Seasonal Virginia: Asparagus
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, April 28th, 2011
Here in Virginia, one of the first products of the spring season is fresh asparagus. Common grocery store staples year-round, these little guys really sing right around the end of April.
Ellen Snead of Snead’s Asparagus Farm in Fredericksburg, Va. spoke highly of this year’s crop, calling the asparagus coming out of Virginia and North Carolina “phenomenal.” “It’s been very rainy, good spring weather for asparagus,” she said, “and now is the best time to buy because the first cuttings are superb.” According to her, the best time for asparagus in this region is in the month of May, before the temperatures start to rise in June.
When shopping for asparagus, look for straight, firm stalks with tips that are closed and either dark green or purple. Frayed tips are an indicator of age or poor storage. Choosing the thickness of your asparagus is largely a matter of personal taste. The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (you read that right) suggests that large diameter asparagus tend to be more tender and cook evenly, while others (like the folks at Cooking Light) argue that slighter versions of the vegetable are less woody and require less preparation. However, former New York Times food guru Mark Bittman says both types are fine, and that the choice of girth should depend on what you have in store for them.
Thick asparagus have tougher skin and require peeling to ensure that they cook evenly, and they are great grilled, poached or sliced for a raw salad. Thin asparagus cook faster making them ideal for stir fries or roasted right by themselves. Asparagus is at its best when prepared the day of purchase, but they can store for two or three days in the refrigerator if you wrap the bottom portion with a moist paper towel, or stand the bunch upright in a pool of cold water like they do in fancy-pants grocery stores. Asparagus also keeps in the freezer for up to eight months.
No matter how you choose to cook your asparagus, preparation remains the same. Give them a quick wash to release any residual grit, then hold the vegetable by each end and snap off the bottom woody portion, which should break right off. Keep an eye out for signs of asparagus beetles, whose eggs appear as little black dots along the stem. If the spear still looks healthy and straight, just shave the little guys off with a knife.
An adaptable vegetable, you can do just about anything with asparagus, they can be grilled, poached, steamed, blitzed into a soup or sliced for a salad. Just don’t overcook them. Many a palate have been turned off of asparagus thanks to the downright nasty way these guys can go from crisp, fresh spring vegetables to a sludgy, funky mess thanks to inattentive cooking (looking at you, Mom).
As for us, we like asparagus as simple as possible and roasted with the basics: salt, pepper, olive oil with some freshly grated parmesan sprinkled over top. You can also wrap the roasted asparagus in thin slices of salty country ham if you’re feeling decadent—which, face it, you are.
(Image Kaappleyard/Shutterstock)
- Kris King
Tags: Asparagus, cooking, farmers markets, food, Gut Check, Northern Virginia Magazine, seasonal ingredients, vegetables