like it…
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Roasting and grilling are my fav ways to make asparagus too
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
i love asparagus but had no idea to smell it or to treat it like flowers! have a great day!
on Mar 20th, 2010 at 12:44 am
Kale is my new fav! Asparagus is a close second.
on Mar 31st, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Can I make a confession? It’s the first thing on the grill in the summer and then we just pick it up with our fingers and eat ‘em like french fries while the rest is being cooked! We also roast them with and without cheese indoors and then I *try* to be proper and use a fork and knife!