Manitoba Asparagus!

ASPARAGUS

The local Asparagus is now available. Hot hot hot weather will push the asparagus along, wearing down its growing reserves and shortening the season. A break with some cooler weather in the season will lengthen the season. It should be available for the next month or so though.

Everything that you always wanted to know about ASPARAGUS

Choosing local asparagus

Choose asparagus that has tight, dry tips that come to a point. Currently the tips are all bent over because of the hurricane force winds that we have been getting lately. Contrary to popular belief, thin asparagus does not a more tender stalk make. With local asparagus, especially the variety that I get from the wonderful grower that I have, the thicker stems are more tender than the thinner ones....trust me, it's true! Fine dining restaurants have been insisting on their suppliers providing them with thicker stalks of asparagus for so long that it is now a separate category. Mass produced asparagus is sorted with the thicker stems going to restaurants for a premium price (cause the chefs know what the good stuff is) and the thinner stems going to retail where customers mistakenly believe the thinner stems to be more tender.

Though there are many people who insist that you should snap the 'woody ends' off of your asparagus don't bother unless the bunch has a peak of the market tag on it! My local growers cut those ends off of the asparagus delivering only the most succulent of stems to the store! If your mother's voice keeps echoing in your ears to snap the bottoms off though, please make sure that you at least save the snapped off ends for freezing for winter soup stocks

Storing

Store local asparagus, upright in your fridge, in a container of water ( the water should cover one to two inches of the base of the asparagus). This keeps your asparagus hydrated and makes sure that it keeps plump and firm. Asparagus has even been proven to keep on growing when stored with this method, so you may gain a few micrometers of asparagus after you bring it home! Asparagus will keep in your fridge for up to 5 days.

Cooking

I personally prefer asparagus stir fried with garlic until it turns bright green, then tossed with parmesan cheese!! YUM! Mom likes to munch on Asparagus raw as she thinks that it tastes somewhat like raw peas. Though I don't like to eat asparagus raw by the spear, I do like it chopped and added to coleslaw, or vegetable salads. Brushed with olive oil and chucked on the grill makes for tender spears that keep the stove off during those summer bar b que days.

Boiling

Rinse your asparagus off to get any mud off. Bring enough water to cover asparagus to a boil. When boiling, place asparagus in water, and keep in water until it turns bright green. For slightly crunchy asparagus, boil for 2-3 minutes, for fully cooked soft asparagus, boil for 5-6 minutes. Asparagus tips cook faster than the stalks, so you may want to prepare them separately, or steam them standing up.

Steaming

Because asparagus tips cook faster than the stems, steaming asparagus upright is a great solution Find yourself an old coffee perk, or a tall stock pot. Bring enough water to come about an inch up the asparagus stems to a boil. Once the water is boiling add the asparagus spears upright, and cover immediately, cook for 4-8 minutes depending on thickness of stems,

Freezing

Asparagus freezes very well, just blanch (plunge in boiling water), for one minute, then let dry, place in freezer bags and freeze for up to one year.

The organic section at the store is now up and running, with a FABULOUS selection from a distributor in BC.

If the warm weather keeps up, there should be morels this weekend. I'll let you all know as soon as any come in.

Take Care
Erin