Egyptians were eating wild asparagus no bigger than a child's forefinger before the second pyramid was constructed at Gizeh, but the delicate stalks firmly resisted all efforts at cultivation along the Nile. It took Roman ingenuity to perform that agrarian miracle several centuries later.
The ancients doted on the flavor of this vernal vegetable. The Greek word "aspharagos" means as long as one's throat, a label, the pundits tell us, that was conferred on the slender spears because overeager diners often consumed them whole - in one fell swoop-at meal times. Soused with dressing, one hopes!
Asparagus is a harbinger of spring.
Or at least it was, before advanced agricultural technology and supersonic transport systems stuck their collective thumbs in the garden. Today fresh green asparagus may be found in metropolitan green groceries across the country from January to July - with varying levels of flavor and price.
France is home of the famous white asparagus. However, despite the delicacy of this remarkable spear, I tend to prefer the American varieties I was raised on, namely the smooth crowned Mary Washington, and the early blooming Paradise which, in the words of Alice B. Toklas, "should be no thicker than a darning needle when it is picked."
To a prejudiced palate like mine, the only true asparagus is marketed from early April, when the southwestern yield is harvested, until late June, when the bumper crops from the Northeast hit the vegetable stands.
When I purchase asparagus for a springtime orgy, I look for spears with straight stalks, uniform green color, and compact, pointed tips. The freshest asparagus will be crisp to the fingernail and usually no thicker than a fat crayon. But only the stalks with a scant inch of woody white fiber at the base, since that portion is trimmed off in the kitchen.
This nutritious vegetable is not only super-rich in vitamin A but equally endowed with vitamin B1, B2, and C. Asparagus is also a dieter's dream food: less than 35 calories per cup, cooked.
Preparation
Cooked asparagus may be served, hot or cold, as a vegetable first course or as an adjunct to the meal itself. French chefs have been known to substitute it for a salad course in a pinch, but you eschew that practice please! Asparagus is too distinctively flavored to cleanse the palate.
I never wash asparagus until after it is peeled, contrary to the advice you may have read elsewhere. Peeling is a necessity (unless the asparagus is pencil-slim and super fresh) because the tough outer flesh is hard to digest. Before peeling, break off and discard the bottom of each stalk at the point where it snaps off most easily. I never slice off the bottoms because, as with cut flowers, water enters more freely if the stalk is roughly torn.
Peel the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler, removing the scales and stringy skin, but stop at least an inch from the tips. Wash the peeled stalks in a large basin of cold water before they are to be cooked.
I always blanch asparagus, uncovered, in a large flat saucepan or deep skillet half filled with boiling salted water. My technique is to place the stalks loosely in the pan, allow the water to return to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until just barely tender. Do not overcook! When the asparagus is cooked, place the pan under cold running water until the stalks are cool to the touch. Drain on paper towels before using.
To steam asparagus, place the spears upright, loose or tied in bunches of six to ten, in a deep pot or in the bottom of a double boiler. Add boiling water to a depth of 1 inch, plus salt if desired. Cover with a lid or with the inverted top of the double boiler. Cook over medium heat approximately 10 minutes. By this method, the tougher ends cook in water while the tender tips cook in steam.
A serving note: Most of these asparagus recipes are based on a serving of 1/2 pound per person. However, if you are serving more than one vegetable with dinner, 1/3 pound probably will suffice.
Asparagus was a springtime staple of the Roman diet almost two thousand years ago. Even then, chefs knew better than to overcook it. Food snoops tell us that whenever Emperor Augustus wished to terminate some unpleasant business at hand, he would proclaim: "Let it be done quicker than you would cook an asparagus!"
Asparagus a la Parmigiana
This classic from Emilia Romagna (in northern Italy) is served as an antipasto; before the true business of the mean begins. At my table, it makes a dandy accompaniment to roast meat or fowl.
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, peeled
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blanch the asparagus and drain it on paper towels. Arrange the asparagus in a shallow ovenproof serving dish.
2. Pour the melted butter over the asparagus. Sorubjke wutg sakt abd oeooer ti taste, Spoon the cheese evenly over the top. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serves 4
Note: Asparagus is one of a select bunch of garden greens that man has always seemed to invest with aphrodisiac powers. In nineteenth century France, for instance, convention decreed that a bridegroom's prenuptial dinner contain at least three courses of warm asparagus...Make of that what you will! ~Aunt Millie
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